Tecmo's Famicom version of Solomon's Key. Create and destroy blocks to navigate tricky puzzles. Timeless concept, difficult to master. A classic of demanding puzzle games.
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Category
Puzzle1 player3+
Description
Puzzle-action game in which Dana solves rooms by creating flame blocks to battle and reach the key. Published by Tecmo, released in Japan in 1986. Dana in top-down view creating blocks to reach keys and eliminate enemies. Original Japanese version of Tecmo's Solomon's Key on Famicom.
The Japanese original of Tecmo's puzzle-action game, this 1986 Solomon no Kagi predates the Western NES version that shaped its reputation. For collectors the draw lies in the primacy of the Famicom pressing and Tecmo's founding role in the genre, the loose cart staying affordable while the complete copy documents the genesis of a classic before its arrival in the West.
Is Solomon no Kagi still worth playing in 2026?
A puzzle action from Tecmo, Solomon no Kagi stars the wizard Dana who solves rooms by creating and destroying blocks at will to carve a path, fight monsters and reach the key then the exit. The block creation concept, of remarkable elegance and depth, demands thought and timing in a fearsome difficulty. The impeccable logic makes it a peak of puzzle action. For a demanding retro brain teaser fan, someone curious about a Tecmo classic or a collector, the title keeps an intact intelligence and challenge.
