is a video game franchise created by Jordan Mechner, originally developed for and released on the Apple II Computer in 1989. The original game and its first sequel were 2D platform games, but the series made the switch to three-dimensional following the release of Prince of Persia 3D in 1999.
Even though Mechner has been involved with the series in varying
capacities throughout its history, the games themselves have been
developed and published by several different companies. The first two
games in the series, Prince of Persia and Prince of Persia 2: The Shadow and the Flame, were developed by Brøderbund. Prince of Persia 3D was developed by Red Orb Entertainment and published by The Learning Company on PC, and developed by Avalanche Software and published by Mattel Interactive on Sega Dreamcast. French-based video game company Ubisoft began developing and publishing the series in 2003 with Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time,
and so far have been the most prolific of any company in bringing out
new games in the series; the franchise remains with them currently.
A film based on the series, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, was written by Mechner and released theatrically by Walt Disney Pictures in May of 2010.
Mobile games
There has been a number of Java ME mobile games developed by Gameloft,
some based on older PC or console titles with 2D graphics and others
loosely based on contemporary games but with 2D graphics and different
gameplay due to technology constraints. Gameloft also developed some
ports for both the iPhone and the iPad in 2010.
Year
Title
Platform
2003
Harem Adventures
Java ME
The Sands of Time
Java ME
2004
Warrior Within
Java ME
2005
The Two Thrones
Java ME
2007
Prince of Persia Classic
Java ME
2008
Prince of Persia
Java ME
2010
The Forgotten Sands
Java ME
Prince of Persia Retro
iOS
Warrior Within
iOS
Notes
New game with graphics and gameplay based in the original 1989 game, but with different levels.
Remake of the original 1989 game, with new graphics.
Port of the Mac OS version of the original game, with the original
levels and graphics, designed as a universal title for iPhone, iPod
Touch and iPad.
Port of the PS2 version of Warrior Within, with the same 3D graphics, with separate versions for iPhone and iPad.
Stories
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The Prince of Persia franchise has undergone several reworkings (reboots)
and many different stories are told throughout the different games.
However, they all share similar story elements. For example, all of the
games are set in ancient Persia and they all feature a prince, who is adept at acrobatic feats while attempting to save the main plot element.
Original trilogy
Prince of Persia (1989 video game)
Prince of Persia 2: The Shadow and the Flame
Prince of Persia 3D
The Sands of Time series The Sands of Time trilogy, played out in three games between 2003 and
2005, keeps the common elements of an unnamed Prince, Vizier and
Princess (Farah), and focuses rather on two critical elements, namely The Sands of Time and The Dagger of Time,
both with elements of the concept of time travel. The Sands of Time
have the power to infect and turn all forms of life into dangerous
monsters, while the Dagger of Time has the power to slow down, stop and
even reverse time. Time travel and its consequences feature both as
gameplay and plot elements throughout the series, which is far more
plot-focused than earlier games. As well as the three games mentioned
below, a tactics game was also released for the Nintendo DS,
complementing The Two Thrones, while another mainline game in the
series, called The Forgotten Sands, was released in 2010
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
Passing through India en route to Azad, King Shahraman and his son, the Prince, conquer the Maharajah of India for honor and glory. After looting the city, they continue to Azad. In Azad, the Vizier
of the Maharajah tricks the Prince into releasing the Sands of Time,
using the Dagger of Time. The Sands infect everyone in the kingdom,
turning them into monsters. The Prince, Princess Farah (the Maharajah's
daughter), and the Vizier remain unchanged due to the mystical qualities
of their possessions: a dagger, a medallion, and a staff, respectively.
On a journey to repair the damage he has caused, the Prince teams up
with Farah to return the Sands of Time to the hourglass, using the
Dagger of Time. As time goes on, the Prince and Farah start to grow
closer, to the point where she admits her feelings to the Prince while
he was unconscious. After they make their way to the Hourglass of Time,
the Prince hesitates, and the Vizier uses magic to throw him and Farah
into a tomb devoid of lights. Farah tells the Prince of the word
"kakolookiyam" [From Hindu Sanskrit Fable Panchatantra:
Kaka + Ulluka + Iyam: Meaning "Of Kak (Crow) and Ulluka (Owl)"], a word
her mother taught her when she was little. The Prince awakens, and the
Dagger and his weapon have been stolen by Farah, who left him with her
medallion so that he would not be affected by the Sands of Time. The
Prince pursues and catches her, but she falls to her death. Driven by
grief, the Prince stabs the top of the hourglass with the Dagger of
Time, locking the Sands of Time back into the hourglass, reversing the
events of the game. The Prince awakens prior to the invasion of the
Maharajah's kingdom, and makes his way to Farah's bedroom. He tells her a
story about the events of the game, as she does not remember, but the
Vizier appears, and fights the Prince. The Prince emerges victorious and
gives the Dagger of Time back to Farah. As he leaves, Farah asks what
his name is. He responds by saying, "kakolookiyam", to prove that his
story was true. This title is credited with reviving of series.
Prince of Persia: Warrior Within
Seven years after the events of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, the Prince finds himself constantly hunted by a terrible beast known as the Dahaka. The Prince seeks counsel from an old wise man
who explains that whoever releases the Sands of Time must die. The
Prince sets sail for the Island of Time, which the old man told him of,
in an attempt to prevent the Sands of Time from ever being created, an
act he believes will appease the Dahaka. The Prince arrives at the
Island and chases a mysterious woman in black (whom he fought with on
the sea) through the Empress of Time's fortress into a portal that
transports the two into the past. The Prince saves the woman named Kaileena
from being killed by the woman in black, Shahdee. Unable to grant the
Prince an audience with the Empress of Time, Kaileena instead tells him
how to unlock the door to the throne room in which the Empress resides.
The Prince makes his way through the fortress, utilizing the sand
portals to travel back and forth between the past and present, and
narrowly escapes several encounters with the Dahaka. After unlocking the
door, the Prince enters the throne room only to discover that Kaileena
is actually the Empress of Time herself, who has foreseen in the
Timeline that the Prince will kill her and who has decided to attempt to
defy her fate, just as the Prince is doing. A battle ensues and the
Prince proves victorious; he kills Kaileena and returns to the present.
He believes that he has changed his fate, but another encounter with the
Dahaka forces him to realize that in killing Kaileena, he was, in
essence, the one to create the Sands of Time (as the Sands were created
from her remains). The Prince then learns of a magical artifact called
the Mask of the Wraith, which is said to transport the wearer into the
past, allowing the wearer to alter his own Timeline. The Prince wastes
no time in seeking out and donning the mask, which transforms him into
the Sand Wraith and sends him back to the time when he first arrived on
the Island of Time. He formulates a plan to force Kaileena into the
present with him, believing that if he kills her then, the Sands of Time
will be created seven years after the events of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time,
meaning it will be impossible for the Prince to release them in Azad.
While still in the past, the Prince (as the Sand Wraith) ensures that
the Dahaka takes and destroys his other self, who has just finished
unlocking the door to the throne room, leaving the Sand Wraith the only
Prince in that Timeline. This act loosens the Mask of the Wraith from
the Prince's face and allows him to remove it and return to his normal
form. The Prince goes to the throne room and, despite his pleas to
Kaileena, his battle with her begins as before. He forces her into the
present with him, and it is at this point that the game has two
alternate endings, wherein the player fights either Kaileena or the
Dahaka as the final battle. In both endings, the Prince sails home to
Babylon (either alone or with Kaileena) only to discover that the city
is being ravaged by war and the old wise man's voice is heard, once
again stating: "Your journey will not end well. You cannot change your
fate. No man can."
Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones
Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones follows Prince of Persia: Warrior Within by a few weeks, picking up from the second ending of Warrior Within in which the Prince defeated the Dahaka and left the Island of Time with Kaileena.
The vessel that the Prince and Kaileena are sailing on nears the shores
of Babylon and, upon arriving, the Prince is horrified to find the city
being ravaged by war. His and Kaileena's ship is destroyed and the two
are tossed into the sea. Kaileena drifts ashore unconsciously and is
taken prisoner. The Prince fights his way through the city to try and
rescue her, in the process discovering that as a result of his efforts
on the Island of Time, the events of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time never occurred, meaning the Vizier
was never killed. Rather, he has grown powerful and now possesses the
Dagger of Time as well as his magical staff. The Prince manages to find
Kaileena, whom the Vizier has captured, but is thrown to the ground and
can only watch in anguish as the Vizier stabs her with the Dagger of
Time, killing her. The power-hungry Vizier then stabs himself with the
Dagger, transforming himself into an immortal being. The Sands of Time
are released as a result of Kaileena's death, and they spread through
the city, infecting all its residents. Through an open wound on his arm,
the Prince is also contaminated by the Sands and a piece of a
daggertail sword is fused with his body. The Prince escapes, managing to
grab the Dagger of Time in the process. Traveling through the city on a
mission to kill the Vizier, the Prince once again encounters Farah,
who does not remember him, and the two decide to travel together. As he
continues his journey, the Prince finds that his exposure to the Sands
of Time has affected his mind. The infection has split his consciousness
into two personalities: the good, yet jaded, Prince, and the cruel,
enraged Dark Prince.
When consumed by dark emotions, the Prince transforms into this Dark
Prince, who possesses different powers and who utilizes the daggertail
sword as a weapon and tool. After many trials and setbacks, including a
falling out with Farah caused by the Dark Prince's negative influence,
the Prince stumbles upon the body of his father,
whom he had hoped to reconcile with. The tragedy of the discovery
causes the Prince to finally accept his mistakes, and the internal voice
of the Dark Prince (which had been growing stronger up until that
point) is seemingly silenced forever. The Prince confronts the now
monstrous Vizier and finally kills him by stabbing him with the Dagger
of Time. Kaileena's spirit appears before the Prince and she cures him
of his infection while also cleansing the city, ridding it of the blight
of the Sands of Time. Suddenly, the Prince is drawn into his own
subconscious by the Dark Prince, and the two personalities struggle for
control of the Prince's being. After trying in vain to defeat the Dark
Prince, the Prince ignores his taunts, and the evil personality is
starved and dies. The Prince then awakens in Farah's arms, his
consciousness intact and devoid of evil. Looking out from the top of the
Tower of Babel, Farah asks the Prince how he knew her name upon their
meeting earlier. The Prince responds by beginning the tale he told seven
years ago in Azad, in Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time.
Prince of Persia (2008)
Prince of Persia (2008) is set in a mysterious land (the setting of which is largely based on aspects of the Zoroastrianism religion ) in ancient Persia where the Prince found himself in after getting lost in a fierce sandstorm. Following the sandstorm the prince meets Elika,
a princess of the Ahura who is fleeing from soldiers. The prince helps
Elika defeat her pursuers and follows her to a temple at the center of
the kingdom. The pair meet Elika's father, who, it is revealed,
commanded the soldiers to pursue Elika. Her father destroys the tree of
life freeing the dark god Ahriman
who spreads corruption on the land. Outside, Elika explains that they
must heal all the Fertile Grounds in the kingdom in order to regain
power and to stop Ahriman.
As the Prince and Elika travel the kingdom, healing the fertile lands
as they go, Elika reveals that she had previously died. Her father, the
Mourning King, could not handle his grief, and made a deal with
Ahriman; Elika's life in return for his freedom.
After cleansing the lands the duo return to the temple. Inside, the
Prince and Elika must defeat the Mourning King and Ahriman. In order to
do this, Elika transfers her own life to heal the tree. The Prince,
driven by grief, destroys the tree of life, transferring its life force
back to Elika, resurrecting her, but in doing so also fully releases
Ahriman. The Prince carries Elika to the desert whilst the temple is
destroyed and Ahriman escapes.
Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands
Released by the time of the live action film, its story is set into
The Sands of Time chronology between the first and second games. The HD
version (PC/PS3/Xbox 360), the Wii version, the PSP version and the DS version all contain different plots.
In the HD version, the Prince is sent by his father to the
ancient ruins of King Solomon's palace to visit his elder brother Malik,
who is the rightful heir to the throne and commander of the army. Their
reunion is cut short when an invading army storms the palace and easily
overcomes its defenses.
Facing imminent defeat, Malik decides to release Solomon's mythical
army which is sealed inside the palace's secret chambers despite the
Prince's warnings. The army composed of monstrous sand creatures start
attacking indiscriminately and the only ones able to fight it are the
brothers as each one carries one half of the medallion that serves as
the key to the seal and protects them from the monsters' powers.
Soon after the Prince meets Razia, an ancient Djinn
who reveals that the army did not belong to King Solomon, but was
actually created to destroy him. She asks the Prince to have him and
Malik rejoin their halves of the key in order to seal the army once
more. But as the Prince meets Malik he finds that just like him, his
brother grows strong as he destroys the soldiers of the army and is
unwilling to part with his half. As the game progresses, the prince
tries to convince his brother to help him seal the army without success
until the duo is forced to confront Ratash, another Djinn who is the
real creator of the army. Malik manages to defeat Ratash, but its
essence gets absorbed by his body and eventually Ratash's power
overcomes his will.
With Malik's half of the seal destroyed, the only way to destroy the
army according to Razia is by killing Ratash, using a special sword
forged by the Djinn. The Prince manages to retrieve the sword from the
ancient city of the Djinn and Razia fuses her essence with the sword in
order to empower it. Despite being unwilling to attack his own brother,
the Prince confronts and destroys Ratash at the highest spot of the
palace. Ratash finally disappears, leaving a dying Malik in his
brother's arms. With no response from Razia after Ratash's defeat, the
Prince puts the sword back where he obtained it and departs sorrowfully
to give the news of Malik's death to his father.
In the Wii version, which occurs chronogically at roughly the
same time, the Prince has left his father's side in search of a Kingdom
to conquer. In the Persian desert wilderness he has discovered the
forgotten kingdom of Izdihar. As the ruins crumble around him, his life
is saved by the djinn Zahra, who tells the prince she will lead him into
the heart of Izdihar to help him conquer it. But as the Prince proceeds
he discovers the country is occupied by strange beasts and dangerous
forces that force him to question Zahra's motives. He discovers Zahra's
existence is as a guardian of Izdahar and she has led him on a perilous
journey to rid the kingdom of its powerful and evil possessors. They are
a dark sorceress and a monster that was once a man. No longer
possessing the dagger of time, the Prince is forced to learn new powers
that will help him in his quest. He learns from the djinn how to
manipulate sand to give him powers that will help him scale heights
beyond all belief, and to evade death.
The PSP version features a plot in which the prophecy is
written that a member of Prince's royal family will bring end to an evil
fire spirit Ahihud's dark reign over hidden mystic land. To ensure his
survival, the evil spirit's minions hunt down those with the royal
blood. Prince escapes his tower, where he is kept protected by his
father, and pursues a mysterious guiding light, which turns out to be
Helem, a spirit of time who promises to help the Prince defeat his
enemy. The plot of the DS version centers around the Prince character
being abducted by a cult. This cult brings the Prince to an ancient
temple in India and uses his sword, which houses the Djinn queen Razia,
to obtain a blood sacrifice from him. Using the Prince's royal blood and
Razia's Sand powers, the cult liberates an evil force locked in the
temple, erasing the Prince's memory and stealing Razia's powers in the
process. The temple collapses as the evil is freed, and the Prince falls
into a pit. At the bottom, Razia's spirit leads the Prince to his
weapon, and tells him that the ceremony he was abducted for is the
reason why he does not remember anything. She informs him further that
he is a prince, and that he and Razia are longtime friends, which the
Prince believes. He decides to follow her instructions warily, as he
does not remember anything himself. They escape from the bottom of the
collapsed temple and Razia tells the Prince that their quest must be to
hunt down and kill the three members of the cult who abducted them.
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