Published:
Summary
Prince of Persia (1989) locked you beneath a palace, started a sixty-minute timer, and expected elegance under pressure. The Prince ran, leapt and clung to ledges with startlingly lifelike animation, although one mistimed step usually ended in spikes, a shattered skeleton, or an undignified drop. Sword fights demanded patience rather than frantic button-bashing, while guards, traps and collapsing floors turned every room into a lethal puzzle. It was cinematic, tense and wonderfully cruel. Rescue the princess, defeat Jaffar, and try not to spend half the hour falling.
What it does well
Beautiful animation, tense exploration, precise controls, clever traps, measured swordplay, and an unforgettable race against time.
Where it falls short
Rigid movement demanded commitment, the timer discouraged exploration, combat felt stiff, and repeated deaths could become exhausting.
Verdict
A picturesque platforming landmark that made every jump feel heroic, dangerous, and painfully capable of ruining your rescue.
Prince of Persia - version notes
Version-specific observations from the gameplay video. Tap a time to jump straight to that moment.
Amstrad (3 Beats)
- French pedigree: this is a Microïds conversion, which matters because the company had strong Amstrad CPC form rather than treating the machine as an afterthought.
- Animation showcase: this won a Tilt d'Or Canal+ award in 1990 for best animation, which fits the version's reputation as one of the CPC's smoothest cinematic platformers.
- Structure preserved: the CPC keeps the core 13-level, one-hour rescue structure intact, including pits, loose tiles, spikes, sword combat, and timed escape pressure.
Apple II (4 Beats)
- Original: this is the source version of Prince of Persia, first released for Apple II on 3 October 1989, before a multitude of ports.
- Long wait: the Apple II version was written between 1985 and 1989, making it a four-year project rather than a quick follow-up to Karateka.
- Animation: the prince's movement came from rotoscoped video of Mechner's younger brother David running and jumping.
- Irony: by 1989 the Apple II was already an ageing platform, so one of its most elegant games arrived as the machine was fading from the commercial front line.
PC (3 Beats)
- Port: the DOS version followed the Apple II original, but its better graphics and sound made it the visual reference version.
- Influence: Disney animation was part of the thinking behind the smooth, readable movement style.
- Roots: even on PC, Apple II constraints carried over - small rooms, strict timing and animation-led control.