If there’s one video game that did the genre of Platforming justice rather well like the Super Mario Bros. games or even the earlier installments of the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, then it would definitely have to be, in my opinion… Jordan Mechner’s beloved classic from 1989, Prince of Persia.
The game where you play the titular protagonist who sets out on a mission to escape Jaffar’s 12 dungeon styled levels within 1 hour and rescue your beloved princess. Now in hindsight, this sounds like a heck of challenge, seeing as you (and the Prince) will need to be quick on your feet, both mentally and physically in the game, but it CAN be done.
And throughout the years, there have been so many ports of this beloved classic, be it on home computers, the SEGA Genesis or even the TurboGrafx 16, and they’ve all stood the sands of time on being wonderful ports. Being a video gamer myself, I must have played at least one or two different versions of this beloved classic, which beckons a question that I myself and other gamers out there have been asking throughout the years… Which port of the original game was truly the best version?
The short answer is, in my opinion, the SNES version that came out back 1992.
Anyone who has either played or heard of this particular version will be happy to know that it is the same game, but there are many differences: For starters, players get to play in 8 more levels outside of the normal 12, adding to that, you (and the Prince) are given 2 hours to beat the game as opposed to the usual 1 hour, allowing you more time to learn from your mistakes and make the correct solutions. In addition, you can go through 5 training levels before or after starting the actual game.
The graphics should get high praise too because they are just stunning: whether you’re in the dungeons, exploring the Treasuries, or in the pits of Hell… For some reason, each level has outstanding designs instead one generic and boring design. You’ll also get to face a variety of bosses of outside of the J-man himself, the fat guard and skeleton, such as an Amazonian warrior, a few knights or even a Shiva-esque monster. There are also various other traps outside of the classic spikes and guillotines that can kill you, like lava or pendulums.
But the biggest praise that I have to give towards the SNES version of this classic of a gem is the fact it, unlike so many other versions, has an actual authentic Persian soundtrack, true this was something that followed in the original game’s sequel, The Shadow and the Flame, but for the time of its release, the SNES version of this game really pulled out all of the stops and made a really cool soundtrack.
It’s safe to say that lots of versions of the original Prince of Persia have come and gone, but when all is said and done, the SNES has left not only major impact on normal gamers, but hardcore ones as well. As such, this is one version has and forever shall remain one of MY childhood personal favorite no matter what. Now granted, I’ve heard the SEGA Genesis version had both many new levels of its own too, but outside of that and a single freeze time potion, that version DIDN’T offer much that was new to the table.
So, if you still own your old SNES or a Wii, you really should consider looking into this version of the game and buy it, it is well worth the price. Overall final score of this particular version of Prince of Persia? A flawless 10 out of 10 scimitars!
Prince of Persia is © by Jordan Mechner.
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