Solomon's Key

Solomon's key is a platform game filled to the brim with infuriating puzzles. You play the role of Dana a green-garbed fairy tasked with the mission of retrieving the legendary Solomon's key. Why? I have no idea.

It's a strange game with a control scheme that takes a few minutes to get used do, the B button will create (or destroy) a breakable block and the A button will cast a spell if Dana has any in stock. Jumping is handled by pressing up on the D-pad and while that takes a while to get used to, it ends up working surprisingly well.


The point of the game is rather simple. To advance to the next stage you need to collect a key, once you've got that the exit door will unlock and you can advance to the next stage. All of which sounds simple but isn't. There are apparently 50 regular levels with more hidden ones, but only elite players will ever see them all.

The NES is known for it's brutally hard games but Solomon's key really is taking the Michael. You need quick reflexes and the ability to solve puzzles. Not just your regular video game puzzles either; these are proper hardcore tests that not even Steven Hawkings in a rocket powered wheelchair would have a hope of completing. The European version allows you infinite continues, but oddly you need to use a joypad-activated cheat code to utilize this function on the US and Famicom versions. Solomon's Key is a good game for popping into now and then when you feel like exercising your brain. It's probably too difficult for most people but if you can put up with the frustration of constant deaths you may find something to enjoy here.