The Prince
The player character, an imprisoned stranger who must cross the palace and rescue the princess.
Documented for this version
A | Jump |
|---|---|
B | Draw or use the sword |
Control Pad | Move, crouch, climb, and select movement directions |
Start | Pause the game |
How it plays
The game uses a side-view perspective across interconnected palace rooms. The prince runs, crouches, jumps, climbs ledges, and draws a sword while searching for the route to the next area.
Each stage contains pressure plates, gates, spikes, falling floors, potions, guards, and other hazards. The main objective is to progress through the dungeon, defeat opponents, and save time while the overall countdown continues. Lives and time management make cautious movement essential.
Plan your run
Study each room before committing to a jump or sword fight. Walk near ledges and traps when precision matters, because momentum and one-hit hazards punish rushed inputs.
Prioritize the route forward, but collect useful potions when doing so does not consume too much time. Draw the sword early against guards and use spacing rather than repeated attacks. Memorizing trap layouts and minimizing backtracking is often more valuable than moving quickly.
Meet the cast
The player character, an imprisoned stranger who must cross the palace and rescue the princess.
The ruler’s daughter, held captive and threatened by Jaffar.
The palace vizier and principal antagonist, who seizes power and imprisons the princess.
Before you begin
Use careful, short movements near spikes and ledges.
Learn guard patterns before attacking.
Keep track of the countdown and avoid unnecessary detours.
Prince of Persia is an action-platform adventure game developed for the Nintendo Entertainment System by MotiveTime and published by Virgin Games. It adapts Jordan Mechner’s original game into a side-view dungeon escape built around careful movement, sword fighting, and hazardous traps. The player controls an unnamed prince who must reach the imprisoned princess before the time limit expires. The NES version preserves the source game’s deliberate animation and one-hit hazards while presenting redesigned stages and console-specific gameplay. Reception focused on its challenging timing, distinctive animation, and ambitious conversion of a computer classic to NES hardware.
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