Solomon's Key/Console 17 - 24

Stage 17

File:Solomon's Key NES Stage17.gif

This board may take a few tries, but once you understand the pattern, you will find it surprisingly easy to proceed.

1. Unless you have fireballs for all three wizards, don't bother trying to take the more obvious path along the bottom. The easiest way is to traverse through the Sparkie forest.
   • Wait for the closest Sparkie to pass and then build a brick immediately to your left
   • Jump onto the new brick and surround yourself with bricks. This blockade will protect you as long as you stay in it, however, you need to move on quickly in order to stay in sync with the Sparkies' pattern.
   • The instant the Sparkie from above clears your blockade, break the left block and fill the next gap to your left.
   • Stand on the gap you just filled and build another blockade
   • Repeat this blockade-and-pause pattern until you cross all four gaps
2. Jump on top of the Sparkie forest and make your way to the right, pushing them out of your path with well-timed blocking
3. Drop the blue flames, ascend, and finish the board.

Stage 18

File:Solomon's Key NES Stage18.gif

1. Ascend up the right side, keeping yourself as close to the wall as possible
2. Create a drain directly under the Skull generator
3. Drop the blue flames if the Skulls have not done so already.
4. Exit

Note: Dropping the Gargoyle should produce a fairy.

Stage 19

File:Solomon's Key NES Stage19.gif

This is one of the hardest boards in the game. The combination of the Salamanders, the speedy-sparkies, and the time crunch makes this very difficult. If you do not clear this board quickly, expect a very long and frustrating trial.

If you have the ammo, kill the Sparkies and anything else in your path as you grab the key and go. If not, then:

1. Make a Sparkie trap near the lower right corner. Keep it off the ground and away from the falling Salamanders.
2. Trap one of the Sparkies and release the other to cruise around the board.
3. Scale up the right wall while avoiding falling Salamanders, the loose Sparkie, and the Dragon perched above.
4. Drop the Dragon and continue upward until you are clear of the Salamanders.
5. Be sure to stay above the falling Salamanders and move to the left. Collect the goodies but save the bottle for last.
6. Use the orange bottle to zap all of the salamanders immediately after the left generator discharges. This will buy you just enough time to get the key and climb back out before more salamanders force you to the bottom. If you are forced to the bottom, then try to work your way up the right side in a similar fashion as in the beginning of this board--only this time, drop into the exit chute to finish the board.

Stage 20

File:Solomon's Key NES Stage20.gif

Obviously the main task is to determine the right path to the key and the exit, while still making it within time.

1. Build three initial blocks
   • One on the ground to your right. Jump onto this first block.
   • Jump up and build in the space to your left
   • Build the third block in the open space closest to the lower right corner.
2. Ascend up the left side and across the board so you land on top of your second initial block. From there, jump on top of the third and ascend up the right side.
3. Once about half way up, make a bee-line toward the key. Build a block directly below the key.
4. Walk off the left side of the block you are standing on, and build a block in the first open space as you are falling.
5. Re-ascend up the right side and this time land on the block you just built.
6. Traverse to the left side and ascend to the key and exit.

Stage 21

File:Solomon's Key NES Stage21.gif

1. Get the key.
2. Drop the Gargoyle on the left side.
3. Ascend to the top and move to the right side.
4. Collect the goodies and exit.

Stage 22

File:Solomon's Key NES Stage22.gif

1. Make Salamander jail by digging out the three blocks to your left.
2. Build a row of six blocks just above the floor. This will give the Salamanders a long walk to cloudland.
3. Open the drain below the Salamander generator and retreat to the left, slowing the approaching Salamanders as much as you can with blocking.
4. Once the Salamanders on the ground floor disappear, drop down and move toward the exit door.

Stage 23

File:Solomon's Key NES Stage23.gif

1. Drop through the Bat-swarm
   • At the start of the board, immediately walk off to the left.
   • Pull to the right as you are falling...
   • ...But try to avoid landing on the Wizard at the bottom.
2. Build a block next to the upper mirror that is below the key
3. Climb up past the lower bat-pair
4. Retrieve the key, goodies, and exit

Stage 24

File:Solomon's Key NES Stage24.gif

Just make sure to drop the middle of the three flames before you climb up to enter the upper door chamber. Place a block over the flame so you have something to drop onto after the dragon shoots the top flame down when you get close.