Shockwave (1990). Play online

Summary

Shockwave tosses me into a series of claustrophobic mazes where the only goal is to snag all of the crystal fragments left behind by the extinct Tarian race before the suit’s power fades. I’m armed with a simple shockwave pistol that doesn’t fire bullets— instead it sends a pulse that pushes or destroys blocks depending on their type, letting me sculpt a path through the labyrinth. The twist is that fireball enemies bounce around, and stray firestars sap suit integrity, forcing a quick finish.

Each level is timed, and the ticking clock mirrors the suit’s weakening hull; once it expires, I die and lose a life. Helpful items like hourglasses, extra lives, and even enemy‑freezers occasionally pop up, while teleport doors and force fields add extra layers of puzzling. The puzzle escalates across fifty stages, and if I ever lock myself out, a restart option lets me reset the current maze without sacrificing progress.

Storyline

In Shockwave for the NES, players explore alien ruins to gather every crystal scattered by the long‑dead Tarian civilization. The goal is to collect all of these crystals, which were left behind by the extinct alien race, the Tarians.