Solomon’s Key is an action-puzzle platformer developed and published by Tecmo, ported to the NES from the 1986 arcade original. Players control the wizard Dana, who creates and destroys blocks with a magic wand to navigate each room, retrieve a key, and reach the exit door before a timer expires — while avoiding or dispatching demons with fireballs. It spans roughly 50 rooms.
How To Play Solomon’s Key
Control
Action
D-Pad
Move Dana; set the direction for block creation and removal
A Button
Jump
B Button
Create or destroy a block (cast fireball when powered up)
Start
Pause
About Solomon’s Key
Release date
Arcade (JP): July 1986 · Famicom (JP): July 30, 1986 · NES (NA): July 1987 · NES (EU): March 30, 1990
Developer
Tecmo
Publisher
Tecmo (EU home computers: U.S. Gold)
Platform
Nintendo Entertainment System (NES); originally Arcade, plus many ports
Genre
Action-puzzle platformer
Series
Solomon’s Key (prequel: Solomon’s Key 2 / Fire ‘n Ice, 1992)
Modes
Single-player
Also known as
ソロモンの鍵 (Soromon no Kagi) · Zipang (PC Engine) · Solomon’s Club (Game Boy)
Sheldon has spent over a decade immersed in retro gaming, from NES classics to arcade gems. He's deeply passionate about preserving gaming history and helping others rediscover these timeless titles. When he's not gaming, Shaun writes about the evolution of video games and their cultural impact.
