Solomon's Key is probably the biggest (and nicest) surprise I've found with the VC launch games. However, after checking this thread, I've realised how little people know of this legendary game, because if they knew, they'd go and download this old jewel without any hesitation.
But what is this game about? Solomon's Key is a strange breed, a mix between adventure and puzzle. You are in the role of a mage with the power to create and destroy blocks, and your goal is to reach for the door that will lead you to the next level. But first you have to obtain the key of each stage, and a bell, that will summon a fairy near the door. Why does he want to get to that door? None knows, and none cares. Each stage takes place in a single screen, no scroll here. It may sound limited, but each one is a puzzle on its own. The level design is really clever, as you have not a written path you must discover. In fact there's quite a lot of freedom for you to come up with solutions to the problems you've to face. One of those problems is that you start every stage with a health number that goes down fast. You have to clear the stage before the count reaches zero. As I've already said, your principal weapon is your mind and your ability to create and destroy blocks. Destructing some blocks will result in the aparition of some items. They can destroy enemies, give you health or even let you throw a fireball (you can acumulate up to three). So your main task will be create blocks to jump on or destroy the ones that are in your way, but as you progress in the game, this will result in a tricky task, since the destruction of blocks will result in the liberation of foes. So you've got to think what you do before doing, since dying is pretty easy in this game, and you've got just three lives. There're lots of stages (I think there were something like a hundred of them, but my memory may be failing here). In the original there was no save system, but with VC this shouldn't be a problem.
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The first stage. You can destruct the brown blocks.
Up to this day, there're lots of things that have stood the test of time in this game. One is the impressive level design (from a gameplay standpoint). The other are the controls, they are surprisingly verstile for the time they were created. You crate blocks and destry them with the A button, press down in the d-pad and the mage will crawl, push up and he will jump (controllable jump). Nowadays it sounds so obvious you might think I'm dumb for praising such a thing, but in the time this game was created, this was not the norm by any means. Controls still feel right nowadays, which is a testament to how good they were then. With B you release fireballs.
What didn't age that well are the graphics and sound. Graphics are ok for what the game is, not a big deal, but you'd wish you were deaf after a few minutes of playing.
Well, I have nothing else to add except the obvious thing:
DOWNLOAD THIS GAME BITCHES!
Edit: Actually some stages have scrolling and there 48 of them.
But what is this game about? Solomon's Key is a strange breed, a mix between adventure and puzzle. You are in the role of a mage with the power to create and destroy blocks, and your goal is to reach for the door that will lead you to the next level. But first you have to obtain the key of each stage, and a bell, that will summon a fairy near the door. Why does he want to get to that door? None knows, and none cares. Each stage takes place in a single screen, no scroll here. It may sound limited, but each one is a puzzle on its own. The level design is really clever, as you have not a written path you must discover. In fact there's quite a lot of freedom for you to come up with solutions to the problems you've to face. One of those problems is that you start every stage with a health number that goes down fast. You have to clear the stage before the count reaches zero. As I've already said, your principal weapon is your mind and your ability to create and destroy blocks. Destructing some blocks will result in the aparition of some items. They can destroy enemies, give you health or even let you throw a fireball (you can acumulate up to three). So your main task will be create blocks to jump on or destroy the ones that are in your way, but as you progress in the game, this will result in a tricky task, since the destruction of blocks will result in the liberation of foes. So you've got to think what you do before doing, since dying is pretty easy in this game, and you've got just three lives. There're lots of stages (I think there were something like a hundred of them, but my memory may be failing here). In the original there was no save system, but with VC this shouldn't be a problem.
The first stage. You can destruct the brown blocks.
Up to this day, there're lots of things that have stood the test of time in this game. One is the impressive level design (from a gameplay standpoint). The other are the controls, they are surprisingly verstile for the time they were created. You crate blocks and destry them with the A button, press down in the d-pad and the mage will crawl, push up and he will jump (controllable jump). Nowadays it sounds so obvious you might think I'm dumb for praising such a thing, but in the time this game was created, this was not the norm by any means. Controls still feel right nowadays, which is a testament to how good they were then. With B you release fireballs.
What didn't age that well are the graphics and sound. Graphics are ok for what the game is, not a big deal, but you'd wish you were deaf after a few minutes of playing.
Well, I have nothing else to add except the obvious thing:
DOWNLOAD THIS GAME BITCHES!
Edit: Actually some stages have scrolling and there 48 of them.
