| Solomon's Key | |
|---|---|
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| Developer(s) | Tecmo |
| Publisher(s) | Tecmo |
| Platform(s) | Arcade, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, C64, DOS, Famicom Disk System, Master System, Mobile phone, NES, Virtual Console, ZX Spectrum |
| Release date(s) | NES 1987 Virtual Console NES NA November 19, 2006 JP December 2, 2006 EU December 15, 2006 AU December 15, 2006 Arcade JP August 18, 2009 NA November 30, 2009[1] PAL September 11, 2009 |
| Genre(s) | Puzzle |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: E PEGI: 3+ |
| Media | FDS disk 1-megabit NES cartridge |
Solomon's Key (ソロモンの鍵 Soromon no Kagi) is a puzzle game developed by Tecmo in 1986 for arcade release on custom hardware based on the Z80 chipset. It is better known as a 1987 port to the Commodore 64 and the Nintendo Entertainment System, although it also appeared on many other game systems of the time, like the Sega Master System in 1988 and the Famicom Disk System, released in Japan on January 25, 1991.
Contents |
Solomon's Key is generally recognized as one of the most difficult games to appear on the NES. The player must overcome unlimited enemy spawning, challenging level designs, a countdown timer, Dana's fragility, and limited ways to dispatch enemies. In addition, it's easy for players to unintentionally make levels impossible to clear while playing them.
Solomon's Key has many hidden items and secret levels that are hard to find which enhances the reward for playing. The ending slightly changes depending on which secret levels, if any, the player finds and completes.
The main character, Dana is sent to retrieve "Solomon's Key" to restore the world to light from demons that were accidentally released. The object of the game is to advance through the 50 rooms of "Constellation Space" by acquiring a key to the door that leads to the next room before a timer runs out. The game incorporates elements of the platform shooter genre. Dana can run, jump, create or destroy orange blocks adjacent to him as well as create fireballs to destroy demons. The orange blocks can also be destroyed by hitting them with your head twice. Along the way Dana can acquire items to upgrade his firepower and extra lives as well as items that award bonus points and unlock hidden rooms. With certain items, Dana must make, then break blocks (sometimes in a certain manner) to make these appear.
There are 64 levels in total with 15 being secrets. The main levels are divided into groups of 4 with one group for each Zodiac constellation. The final level is called Solomon's room. Each constellation has a secret bonus room which can only be accessed by finding a seal for the constellation in the last room of the group. The other three levels are Page of Time, The Page of Space, and the Princess Room which occur only if the player has acquired the hidden Seals of Solomon.
At the Game Over Screen a "GDV", or Game Deviation Value score also appears. The score uses a weighted composite of several factors (like levels completed, items found, time and points) which gives the player a good idea of how well the last game was played. The higher the GDV the better the game.
In 1988, a port of Solomon's Key was made for the Sega Master System in Japan.
A sequel for the Nintendo Game Boy system entitled Solomon's Club was released in 1991.
In 1993, a prequel was released for the NES named Fire 'N Ice in North America (called Solomon's Key 2 elsewhere).
The 1999 Game Boy Color release Monster Rancher Explorer (called simply "Solomon" in Japan) by Tecmo is an updated port of Solomon's Key.
The arcade version was included in Tecmo Classic Arcade in 2005.
The NES version of the game was released for the Wii's Virtual Console on November 19, 2006 in
North America.[2] and on
December 15, 2006 in the PAL regions.[3]
The arcade version came out on the Virtual Console in Japan on
August 18, 2009, in the PAL regions on September 11, 2009 and in
North America on November 30, 2009.
Solomon's Key | Table of Contents | Walkthrough
| Solomon's Key | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Developer(s) | Tecmo |
| Publisher(s) | Tecmo |
| Japanese title | ソロモンの鍵 (Solomon no Kagi) |
| Release date(s) |
|
| Genre(s) | Action, Puzzle |
| System(s) | Arcade, Sega Master System, NES, Famicom Disk System, Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64/128, Sinclair ZX Spectrum, Atari ST, MS-DOS, Wii Virtual Console |
| Players | 1-2 |
| Rating(s) |
CERO:
 All agesESRB:
 EveryonePEGI:
 Ages 3+ |
Solomon's Key (known in Japan as Solomon no Kagi) is a puzzle game developed by Tecmo in 1986 for arcade release on custom hardware based on the Z80 chipset. It is better known as a 1987 port to the NES, although it also appeared on many other game systems of the time, including many popular European home computers, and a Japanese only release for the Sega Master System (known in Japan as the Sega Mark III). The NES conversion was released for the Wii Virtual Console in 2006.
Solomon's Key is generally recognized as one of the most difficult games to appear on the NES or any other platform for that matter. The player must overcome unlimited enemy spawning, challenging level designs, a countdown timer, Dana's fragility, and limited ways to dispatch enemies. In addition, it's easy for players to unintentionally make levels impossible to clear while playing them. Solomon's Key also has many hidden items and secret levels that are hard to find which enhances the reward for playing. The ending also slightly changes depending on which secret levels the player finds and completes, if any.
The main character, Dana is sent to retrieve "Solomon's Key" to restore the world to light from demons that were accidentally released. The object of the game is to advance through the 50 rooms of "Constellation Space" by acquiring a key to the door that leads to the next room before a timer runs out. The game incorporates elements of the platform shooter genre. Dana can run, jump, create or destroy orange blocks adjacent to him as well as create fireballs to destroy demons. The orange blocks can also be destroyed by jumping into them twice. Along the way Dana can acquire items to upgrade his firepower and extra lives as well as items that award bonus points and unlock hidden rooms. With certain items, Dana must make, then break blocks (sometimes in a certain manner) to make these appear.
 Famicom box art |
 NES box art |
 Sega Mark III box art |
 European computer box art |
When the world was still in a state of chaos, evil spirits roamed the world freely and rioted. The magic document "Key of Solomon" was the product of great King Solomon's magical research. It described how the evil spirits were confined to the underground constellation Miya. Centuries later, one man sought to prove the existence of Solomon's Key. He discovered constellation Miya at last and arrived at Solomon's Key. He took the magical document, and in the next moment, evil spirits overflowed and the world and time were torn! The world reverted back into it's earlier chaotic state, and became a kingdom of the darkness, governed by evil spirits. The king of the lilac garden fairies Yutora ordered magician Dana to perform the restoration of the world. Dana has now broken into the unexplored region of the dangerous constellation Miya where the Solomon's Key was stolen.
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