The Prince Is Back

The man with the MC Hammer pants is back in the arcade scene. This time, it’s on the Xbox Live Arcade for everyone to download. If you are an old school “side scroller” fan like myself, there is no doubt you will enjoy this.

Here is the full press release:
Scale the Palace Walls with “Prince of Persia Classic” on Xbox LIVE Arcade

Return to ancient Persia to battle the evil Vizier Jaffar and his men – but don’t take forever to save the princess! “Prince of Persia Classic,” will be available for download on Xbox LIVE Arcade for Xbox 360 beginning Wednesday, June 13, at 9 a.m. GMT (1 a.m. PDT).

In Ubisoft’s “Prince of Persia Classic,” gamers take on the role of the prince as he embarks on a mission to rescue the princess before she has to wed the wicked Jaffar – all of which must be accomplished in under 60 minutes! Jumping across platforms and avoiding traps, the prince must collect bottles of potions to keep his power bar charged as he duels enemies on his way to the princess.

Originally developed by Jordan Mechner, “Prince of Persia” broke molds and made waves when it launched for the PC in 1989. By using hours of live footage of his younger brother running and jumping and a technique called rotoscoping, Mechner achieved a natural sense of movement, which was widely perceived as a great leap forward in the quality of animation seen in computer games. Additionally, Mechner utilized intense sword fighting action vs. the widely popular use of projectile weapons in video games at the time. With clever puzzles and deadly traps, the original “Prince of Persia” spawned a rich sub-genre of games, where sprawling, non-scrolling levels and fluid animation became the norm.

Now dubbed “Prince of Persia Classic,” the Xbox LIVE Arcade remake of the original game is available worldwide for 800 Microsoft Points and is rated T for Teen (Animated Blood and Violence).

Game Features

• Enhanced character designs, animations and visuals
• New traps, puzzles and enemies to tackle further augment the classic experience
• 12 Achievements will be available – ranging from the simple (finding the sword in the first level) to the near impossible (finding all the potions in the game or finishing the game without dying!)
• The title will feature 3 different leaderboards:
  • Normal Mode: Complete the game as fast as possible, which saves at the end of each level
  • Time Attach Mode: Complete the game as fast as possible – but be prepared to start from the beginning if you fail to save the Princess in under 60 minutes
  • Survival Mode: Complete the entire game in under 60 minutes – without dying