But Google has now revealed that the logos - which included UFOs, crop circles and the "abduction" of the letter "o" in its name - were all a tribute to HG Wells who was born 143 years ago.

Mercury Hg's "Discovery" stages are the main meat of the game, with levels strewn along the Periodic Table. But there's more, too, including a Challenge mode, a Bonus mode, ...

The original Choro Q HG (just recently released in the states by Conspiracy Entertainment as Gadget Racers), is being followed up by Choro Q HG 2, due for release in Japan this November.