| Prince of Persia | |
| |
| Developer(s) | Brøderbund |
| Publisher(s) | Brøderbund, Virgin games |
| Release date | 1989 |
| Genre | Third-person action, Adventure |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Age rating(s) | ESRB: T |
| Platform(s) | Apple II, DOS, Amiga, Atari ST, Sega Master System, Sega Mega-CD, Game Boy, Game Boy Color, NES, SNES, Amstrad CPC, ZX Spectrum, Game Gear, Genesis |
| Credits | Soundtrack | Codes | Walkthrough | |
Prince of Persia is a platform game that was released by Brøderbund in 1989.
It was widely seen as a great leap forward in the quality of animation seen in video games. Jordan Mechner, the author, studied many hours of films of his brother running and jumping in white clothes to ensure that all the movements looked just right in a process called rotoscoping. The game also featured an unusual method of combat. The protagonist and his enemies fought with swords, not some sort of projectile weapons, as was the case in most contemporary games.
Prince of Persia was released on a wide range of platforms, including the Amiga, Apple II, Apple Macintosh, DOS, NES, Game Boy, SNES and Sega Genesis. The game managed to surprise and captivate the player despite being, at first glance, repetitive.
Overview
NES cover
As the title suggests, the game is set in Persia. The sultan is away at war, and the evil vizier Jaffar plans to seize the throne for himself. Jaffar has imprisoned the princess and given her one hour to make her decision: marry him, or die. The player assumes the role of an adventurer, the princess's true love. He must escape from prison and rescue her before the hour is up, defeating the vizier and earning the princedom of Persia.
[Reviewers speculate that the game's plot had its origin in several sources. The most obvious is the Arabian Nights, a series of traditional Persian stories translated into English by Sir Richard Francis Burton. Puccini's opera Turandot (1926) opens as the Prince of Persia is led to the executioner's block, having failed to guess the riddles. The title could also be a reference to a passage in chapter 10 of the Book of Daniel in the Bible, which tells of the archangel Michael helping in a battle against a person referred to as the prince of Persia.]
The twist is that the game is played in real time, so the player must quickly complete the quest without breaks. On some platforms it is possible to save the game at the start of each level, however the time limit still applies. The only way to lose the game is by letting the time expire. If the player is killed, the game will restart from the beginning of the level, or in some levels, a mid-way checkpoint. The game also included a power bar. Medium falls, blue potions, sword hits and damage from falling platforms takes one notch from the power bar, while major falls, being hit unarmed, falling or running on spikes and blades kill the player instantly. The player can increase the number of notches in the power bar by drinking larger red potions, usually hidden or in dangerous places. There was also a green potion that made the player float or flip the screen, depending on the level.
Development
The game drew from several sources of inspiration beyond video games, including literature such as the Arabian Nights stories,[1] and films such as Raiders of the Lost Ark[2] and The Adventures of Robin Hood.[3]
Mechner used an animation technique called rotoscoping, in which he traced video footage of his younger brother running and jumping in white clothes.[4] Some of the game's sword fighting sprites are from the 1938 film The Adventures of Robin Hood.[3] Also unusual was the method of combat: protagonist and enemies fought with swords, not projectile weapons, as was the case in most contemporary games. Mechner has said that when he started programming, the first ten minutes of the film Raiders of the Lost Ark had been one of the main inspirations for the character's acrobatic responses in a dangerous environment.[5]
For the Japanese computer ports, Arsys Software[6] and Riverhillsoft[7] enhanced the visuals and redesigned the Prince's appearance, introducing the classic turban and vest look. This version became the basis for the Macintosh version and later Prince of Persia ports and games by Brøderbund. Riverhillsoft's FM Towns version also added a Red Book CD audio soundtrack.[7]
Ports
| Port | Release | Developer | Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amiga | 1990 | Domark | |
| Amstrad CPC | 1990 | Brøderbund | |
| Atari ST | 1990 | ||
| MS-DOS | 1990 | ||
| SAM Coupé | 1990 | Revelation | |
| NEC PC-9801 | July 1990[7] | Arsys Software[6] | Riverhillsoft |
| Sharp X68000 | April 30, 1991 | Riverhillsoft | |
| TurboGrafx-CD | November 8, 1991 | ||
| PC Engine | 1991 | ||
| Sega Master System | 1992 | Domark | |
| Sega Game Gear | 1992 | ||
| Sega CD | 1992 | Riverhillsoft | |
| Game Boy | January 1992 | Virgin Games | |
| FM Towns | June 1992 | Riverhillsoft | |
| SNES | July 3, 1992 (JP) November 1, 1992 (US, EU) |
Arsys Software | Masaya (JP) Konami (US, EU) |
| NES | November 2, 1992 | Virgin Games [8] | |
| Macintosh | 1992 | Brøderbund | |
| Sega Genesis | 1993 | Domark | |
| Game Boy Color | April 15, 1999 | Ed Magnin and Associates [9] | Red Orb Entertainment [9] |
| iOS (Actually "Retro", replaced by "Classic" version on 2011) | May 28, 2010 | Ubisoft | |
| iOS (Actually "Classic") | December 19, 2011 | ||
| Nintendo DS | January 19, 2012 [10] | ||
| Wii | January 19, 2012 [10] | ||
| Port | Release | Developer | Publisher |
| Electronika BK-0011M | 1994 | Evgeny Pashigorov, Pasha Sizykh [11] | Flame Association |
| ZX Spectrum | 1996 | Nicodim [12] | Magic Soft [12] |
| Commodore Plus 4 | 2007 | GFW & ACW [13] | |
| Commodore 64 | 2011 | Andreas Varga [14] | |
| Linux, Microsoft Windows | 2014 | David[15] This port, called SDLPoP, uses SDL.[15] | |
Originally released for the Apple II in 1989, Prince of Persia was ported to several other platforms.
For the Japanese computer ports, Arsys Software[6] and Riverhillsoft[7] enhanced the visuals and redesigned the Prince's appearance, introducing the classic turban and vest look. This version became the basis for the Macintosh version and later Prince of Persia ports and games by Brøderbund. Riverhillsoft's FM Towns version also added a Red Book CD audio soundtrack.[7]
One year later it was ported to other personal computers such as the Amiga, the Atari ST, and the IBM PC Compatible. In 1992, when the home console market was growing steadily, versions for the Master System, Mega CD, NES, and Game Boy were released, as well as a version with enhanced artwork for the Apple Macintosh. A version for the SNES, with enhanced artwork and music, as well as new levels and expansion of the old ones, was also released. A Mega Drive/Genesis version followed in 1993. Another port was for the Game Boy Color six years later, in 1999. Java versions for mobile devices appeared in the early 2000s. For the revival title, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, the Macintosh version was put in to be unlocked by beating the game once or by finding a secret area (The GameCube version of the game also has a third method of unlocking the original game by finding 3 switches in the Game Boy Advance game, with the Game Boy Advance being connected to the GameCube).
The SAM Coupé version, released in 1992, is unique because it was programmed unofficially using graphics painstakingly copied pixel by pixel from paused frames of the Amiga version and only shown to Domark (the UK distributors of Prince of Persia) for potential release near completion. Although the computer had a very small user base and no other mainstream support, the release was allowed because of the very high quality of the conversion and the fact that it would incur almost no further development costs. Due to its independently produced status and the fact that the work was done almost entirely by one individual, Chris White, this version of Prince of Persia has several unique bugs.
Reception
 | This section requires expansion. |
| Reception | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Publication | Score |
| Adventure Classic Gaming |   [16]
|
| Génération 4 | 90%[17] |
Charles Ardai of Computer Gaming World stated that the game package's claim that it "breaks new ground with animation so uncannily human it must be seen to be believed" was true. He wrote that Prince of Persia "succeeds at being more than a running-jumping game (in other words, a gussied-up Nintendo game)" because it "captures the feel of those great old adventure films", citing Thief of Baghdad, Frankenstein and Dracula. Ardai concluded that it was "a tremendous achievement" in gaming comparable to that of Star Wars in film.[21]
In 1992, The New York Times described the Macintosh version as having "brilliant graphics and excellent sound ... Sure, you could do all this years ago on a Commodore 64 or Atari 400. But those games never looked or sounded like this".[22] Reviewing the Genesis version, GamePro praised the "extremely fluid" animation of the player character and commented that the controls are difficult to master but nonetheless very effective. Comparing it to the SNES version, they summarized that "the Genesis version has better graphics, and the SNES has better music. Otherwise, the two are identical in almost every way ..."[23] Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM) likewise assessed the Genesis version as "An excellent conversion of the classic action game", and added that the game's challenging strategy and technique give it high longevity.[24] EGM's panel of four reviewers each gave it a rating of 8 out of 10, adding up to an overall score of 32 out of 40.[20]
In 1991, the game was ranked the 12th best Amiga game of all time by Amiga Power.[25] Prince of Persia would go on to influence cinematic platformers such as Flashback as well as action-adventure games such as Tomb Raider,[7] which used a similar control scheme.[26]
Despite a positive critical reception, the game was initially a commercial failure in North America, where it had sold only 7,000 units each on the Apple II and IBM PC platforms by July 1990. It was when the game was released in Japan and Europe that year that it became a commercial success. In July 1990, the NEC PC-9801 version sold 10,000 units as soon as it was released in Japan. It was then ported to various different home computers and video game consoles, eventually selling 2 million units worldwide by the time its sequel Prince of Persia 2: The Shadow and the Flame (1993) was in production.[7]
References
- ↑ Rus McLaughlin, Scott Collura, and Levi Buchanan (May 18, 2010). IGN Presents: The History of Prince of Persia (page 1). IGN. Retrieved on 2013-06-28
- ↑ Gamasutra - Features - Game Design: Theory & Practice Second Edition: 'Interview with Jordan Mechner'
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Mechner, Jordan (2011). Classic Game Postmortem: PRINCE OF PERSIA (Speech). Game Developers Conference. San Francisco, California. Event occurs at 38:35. http://www.gdcvault.com/play/1014634/Classic-Game-Postmortem-PRINCE-OF. Retrieved 30 May 2013.
- ↑ October 20, 1985 | jordanmechner.com
- ↑ Gamasutra - Features - Game Design: Theory & Practice Second Edition: 'Interview with Jordan Mechner'
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 http://www.mobygames.com/game/prince-of-persia/release-info
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 Kurt Kalata (12 August 2011). Prince of Persia. Hardcore Gaming 101. Retrieved on 22 June 2012
- ↑ Virgin Interactive Games. IGN. Retrieved on 17 June 2013
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Prince of Persia International Releases. Giant Bomb. Retrieved on 17 June 2013
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 RELIVE CLASSIC PRINCE OF PERSIA ON WII™ AND 3DS™. MCV (19 January 2012). Retrieved on 17 June 2013
- ↑ Prince of Persia BK-0011M. R-GAMES.NET. Retrieved on 15 October 2014
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Tarján, Richárd (21 February 2009). Prince of Persia - ZX Spectrum version (Nicodim/Magic Soft, 1996) (DOC). World of Spectrum. Retrieved on 16 June 2013
- ↑ Prince of Persia. Plus 4 World. Retrieved on 5 February 2014
- ↑ Lemon, Kim. Prince of Persia. Lemon. Retrieved on 16 June 2013
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Get the Games: SDLPoP. PoPOT Modding Community. Retrieved on 12 October 2014
- ↑ Prince of Persia Review. Jeremiah Kauffman (19 February 2006). Retrieved on 21 February 2013
- ↑ http://amr.abime.net/review_45962
- ↑ Prince of Persia (1989) for PC - GameRankings. Retrieved on 25 March 2013
- ↑ Lesser, Hartley; Lesser, Patricia & Lesser, Kirk (December 1992). "The Role of Computers". Dragon (188): 57–64.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 Electronic Gaming Monthly, 1998 Video Game Buyer's Guide, p. 86
- ↑ Ardai, Charles (December 1989). "Good Knight, Sweet Prince". Computer Gaming World: pp. 48 & 64. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1989&pub=2&id=66. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
- ↑ Shannon, L. R. (1992-08-11). "Playing at War, Once Removed". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/1992/08/11/science/peripherals-playing-at-war-once-removed.html. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
- ↑ "ProReview: Prince of Persia". GamePro (IDG) (57): p. 30. April 1994.
- ↑ "Review Crew: Prince of Persia". Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM Media, LLC) (56): p. 38. March 1994.
- ↑ All-Time Top 100 Games. Future Publishing (May 1991). Retrieved on 30 May 2013
- ↑ Blache, Fabian & Fielder, Lauren, History of Tomb Raider, GameSpot, Accessed Apr 1, 2009
| This article uses content from Wikipedia. The original aricle can be found at Prince of Persia. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with Codex Gamicus, the text of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 (unported) license. |
External links
- Official website
- 'Prince of Persia' at MobyGames
- Prince of Persia at GameFAQs
- Prince of Persia at World of Spectrum
- Prince of Persia can be played for free in the browser at the Internet Archive
- Prince of Persia 1 page at PoPUW.com
|
This page uses content from Wikipedia. The original article was at Prince of Persia. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with Codex Gamicus, the text of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 (unported) license. The content might also be available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. |