Solomon's Key Longplay (Arcade) [QHD]

Game Info
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Developer: Tecmo
Publisher: Tecmo
Year of Release: 1986
Game Review & Impressions
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While most arcades would be dominated by games which involved shooting things or beating people to a pulp, there'd occasionally be game which tried something a bit different. Solomon's Key is definitely the latter, and it's certain one of the quirkiest games released during that time.

You control a wizardly kind of fellow, enrobed in green and replete with a silly hat, who must delve into a series of dank, dark dungeons in search of treasure and mystic artifacts.

Each level consists of a single screen containing a locked door, plus a key to unlock it. The real challenge is navigating the myriad of blocks and platforms to get the key and escape through the door before you run out of energy, or coming into contact with any of the monsters patrolling the level. Your wizard is equipped with a magic wand which can either destroy existing blocks, or conjure a new one out of thin air, and mastering this mechanic to build/clear a path to success becomes paramount.

Like Bubble Bobble, Solomon's Key is a game of hidden depths. The only way to see the game's true ending is to locate the secret levels and retrieve special keys hidden inside. Clearing blocks with your wand may uncover special items, including a key to the secret level, but you'd have to spend a lot of time (and even more money) mapping the location of hidden keys, well as working out exactly which levels contain one.

Given that some of the later levels in the game are so darned hard, reaching the end becomes an almost insurmountable task. A couple of screens become unbeatable if you destroy the wrong blocks, and the game loses its appeal from that point on.

There's no denying Solomon's Key is a clever game, but for me, it just lacks the enduring appeal of Bubble Bobble or Rainbow Islands.

Information & Trivia
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Video Notes
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