In this review, we drop in to see if things line up in the Sega Genesis game Klax. We find out how well this puzzle game plays.
This game was released in 1990. This game is one of many ports of this title. We previously reviewed the Game Boy Color version, but found it to be a poor play. We decided to try this console version to see if it is any better.
Since this game is so much like the previous version, we decided to focus on the differences between the two games.
One of the differences is the fact that there is an animation sequence in the playing field. This is located on the drop zone area. Each level has its own objective. While it is mentioned on the bottom of the field, the diagram appears near the play space in an easy to see fashion. This really helps make the objectives more clear in each level because you may find yourself frantically clearing Klax blocks only to forget what the objective is. So, an improvement over the other version in my view.
The game also features an ability to toggle difficulty ramping. Difficulty ramping increases the speed of the tiles coming down the conveyor belt as the level progresses. Turning this off will only let the tiles increase in rate. It merely adds an added level of challenge to the game.
This version does not feature practice mode like the other version. It doesn’t really impact the game much because practice mode didn’t actually add much in the way of overall gameplay in the grand scheme of things.
Beyond that, there really isn’t much in the way of gameplay changes. It is largely the same game as the handheld counterpart we reviewed earlier.
Graphically, the game is better than the handheld version. This, of course, is to be expected given that this is two totally different systems we’re talking about here. While large portions of the playing field is quite static, the small animated sequences do add a certain flair to the game. The backgrounds are pretty interesting and they do vary. My only criticism is that the menu’s leave a fair bit to be desired because of the stark black backgrounds they show. Still, it is a pretty solid performing game on this front.
Audio, meanwhile, left a fair bit to be desired. The music is very nondescript and just stays in the background. In fact, by default, music is turned off. If you turn the music on and play another round, you really won’t notice much of a difference other than the audio being a bit less stark. The sound effects are not bad as the rolling tiles do change things up from time to time. I also like the increasing audio as the tiles approach, though as it does give the game a sense of urgency during tense moments. Overall, though, the audio doesn’t really do much to add excitement to the game.
Overall, there are some minor variances in the game that increase the gameplay value. Unfortunately, a lot of the pitfalls in this game is certainly still present. The animated diagrams make the game a bit easier to tell what objectives you have. Still, the game is quite repetitive. The graphics are pretty solid. The audio left a bit to be desired, though. Overall, it is a very average game if you ask me.
Overall
Furthest point in game: Ramping On: 712,402
Ramping Off: 1,524,241
General gameplay: 12/25
Replay value: 3/10
Graphics: 8/10
Audio: 2/5
Overall rating: 50%
Drew Wilson on Twitter: @icecube85 and Facebook.
