<s>
Solstice	B-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Quest	I-Application
for	I-Application
the	I-Application
Staff	I-Application
of	I-Application
Demnos	I-Application
,	O
or	O
simply	O
Solstice	B-Application
,	O
is	O
a	O
1990	O
puzzle	O
video	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
Software	O
Creations	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Solstice	B-Application
is	O
the	O
first	O
original	O
game	O
to	O
be	O
developed	O
by	O
Software	O
Creations	O
,	O
which	O
had	O
previously	O
only	O
worked	O
on	O
converted	O
titles	O
between	O
8-bit	O
consoles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Solstice	B-Application
was	O
received	O
positively	O
by	O
critics	O
for	O
its	O
puzzles	O
and	O
graphics	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
audio	O
was	O
singled	O
out	O
for	O
praise	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
sequel	O
,	O
titled	O
Equinox	B-Application
,	O
was	O
released	O
for	O
the	O
Super	B-Application
NES	I-Application
in	O
1993	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Solstice	B-Application
is	O
an	O
isometric-perspective	B-Application
puzzle	O
game	O
in	O
which	O
the	O
player	O
controls	O
the	O
wizard	O
Shadax	O
,	O
who	O
must	O
navigate	O
250	O
rooms	O
within	O
the	O
fortress	O
Kâstleröck	O
and	O
assemble	O
the	O
six	O
pieces	O
of	O
the	O
Staff	O
of	O
Demnos	O
to	O
defeat	O
the	O
baron	O
Morbius	O
and	O
rescue	O
the	O
princess	O
Eleanor	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Many	O
of	O
the	O
fortress	O
's	O
rooms	O
feature	O
hazards	O
such	O
as	O
floors	O
covered	O
in	O
spikes	O
,	O
conveyor	O
belts	O
,	O
vanishing	O
bridges	O
and	O
tiles	O
,	O
and	O
floating	O
mines	O
,	O
and	O
may	O
also	O
be	O
inhabited	O
by	O
antagonistic	O
creatures	O
such	O
as	O
trolls	O
,	O
giant	O
spiders	O
and	O
demons	B-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
some	O
rooms	O
,	O
bombs	B-Device
can	O
be	O
detonated	O
to	O
create	O
an	O
entrance	O
to	O
a	O
previously	O
blocked-off	O
passageway	O
,	O
though	O
the	O
detonators	O
are	O
hidden	O
within	O
nearby	O
rooms	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
the	O
eve	O
of	O
the	O
winter	O
solstice	B-Application
,	O
Morbius	O
the	O
Malevolent	O
kidnaps	O
Eleanor	O
,	O
Princess	O
of	O
Arcadia	O
,	O
to	O
sacrifice	O
her	O
ritually	O
and	O
become	O
the	O
Evil	O
Baron	O
of	O
Darkness	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
every	O
one	O
hundred	O
years	O
on	O
the	O
winter	O
solstice	B-Application
,	O
all	O
six	O
pieces	O
become	O
visible	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
development	O
of	O
Solstice	B-Application
was	O
initiated	O
by	O
the	O
programmer	O
Mike	O
Webb	O
of	O
Software	O
Creations	O
,	O
who	O
desired	O
to	O
create	O
a	O
Knight	O
Lore-style	O
isometric	O
title	O
for	O
the	O
NES	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Solstice	B-Application
is	O
the	O
first	O
original	O
game	O
to	O
be	O
developed	O
within	O
the	O
company	O
,	O
which	O
had	O
previously	O
only	O
developed	O
converted	O
titles	O
between	O
8-bit	O
consoles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
stylistic	O
influences	O
,	O
Wilson	O
stated	O
that	O
"	O
All	O
of	O
the	O
usual	O
suspects	O
at	O
that	O
time	O
probably	O
should	O
be	O
included	O
as	O
sources	O
,	O
from	O
Lord	O
of	O
the	O
Rings	O
to	O
Excalibur.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
his	O
approach	O
to	O
the	O
score	O
,	O
Follin	O
commented	O
that	O
the	O
"	O
folk	O
"	O
melody	O
style	O
he	O
had	O
previously	O
used	O
for	O
Ghouls	B-Application
'	I-Application
n	I-Application
Ghosts	I-Application
was	O
particularly	O
suited	O
for	O
Solstice	B-Application
due	O
to	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
fantasy-oriented	O
title	O
and	O
setting	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
Solstice	B-Application
was	O
given	O
an	O
early	O
demonstration	O
to	O
Nintendo	O
,	O
Software	O
Creations	O
owner	O
Richard	O
Kay	O
grew	O
impatient	O
and	O
quickly	O
sold	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
North	O
American	O
publishing	O
rights	O
to	O
CSG	O
Imagesoft	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
a	O
response	O
from	O
Nintendo	O
stating	O
their	O
desire	O
to	O
publish	O
the	O
title	O
,	O
Nintendo	O
was	O
given	O
the	O
publishing	O
rights	O
for	O
all	O
other	O
regions	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
resulting	O
contract	O
with	O
Nintendo	O
would	O
lead	O
to	O
other	O
high-profile	O
NES	O
and	O
SNES	B-Application
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Wilson	O
spent	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
development	O
time	O
attempting	O
to	O
obtain	O
a	O
contract	O
from	O
Software	O
Creations	O
covering	O
his	O
work	O
on	O
Solstice	B-Application
,	O
only	O
to	O
be	O
given	O
verbal	O
promises	O
about	O
the	O
percentage	O
of	O
the	O
profits	O
he	O
would	O
receive	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Solstice	B-Application
was	O
announced	O
in	O
April	O
1990	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
July	O
1990	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
and	O
Europe	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
CSG	O
's	O
advertisement	O
campaign	O
for	O
Solstice	B-Application
in	O
North	O
America	O
consisted	O
of	O
a	O
photograph	O
of	O
what	O
Wilson	O
described	O
as	O
"	O
an	O
oiled-up	O
bodybuilder	O
with	O
long	O
hair	O
wearing	O
dayglo	O
pink	O
posing	O
trunks	O
"	O
,	O
which	O
he	O
called	O
"	O
embarrassingly	O
bad	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
5,000	O
customers	O
to	O
order	O
Solstice	B-Application
from	O
CSG	O
Imagesoft	O
received	O
a	O
free	O
"	O
Player	O
's	O
Pak	O
"	O
,	O
consisting	O
of	O
an	O
8	O
mm	O
video	O
tape	O
on	O
the	O
making	O
of	O
Solstice	B-Application
,	O
a	O
player	O
's	O
score	O
card	O
,	O
trading	O
cards	O
and	O
colored	O
stickers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Solstice	B-Application
was	O
featured	O
in	O
the	O
1990	O
Nintendo	B-Application
World	I-Application
Championships	I-Application
,	O
with	O
the	O
first	O
press	O
coverage	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
in	O
March	O
1990	O
by	O
The	O
Dallas	O
Morning	O
News	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
Championships	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Solstice	B-Application
was	O
met	O
with	O
a	O
positive	O
critical	O
reception	O
upon	O
release	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Paul	O
Glancey	O
,	O
also	O
of	O
Computer	O
and	O
Video	O
Games	O
,	O
described	O
Solstice	B-Application
as	O
"	O
a	O
BIG	O
game	O
with	O
an	O
awful	O
lot	O
of	O
secrets	O
to	O
discover	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
compared	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
puzzles	O
to	O
those	O
of	O
Knight	B-Application
Lore	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Julian	O
Rignall	O
of	O
Mean	O
Machines	O
also	O
made	O
a	O
positive	O
comparison	O
to	O
Knight	B-Application
Lore	I-Application
and	O
noted	O
that	O
some	O
of	O
the	O
puzzles	O
were	O
"	O
very	O
devious	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
Matt	O
Regan	O
,	O
also	O
of	O
Mean	O
Machines	O
,	O
stated	O
that	O
while	O
Solstice	B-Application
is	O
a	O
challenging	O
game	O
that	O
"	O
puzzle	O
fans	O
should	O
find	O
interesting	O
"	O
,	O
"	O
the	O
excitement	O
fades	O
"	O
as	O
"	O
shifting	O
blocks	O
to	O
stand	O
on	O
or	O
to	O
prevent	O
the	O
attacks	O
of	O
a	O
nasty	O
becomes	O
boring	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Robin	O
Wyles	O
of	O
Raze	O
compared	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
visuals	O
and	O
gameplay	O
to	O
those	O
of	O
Cadaver	B-Application
,	O
and	O
saw	O
Solstice	B-Application
as	O
"	O
an	O
admirable	O
attempt	O
to	O
relive	O
the	O
Knight	B-Application
Lore	I-Application
days	O
"	O
that	O
was	O
"	O
quite	O
refreshing	O
"	O
in	O
the	O
face	O
of	O
the	O
NES	O
's	O
lack	O
of	O
isometric-perspective	B-Application
titles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
Wyles	O
appreciated	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
isometric	B-Application
perspective	I-Application
,	O
he	O
saw	O
the	O
colour	O
schemes	O
as	O
"	O
unimaginative	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
From	O
its	O
modest	O
,	O
almost	O
hobbit-like	O
opening	O
to	O
its	O
soaring	O
jig	O
halfway	O
through	O
,	O
the	O
title	O
screen	O
music	O
tramples	O
over	O
all	O
other	O
NES	O
music.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
sequel	O
to	O
Solstice	B-Application
,	O
titled	O
Equinox	B-Application
,	O
was	O
announced	O
in	O
January	O
1992	O
,	O
initially	O
for	O
a	O
summer	O
release	O
that	O
year	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
released	O
for	O
the	O
Super	B-Application
NES	I-Application
in	O
November	O
1993	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
consists	O
of	O
450	O
rooms	O
split	O
between	O
eight	O
dungeons	O
,	O
and	O
also	O
features	O
an	O
isometric	B-Application
perspective	I-Application
,	O
but	O
includes	O
a	O
rotatable	O
camera	O
that	O
incorporates	O
Mode	O
7	O
effects	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Equinox	B-Application
was	O
released	O
to	O
generally	O
positive	O
critical	O
reception	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Hiroshi	O
Minagawa	O
enjoyed	O
Solstice	B-Application
and	O
its	O
quarter-view	O
perspective	O
served	O
as	O
inspiration	O
for	O
a	O
prototype	O
design	O
he	O
showcased	O
to	O
Yasumi	O
Matsuno	O
,	O
which	O
formed	O
the	O
technical	O
foundation	O
for	O
Tactics	B-Application
Ogre	I-Application
:	I-Application
Let	I-Application
Us	I-Application
Cling	I-Application
Together	I-Application
.	O
</s>
