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Klax

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Klax features a conveyor belt at the top of the screen. It constantly rolls toward the playing area, delivering a steady supply of blocks. The player controls a small device which sits at the interface between the conveyor belt and the playing area, and can be moved left and right to catch the bl...

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Developer
Tengen

Released on
1990

Size
1–2 Players

Version
NES

Requirements
Nintendo Entertainment System

Downloads
Puzzle

Publisher
Hudson Soft

ESRB Rating
Not Rated

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Description

Klax features a conveyor belt at the top of the screen. It constantly rolls toward the playing area, delivering a steady supply of blocks. The player controls a small device which sits at the interface between the conveyor belt and the playing area, and can be moved left and right to catch the blocks and either deposit them in the playing area or push them back up the conveyor belt. The device can hold up to five blocks. A block which is not caught and placed in the playing area or pushed back up the belt is considered a drop. The blocks are solid colours, but there is also a flashing block which can be used as a wildcard on any colour.

Klax

Overview & History

Developed originally by Tengen and ported to the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1992 by Namco, Klax stands as one of the most hypnotic and visually distinct puzzle titles of the 16-bit and 8-bit eras. Eschewing traditional falling-block tropes, the game drops players into a psychedelic, neon-drenched dimension with the immortal marketing tagline: 'It is the 90s and the puzzle game has arrived!' Unlike contemporaries that rely on vertical drops, Klax introduces a conveyor belt mechanic where colored tiles—known simply as 'Klaxes'—slide toward the player from the horizon. The objective is to catch them on a paddle and drop them into a 5x5 grid below, arranging them horizontally, vertically, or diagonally to trigger satisfying cascading removals and rack up points.

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

Survival in Klax requires mastering spatial awareness and forward-thinking tile management across dozens of increasingly frantic waves. Each level imposes unique victory conditions, such as catching a specific number of tiles, creating pure diagonal lines, or preventing the grid from overflowing. If the player misses a tile and lets it fall off the paddle, it costs one of a limited supply of lives. To mitigate disaster, players can use 'Abacus' tokens for level-skipping or trigger a 'Wave Clear' bomb that vaporizes all current screen clutter. The game's difficulty scales aggressively, demanding rapid calculation of the conveyor belt's flow while managing the physical constraints of the 25-square drop zone.

Keyboard Controls

Arrow Keys / D-Pad: Move paddle left and right across the conveyor belt
Action Keys: Drop tile into the grid (A) / Flip tile back onto the conveyor belt in an emergency (B)
Enter: Start / Pause