Prince of Persia

The original Prince of Persia game is one of my favorites ever. I remember playing it on my newly bought PC and sometimes getting frustrated, but nonetheless the release was a fantastic game and is still a classical release that everybody remembers. The character can fight enemies, jump over walls, avoid traps and, in the end, find the way to the following levels. The protagonist of the game has no name, but the Princess is in love with him, and this is why he has to save her from the dungeon, in less than 60 minutes.

Partially due to the Prince's movements, the controls are just a little bit awkward. Pressing left or right will make the Prince sprint in that direction, while pressing up will jump. There's an additional button which will let you tiptioe (useful for getting close to edges) and to grab onto ledges.

The game's not all about jumping over platforms - a fair amount of it revolves around sword fighting. After you snag your sword in the first level, you'll face a plethora of guards. These encounters are extraordinarily difficult at first, but you'll get the hang of them eventually. You can either attack or parry with your sword, but your opponent can do the same. Sword fighting requires splendidly fast reflexes and a keen eye to determine when to defend and strike. Even at the beginning of the game, the guards are pretty vicious. Initially you can only take three hits, but with a bit of exploration, you can find potions that lengthen your life meter.

Played in real time, Prince of Persia gives you exactly one hour of game time to master its secrets and reach your objective. Using animation modeled after the movements of real people, creator Jordan Mechner has crafted an intriguing game which not only looks wonderful, it has the feel of an old adventure film, with you in the title role. Are you up to the challenge?