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Fire ‘n Ice

NES

NES

In this game, players control Dana. The goal of each stage is to put out all the fires. The fires are extinguished by either kicking an ice block into the flame, or dropping one from above. Dana's moveset includes the abilities to walk left and right across level ground. He can also climb on top ...

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Developer
Tecmo

Released on
1992

Size
1 Player

Version
NES

Requirements
Nintendo Entertainment System

Downloads
Action

ESRB Rating
Not Rated

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Description

In this game, players control Dana. The goal of each stage is to put out all the fires. The fires are extinguished by either kicking an ice block into the flame, or dropping one from above. Dana’s moveset includes the abilities to walk left and right across level ground. He can also climb on top of a solid block to his left or right, provided it is only one block tall and there is nothing on top of it. Dana can also push blocks of ice, which will then slide until they fall or hit a wall. Dana’s most important ability is his ice magic. He can create and destroy blocks of ice. As the gameplay is grid-based, Dana’s ice magic affects the squares beneath him and to the left and right, similar to Lode Runner. If the ice block is placed horizontally adjacent to a wall, pipe, jar, or another ice block, it will freeze to the adjacent surface.

There are also other elements that are introduced as the player progresses, including pipes (which Dana can travel through) and jars. Dana can walk across normal jars, but once a jar comes in contact with a flame, it begins to burn. Dana cannot walk across the top of burning jars, and any ice that is created in, or enters the square above a burning jar is destroyed. As players progress, the puzzles get more complicated and difficult. The simple gameplay must be used in new ways by players who wish to complete the game.

Fire 'n Ice

Overview & History

Released by Tecmo in 1992 for the Nintendo Entertainment System, Fire 'n Ice (known in Japan as Solomon's Key 2) serves as a brilliant prequel to Tecmo's iconic puzzle-platformer. The storyline follows Dana, a wise wizard tasked with saving his peaceful island home from a mysterious, malevolent wizard who has unleashed wicked flames across various regions. To restore harmony, Dana must wield the power of magical ice crystals across over one hundred increasingly complex single-screen puzzles. While it arrived late in the NES lifecycle—often making it an elusive cartridge for collectors—the game cemented a legendary reputation among puzzle enthusiasts for its demanding logic, charming graphical aesthetic, and deeply satisfying trial-and-error progression.

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

Unlike standard action platformers, Fire 'n Ice requires deliberate strategy over quick reflexes. Dana cannot jump; instead, his primary mechanic is the ability to conjure and destroy ice blocks directly to his left or right. Players must use these blocks to build staircases, extinguish roaring fires by dropping ice onto them, and trap roaming enemies. Each stage features a strict time limit and requires collecting all floating crystal head icons to unlock the exit portal. Later worlds introduce fiendish environmental hazards like slippery ice patches, one-way directional tiles, and crumbling terrain, forcing players to meticulously plan every single block placement. If Dana gets trapped or makes a mistake, a quick reset button allows instant retries, keeping the fast-paced puzzle loop endlessly engaging without frustrating progress loss.