Konami is releasing a monster-battler only for the Switch

Solomon Program is a new game being developed by Konami and it’s only coming to the Switch, as announced in a post published by CoroCoro Online (via Gematsu).

Konami trademarked the title “Solomon Program” late last year, and now it seems we’re seeing the first glimpses of the new game. It’s a strategy game that pits monsters against each other while directed by programs the player inputs to a machine. Kind of like that beastly holochess game that C-3PO, Chewbacca and R2-D2 play in Star Wars A New Hope, I imagine. The critters here are huge, however, and like the ones seen in Digimon, Pokemon, and Yu-Gi-Oh!. RPG mechanics will feature in the battles, but it is unknown to what degree these will be a core component of the game experience.

It is confirmed that there will be a manga adaptation of Solomon Program published in MiraCoro Comic, and that the game is Switch-exclusive. This special issue set for January 17 will contain a demo code for the game, and CoroCoro Online has shown off the box art and some artwork of the upcoming monster-battler. Gishiki is a skeletal, reptilian mercenary with a penchant for drama, it seems. They’re front and centre on the box art, and there is a golden dragon and a grumpy blue cat sharing the spotlight. Two human characters are shown, though neither of these are the hero of the manga adaptation. Their name is Beta, and they will encounter Gishiki during their journey.

Konami has had its eye on the ball for the past couple of years, releasing Pro Evolution Soccer Club Manager, Pro Evolution Soccer 2019, and eFootball Pro Evolution Soccer 2020, along with a cluster of baseball titles for PlayStation Vita in Japan, plus Contra Rogue Corps for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PC, and Xbox One. Evidently, a strategy game where you battle remotely piloted monsters is a departure from its usual stuff, and it’s certainly intriguing. We’ll keep you in the loop once we know more about Solomon Program.