Solomon's Key

"Looking for a challenge?. . . You got it!"

Solomon's Key is a platform action/puzzle genre mixer which is ridiculously difficult. Even though 99.9% of the people who play this game couldn't complete it, that really doesn't detract from the fun of this game. Anyone looking to put their playing skills to the test should try to complete this. I don't think anyone should be called 'the greatest video game player' unless they have completed Solomon's Key.

Story: 6
It's been almost 13 years since I've seen the manual so I don't quite know the story. Basically, you are a magician named Dana searching for a secret magic in a Mid-East temple.

Graphics: 6
Nothing earthshaking here. Most everything is rather bland and repetitious, however it's crisp enough. It's easy to tell what is what and so forth. This really isn't to much of a big deal because of the genre.

Music/Sound FX: 5
Again not much variation. I can only think of three different tunes in the entire game. All of the tunes are Middle Eastern sounding and adds to the atmosphere. Sound FX are clean and present no problems, I guess.

Play Control: 5
Dana is fairly difficult to control. It's hard to make him jump and especially leap up onto blocks or across holes.
This is troublesome in a game which relies heavily on timing.

Game Play: 9
This is a pretty fun game and can be quite addictive. You take Dana and bust or make blocks to stand on. There are some fire spells you can find to deal with enemies. But basically you want to get a key that opens the door to the next level. Each level requires a different strategy so the game is seldom repetitious.

Difficulty: 11
Dana is very fragile, one hit is all it takes. Since you must heavily rely on timing, which changes each level, expect to start each level over about 15-20 times to get the hang of it. You start with 3 lives and no continues(well, there is a hidden way to continue). Not only that, you must also strategize each level to determine how to complete it. You'll often think you've got a good strategy only to have it crumble at the end of the stage. Did I neglect to mention you also have a terribly short handed clock to work against?

Replay Value: N/A
You're not going to get through it so why rate it? Seriously, I've heard of secret rooms and hidden items in here so I guess it would theoretically would get high marks in this regard.

Rent or buy?
This is a fun little game that most puzzler people should have and any one looking for a gaming challenge. I'd say it's worth $5-$10.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 12/19/00, Updated 12/19/00