Rep-tile! Infan-tile! Infer-tile! ADRIAN PITT reckons he’s none of these, but he IS the SEGA FORCE tile tilting champion!

The last time I had a Klax-attack was on the Master System, way back in Issue 2. The MS version notched up a highly commendable 81% and the GG conversion looks likely to knock your blocks off, too!

I reckon about 99.9% of us must at some time or another, have played Tetris. Game Gear Klax falls somewhere in the same mould. It’s addictive, challenging and highly frustrating!

Just to put you straight, a klax is a group of three or more tiles of the same colour, placed in a vertical, horizontal or diagonal line.

Time for a paddle!

The game’s played on a sloping conveyor belt. Tiles whizz down the screen and are caught on a paddle at the end of the belt. Use the D-button to move the paddle left and right, down to drop a tile in the bin, up or buttons and to flip tiles back up the screen, if things get a little hectic.

At the start of each round (or ‘wave’), you’re given a task to complete. Preliminary levels are easy: make three klaxs, create three diagonals and so on. From wave 11, though, things get a little tricky. Ever tried producing 15 klaxs when tiles are zooming down the conveyor like Speedy Gonzalez on steroids?) It ain’t easy!

As soon as a klax is manufactured, points are scored and these tiles disappear, leaving room in the bin for more crafty klax-making. If the bin’s full, it’s the end of the game and your Technicolour nightmare starts all over again!

For a harder jaunt, why not turn on the Drop Meter? Now you’re only allowed to miss a certain number of tiles. On early rounds, if three fall to their doom you’ tiling days are over, matey!

Do the tile warp!

Fret not, Klax is still a stonker of a puzzle game on the GG. Fast and furious action all the way!

Graphics are tremendously colourful — you can even change the shading of the tiles if they’re not to your liking. Sound’s nowt to write home about, but then Klax doesn’t rely on cutesy ditties and rip-roarin’ sound FX, it’s gameplay that makes it a winner.

With a nice front end, plenty of options, secret warp modes and continues, Klax tests the most hardened of game freaks. If puzzle games are your thing, or you’re bored to tears with beast-bustin’, monster-mashin’, hack ‘n’ slashin’, Klax is one for your collection. Tengen and Domark are spoiling you Game Gear freaks rotten this month. Take advantage of it and spend ya pennies!

ADE

Producer

Tengen/Domark

MD

Out

MS

Out

Memory

128K

Players

1

Price

£27.99

SF Rating

Presentation

81% - Demo, options, passwords, warps

Visuals

78% - Loadsa colour, crisp and detailed

Sonics

62% - Bit sparse, few spot FX

Playability

85% - Control’s easy, addictive from the start

Lastability

81% - Tons of levels, secret modes, choice of waves

82%

Nice one Tengen! Better than tiling the bathroom any day!

Rating

82

Reviewer

Sega Force magazine

Region

UK

Scans

Sega Force - Issue 09