An Introduction to the World of Prince of Persia
Many who owned/own a Super Nintendo will know several of the classic platformers—Super Mario World, Mega Man X, and Donkey Kong Country 2 to name a few. I played many of these and other platformers on the wonderful home console; there were so many great platforming games to choose from. However, the Prince of Persia port on Super Nintendo may be my favorite. The game was on many consoles, handhelds, and computers—NES, Game Boy Color, Sega Master System, Amiga, etc. It is incredible. In terms of animation, I believe the game even rivals many pixel-art games today.
You play as an adventurer from a foreign land who has captured the heart of the princess of Persia. While the sultan of Persia is away on an expedition, he leaves his kingdom in the hand of the Grand Vizier Jaffar. Jaffar desires the princess’ hand in marriage. With his power over the kingdom, he captures her and throws the adventurer (you) into the dungeon. In two hours, he will kill her if she does not marry him. Your job is to escape the dungeon, free the princess, defeat Jaffar, and become Prince of Persia.
Prince of Persia’s Gameplay is Fantastic
The world of Prince of Persia is filled with traps, pitfalls, and palace guards. Thankfully, the player is sufficiently equipped to deal with all these obstacles.
When traversing the palace, the protagonist can climb up and down ledges, sprint jump, and duck under closing gates. Movement in this game feels on par with the best Super Nintendo platformers; making a running jump to grab a distant ledge is very satisfying. The momentum of the main character may be a little tricky at first, but don’t let it dissuade you. It is not difficult to master.
An important movement mechanic is the slow walk. Have you ever accidentally walked off a ledge in a platformer? I know I have. The slow walk mechanic is specifically designed to help with this. When the player holds A on the controller and clicks a direction, the adventurer will take a single step in that direction. He will not walk off any ledge and will even detect crumbling platforms. This mechanic is extremely helpful in climbing up and down ledges. Without it, the game might be close to unplayable.
There are a variety of traps within the palace—serrated chomping teeth, spikes, and crumbling platforms to name a few. The interesting thing about these is how the player can interact with them. Spikes are instant-kill traps normally found at the bottom of pits. However, if the player can get down to them, he/she can slow walk or crouch-hop through them without any fear of death. Crumbling platforms can also be used to disable spike traps if their debris fall on the trap. The same platforms can also hold open doors if they fall on pressure plates found throughout the palace. These mechanics help add puzzle elements to this linear platforming adventure. Additionally, there are many traps that can help deal with pesky guards, simply push them back into traps with your sword.
Each floor of the palace holds a multitude of secrets behind false walls and breakable ceilings. Finding these secrets often rewards the player with a health increase or health refill. Having sufficient health to fight bosses and enemies is crucial. However, spending too much time searching for these secrets will runout the two-hour timer.
Combat is all focused around the scimitar. The sword fighting in Prince of Persia is quite interesting. The player is provided a long, lunging stab attack and a parry. The parry is important for some late-game enemies as they will take a hit easier if you counter their attack. It’s simplistic, but fits the game well.
Prince of Persia’s Animations are Quite Realistic
The quality of animation in Prince of Persia is unequaled on the Super Nintendo. Whether it is a running jump, drinking a magic potion, or merely climbing up a ledge, the animation is unnaturally smooth for a game of this era. It is so well executed that I would argue it rivals the quality of animation in pixel art games today. Besides being realistic, I think it is the small details in animation that really set Prince of Persia apart from other games. For instance, as the player is slow walking, the protagonist briefly looks down at his feet when he takes a single step. The look is quick and not very noticeable, however adds a lot of life and character to the protagonist. He is carefully checking his footing, making sure not to step on spikes or crumbling ledges.
The game’s art style has a clear focus and is fairly detailed. The early dungeons are dark and more simplistic. As you rise through the levels of the palace, you begin to see its opulence. Each level is grander than the last with later levels lined with jewels and gold. Each level is grander than the last. The artist did well in making the world appear as a sultan’s palace. I even like the player’s health bar made of potions. For the most part, the game’s music is good too. Most of the soundtrack is great, but there are a few tracks that fall flat and are too repetitious. Much of the music adds to the sense of dread and urgency as the two-hour timer ticks down.
Overall, Prince of Persia is an excellent Super Nintendo title. I urge anyone who has not played it to give it a try. You will be blown away by the animations and how well the platforming feels. The game is a must play if you love platforming games. I give Prince of Persia a 10/10.
Interested in more retro games? Check out other games from Prince of Persia’s era, 1992.
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Loved that game!!!