Prince of Persia
Reviewed by Michael LoCascio
The most prudent of video game villains know that it is best
to strike when the good guys are helpless to do anything
about it. Jaffar is definitely one villain that ranks among
these elite evildoers. A minister who gained the trust of
the Sultan of Persia, Jaffar bid his time while waiting for
just the right moment to act on his evil intentions. When
the Sultan went away to war, Jaffar wasted no time in not
only taking control of the land, but also in demanding that
the Sultan's daughter become his wife.
Thankfully, just as it had seemed as if no one would be able
to thwart Jaffar's diabolical plans, a brave young man burst
upon the scene. This man's name is.. uh, Young Man - at
least according to the instruction manual. With a moniker
like Young Man, is it any surprise that the princess falls
in love with him and that Jaffar now considers him a rival
to be reckoned with? Not one to just let some young man
march right into town and ruin all of his plans, Jaffar
imprisons Young Man in a dungeon, and locks up the princess
in a room on the highest floor of his palace. The princess
now has exactly one hour to decide whether she will marry
Jaffar - or die.
Originally appearing on the PC, Prince of Persia had made a
stop on most every video game system that was released
during the late '80s and early '90s. While every rendition
of this classic title has been fun to play, the Turbo CD
version is one of the better ones. The power of NEC's unit
allowed Hudson Soft to add some subtle touches to an already
wonderful game, and the end result was a title that most Duo
owners should enjoy.
Your job in this game is to assume the role of the Young Man
and guide him through the twelve floors of Jaffar's tower.
Should you not like the name 'Young Man', you can change
it, but it really makes no difference. Regardless of the
guy's name, your goal remains the same: defeat Jaffar and
save the princess. You'll only have sixty minutes to make it
through the entire game, however, for when an hour is up the
princess will have to make her decision. You can save your
progress whenever you want to, but the game will record the
amount of time that you have left along with what level
you've made it to. Chances are that you'll want to practice
each stage a bit so that you become good enough to breeze
through them in a very short amount of time. Some of the
later levels take quite a while to traverse, even when you
know exactly how to get through them, so it's essential that
you save as much time as possible when completing the
earlier stages.
Prince of Persia is more of a strategy/puzzle game than an
action title. You won't have to slash your way through each
level; instead, you'll have to figure out the correct route
to the end of the level while avoiding the many traps that
Jaffar has set for you. The game is viewed from a
side-perspective, but it doesn't scroll. You'll have to make
it through one room after another, solving puzzles and
overcoming obstacles. Your actions in one room can have an
effect on objects in other rooms, so it's necessary to
memorize the layout of each level along with the order that
the rooms must be visited in.
The Young Man has a great number of techniques at his
disposal. Along with standard actions such as running,
jumping and squatting, he can grab on to walls and pull
himself up and over them, as well as tip-toe his way
forward. Grabbing on to ledges can be a bit difficult to
pull off at first, especially when you're forced to make
running leaps and hang on to a wall in mind-air. With a
little practice, however, the moves in the game become
second-nature.
Jaffar has plenty of tricks up his sleeve, and he'll put out
all the stops in order to prevent your progress. Among the
obstacles that you'll come across are spiked floors, falling
ceilings, and razor-sharp guillotines. On the other hand,
should you step in the right place or perform the proper
action, gateways can be opened up and secret passages can be
exposed. You'll also discover plenty of medicine jars lying
around Jaffar's palace, but be wary of these potions: not
only can they heal you or extend your life meter, but some
of them can also kill you right on the spot.
While most of the game requires strategy and thinking, some
combat does take place. Should you run into one of Jaffar's
evil henchman, you'll be forced to draw your sword and
engage in a fight to the death. Your health appears in the
form of medicine jars on the bottom of the screen, and your
opponent's energy appears opposite of yours. Obviously,
whomever runs out of energy first will lose the contest.
Although combat may seem intriguing, what with offensive and
defensive techniques at your disposal, most of the fights
fall into the the same, basic rut: block your opponent's
attack and then hit him with a slice of your own. Just about
every battle that you engage in can be won in this fashion,
although some of Jaffar's minions won't go down so easily.
For instance, the skeleton warriors that you encounter at
certain points in the game cannot be killed; to get rid of
them, you'll have to either knock them off a ledge or just
find a way to avoid them altogether. There is also a
Doppelganger that you'll have to deal with. This guy is
especially pesky since any harm that you do to him will
basically be done to yourself.
The most impressive aspect of Prince of Persia's visuals
when the game was first released was the amazing fluidity
with which the main character performed his actions.
Obviously, the smooth animation won't be appreciated today
nearly as much as it once was, but it is still extremely
well-done and worth noting. The rest of the graphics are
rather dull, however: the castle walls are primarily made up
of boring grays and browns, and there really isn't much to
look at along the way. Still, this is the type of game that
doesn't need flashy visuals in order to be successful, and
what's there is decent enough.
The music in Prince of Persia has a distinct Arabian flavor
to it, and it suits the adventure very well. It only changes
every few levels, however, and it can get on your nerves
should you be forced to repeat a certain difficult sequence
numerous times. The sound effects are adequate, but
considering that this is a Super CD title I was expecting
more. For example, when a battle takes place and two swords
clash, it would have been nice to hear a realistic effect
rather than a simple 'ding' that could have just as easily
been done on a TurboChip.
Prince of Persia isn't for people who are easily frustrated.
You're going to have to put in some practice to really get
the Young Man's moves down, and you'll probably have to
repeat each level a few times before you'll get the hang of
them. It isn't a very difficult game once you get used to
the controls, however, and solving the game's many puzzles
can be plenty of fun. Comes recommended if you're willing to
think a bit during your video gaming experiences.
Overall: 8 out of 10
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