Klax

The Short


Pros
- Fun, unique arcade puzzle game involving stacking three-in-a-row blocks of the same color
- Lots of scenarios and switching objectives keep each level fresh
- Tight controls and two-player support make it very addicting

Cons
- Colors (especially on the NES version) can be difficult to tell apart
- The NES version is also hideous compared to other (Genesis, SNES) ports
- Game can get really hard really quickly
- Never got a modern re-release
- Music is pretty mediocre

Pokemon! Wait...

The Long

I love Klax. Unlike Loopz, where my nostalgia betrayed me, Klax is a solid action-puzzler that is arcade-fast and is still a load of fun to play. I originally played this at the same nickelcade that I burned so much time in Donkey Kong Jr. at, while this one I spent playing with my wife. The arcade unit for Klax had weird discoloration that made it almost impossible to play, but I still persevered because I liked the game so much. When I heard they ported the game to NES and Genesis, I had to give it a shot. After playing Klax on both systems, I'm ready to give an accessible (and a system comparison)

This is the arcade version of Klax. 

The overarching goal of Klax is simple: make three (or more) of the same color in a row. This can be done vertically, horizontally, or diagonally, with the latter two netting more points. Pieces of various colors always roll down from the top, and if you allow too many pieces to fall without catching them (five in the arcade, three on home consoles) you'll lose a life and have to restart the stage. 

The trick is, of course, that you can catch multiple tiles (up to four). You always have to flip off the last one you caught, meaning you can get overwhelmed if you don't plan ahead. You can also toss tiles back up the conveyor belt if things get too hectic on your catchy-thing, but they'll just roll back down in a few seconds so you have to act fast. 

Here's the Genesis version. Pretty faithful, yes?  The SNES version  is almost completely identical.

What makes Klax unique is it has stages with varying objectives. Some are simple point attack modes. Others require you to make a set number of diagonals. Other ask you to survive a certain number of tiles rolling out (basically a time trial), and so on. These varying objectives give a solid sense of progression, and also make it so the relatively simple concept doesn't get monotonous (again, look at Loopz for a bad example of this). 

Colors are added the further along you play, the game getting quite difficult after a while. However, the "learning curve" is near perfect if you start from the beginning, and the addicting quality of just "one more try" on a stage is extremely prevalent here. Because the concept is so simple, you just can't stop.

The addition of side-by-side multiplayer (where you just go through the same stages independently) is a nice touch, and since you aren't competing you both basically just go until your skill fails you and you run out of continues. 

And the NES version which...isn't quite as good looking. 

So, if you don't have this game in the arcade, which version should you grab? Personally, I've found the SNES and Genesis versions to be the most faithful home ports. They graphically look very similar, the colors are vibrant and the Klax are large and easy to identify. 

The NES port still works fine, but keep in mind the graphics are substantially downgraded. The Klax are also thicker for some reason (something with screen real estate) which doesn't seem like that big of a deal but kind of messes with my brain. It's still totally playable (and fun!) but if you have a Genesis or SNES, grab those versions instead. 

An issue across all three versions (except the arcade) is tile color confusion. It's by far the worst in the NES, with the small tiles and limited color pallet making it hard to discern them as they fall down the belt. The Genesis and SNES fare a bit better, but when you have the full array of colors dropping down it can be a bit difficult to discern similar shades. You'll get used to it after playing through it enough, but it can provide some initial frustrations.

Port this sucker to everything, guys!

It's a pity Klax has never seen a modern re-release, as the game remains one of my favorite puzzlers to date. With addicting yet simple gameplay, actual objectives (in a puzzle game! Gasp!) and a great aesthetic, sound, and music, Klax is certainly worth picking up if you own any retro home consoles. It plays even better with a friend, racing to beat objectives and high scores, and with most versions you can set the number of credits you have as well as run a sound-test mode (I love it when games include this) and everything.

It is no longer the nineties, but it is still time for Klax. Four out of five stars.

Just don't try and do that hand thing unless you have a double-jointed thumb.