Solomon's Key

"Unlocking Solomon's Key Will be the Challenge of Your Life"

Synopsis: Solomon's Key, perhaps one of the most overlooked titles on the Nintendo system, is also one of the very best games for the system, or, in my opinion, any other. It's also one of the most challenging, and entrenched with secrets. In a certain fundamental way, there is a profound depth to this game. What is most striking is the amount of time that must have gone into the level designs, which are insidious, demonic, and downright brilliant.

Graphics: 8/10

The graphics are quite simple, but everything is very, very sharp. Your character, Dana, looks rather like a middle-aged Link. Most of the backgrounds are tranquil, and even bland; however, this decision was a wise on, because you'll be so busy, you'll want no other distractions. The important thing about the graphics is that they are very appropriate, and have little of the cartoonishness of such titles as Lolo and so forth. They set a somber mood of the temple in which they take place, and have a bit of a mystical fancy about them without being elaborate.

Sound: 8/10

The main title theme is very appropriate for the theme of the game, and has a rather middle-eastern mystical sound to it. At times, it can be annoying, and I really DO wish there had been perhaps a different theme for each temple )there are twelve temples with four rooms each, each temple corresponding to a symbol of the Zodiac.

Control: 7/10

The issue of controlling the game is mainly a matter of becoming accustomed to it, as you use the directional pads to jump instead of A or B. After playing for a while it becomes second nature, but there is an adjustment period. The diagonal jumps can be difficult to execute in a reliable and timely fashion, both of which are important in a game as long and hard as this one is.

Gameplay: 10/10

This is without question my favorite game for the NES, and very close to one of my favorites of all time. The concept is very simple: get the key, and leave the room. However, the game has a tremendous amount of depth to it. In order to fully reach every level and get the best ending(s) you must also obtain the 8 Seals of Solomon which are hidden in the rooms. There are other hidden objects as well, which are mostly for point values (I've never cared much about points, but that's just me). Also, you can look for hidden lives and fairies, both of which are essential to making it through to the end of the game. There is a supreme logic to the game; these levels were VERY carefully designed, and test every aspect of your being. Some are more physical challenges, whereas others are more intellectual challenges, and the worst of these combine the two. It's maddeningly addictive, and completely replayable (especially if you haven't found all of the secrets, which are well worth the effort). Also, if you finish this game, you'll have accomplished something very few people ever have. The good thing is that it's FUN as well as HARD. There is no point to a game that is hard as hell and also boring as hell. The difficulty in the game arises from many factors, the most important of which being that you're given three lives to begin with--to get through fifty rooms. This is why it essential to find every fairy and 1-UP you can manage to find--there is much more to a room than just getting through it, but also finding all of it's secrets. Dana also dies with one hit. And it's very very easy to screw up. There is no continue (unless you use the cheat--and it's one of the few cheats I feel absolutely no guilt in using; after all, if you've cleared the rooms before room 37, what's the point of playing your way back through all of those rooms again only to get to the room you're stuck on and die over and over and over again? Because there are certain rooms in this game that may well take you several days to either figure out how to get through, or else evince enough skill to get through it even if you know how). Also, you're racing against a clock in the game. And for once, the time limit makes sense--the temples evil power drains your life force at a constant rate, and thus you must exit it as quickly as possible.
For a game of this difficulty, I do believe that Tecmo should have included a password feature at the very least.

Challenge (10/10)

You've already gathered that this game is hell on wheels, and it is. It is exacting, merciless, and relentless in it's difficulty. But it's not cheap hard. It's just hard.
And I have always derived the greatest satisfaction from beating a difficult (but fair) game than an easy one. Depending on your skill level and determination, this game could take you years to complete (if you don't use the continue cheat--I still haven't managed to beat it without using it, though I'm continuing to try :) )Despite the difficulty of the room, I rarely found myself angry (as one gets with cheap hard)....I'd leave the game and find myself thinking, what if I tried......or maybe I should......which is how a game should be. I won't lie: there ARE a few rooms that caused me to swear so violently a sailor would have blushed--but there are perhaps only 3 or four rooms like this :).

Conclusions:

A superbly clever and supremely crafted game. (Other ''puzzle'' games, like Lolo, (which is OK) pale in comparison to this title). I would really like to see something like it for the systems today. And NOT 3-D. Why must a game be 3-D to be good? Some games are actually BETTER 2-D, and this is one of them. Certainly there are games for which the converse is true, too. The game is a masterpiece for the same reason that all masterpieces are--there is an appropriateness to all things in a coordinated fashion--graphics, music, and gameplay complement each other and the theme as a whole.
Anyway, I would encourage (or should I say dare?) anyone to attempt to unlock Solomon's Key. If you haven't, then don't call yourself a ''master gamer''--because you aren't.

Overall: 10/10

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 09/23/01, Updated 09/23/01