Prince of Persia (Mega-CD)

From Sega Retro

For other games with the same name, see Prince of Persia.

n/a

  • NTSC-U/PAL
  • NTSC-J

PrinceofPersia MCD US Title.png

PrinceofPersia MCD JP SSTitle.png

Prince of Persia
System(s): Sega Mega-CD
Publisher: Sega (US, Europe), Victor Musical Industries (Japan)
Developer:
Distributor: Tec Toy (BR)
Original system(s): Apple II
Genre: Action[1][2]

















Number of players: 1
Release Date RRP Code
Sega Mega-CD
JP
¥7,800 (8,034)7,800e[3] T-60014
Sega Mega-CD
US
4652
Sega Mega-CD
EU
4652
Sega Mega-CD
DE
DM 99.0099.00[10] 4652
Sega Mega-CD
FR
4652
Sega Mega-CD
UK
£39.9939.99[7][8] 4652
Sega Mega-CD
AU
FPR102SMR
Sega Mega-CD
BR
061000

Prince of Persia (プリンス・オブ・ペルシャ) is a Sega Mega-CD cinematic platform game developed by Bits Laboratory. Published in Japan by Victor Musical Industries in August 1992, it was later published in the United States by Sega in November 1992, and in Europe by Sega the following year.

The game is a port of the 1989 Brøderbund Software game Prince of Persia, originally released for the Apple II, and features voice-acted cutscenes and the ability to save the player's progress.

Story

Prince of Persia CD, Introduction.png

Introduction

The game is set in medieval Persia. While the good sultan is fighting a war in a foreign land, his vizier Jaffar, a wizard, seizes power. His only obstacle to the throne is the Sultan's daughter. Jaffar locks her in a tower and orders her to become his wife, or she would die within an hour. The game's unnamed protagonist, whom the Princess loves, is taken prisoner and thrown into the palace dungeons. In order to free her, he must escape the dungeons, get to the palace tower and defeat Jaffar before time runs out. In addition to guards, various traps and dungeons, the protagonist is further hindered by his own doppelgänger, conjured out of a magic mirror.

Gameplay

The game is a cinematic platformer, distinguished by the fluid, lifelike movements and relatively realistic physical limitations of its protagonist, the eponymous prince. Levels are composed of multiple screens with no scrolling in which the prince can move both horizontally and vertically. Gameplay requires problem solving and trial and error to overcome each obstacle. The objective is to lead the prince out of the dungeons and into a tower before time runs out. To do this, the prince must bypass many traps and fight hostile swordsmen. The game consists of twelve levels, which the player has 60 minutes to complete. In each level, the prince must find the door that leads to the next level and figure out how to open it.

The prince walks or turns around with Left or Right. He can tiptoe to step more carefully or position himself more precisely by holding A or C while moving. He can tiptoe safely through spike traps. He crouches with Down and jumps with B or Up. He leaps across a wide area if he jumps while running, which can be used to traverse gaps. The player must press B a couple of steps before the edge to make the leap without running off the platform. When standing next to a ledge above him, he can jump and grab onto the ledge by holding B or Up. If the ledge is below him, he can hang off of it by holding Down when facing away from it. He can also grab ledges that he leaps onto from a running start by holding A or C. He picks up items with A or C and enters doorways with Up.

The prince finds a scimitar in the dungeon, which he pulls out automatically when he encounters a swordsman. The player can manually retract his sword with Down and pull it back out with A or C. While fighting, the prince attacks with A or C and parries enemy attacks with B. The health points of enemy swordsmen are depicted by potions. They lose a health point when they are attacked and die when they lose all of their health or if they are pushed into traps. The prince cannot proceed past a swordsman until he is defeated. If a swordsman parries an attack, he is knocked back slightly, which can be used to push enemies off a ledge or into a trap (but an enemy swordsman can likewise do the same to the prince).

The prince likewise has his health points indicated by potions, initially three. Each time he is damaged (being cut by a sword, falling from farther than one floor, or being hit by falling debris), he loses a health point. The prince can find potions in the dungeon that restore or cost health. There are also special potions that permanently increase his maximum health. The prince dies if he loses all of his health points, restarting from the beginning of the current level. The prince is killed instantly by some traps (spike traps and guillotines), by high falls, and by being attacked by a swordsman before he has his weapon out. While the prince has unlimited lives, the time limit continues to tick down for failed attempts, so the player eventually runs out of time to save the princess if not successful. The player is reminded of the time remaining at the start of each level and every five minutes.

Some floor tiles act as switches and open or close gates or toggle traps. Standing on the tile activates the switch. Some ceiling tiles are loose and can be knocked down by jumping at them.

The player can open a menu by pausing the game with  START  to save the game at any screen, change the speed of the prince's movement or attack, restart the level (without gaining any time back), or end the game. The game also saves the fastest times for completing each level. The player can enter a name, which is used for saving the game and storing the fastest times.

Items

Prince of Persia CD, Items.png
Healing Potion
Heals the prince and restores one of his health points.
Prince of Persia CD, Items.png
Poison Potion
Poisons the prince and costs one of his health points.
Prince of Persia CD, Items.png
Life Potion
Permanently gives the prince another health point and restores all of his lost health points. The extra health point is lost if the prince dies before completing the level, unless the potion is collected again.
Prince of Persia CD, Items.png
Featherfall Potion
Allows the prince to float down from a high fall without being harmed.
Prince of Persia CD, Items.png
Scimitar
Gives the prince a sword to use. Found in the first level.

Levels

Prince of Persia CD, Stage 1.png

Level 1
Map: 1️⃣ 

Prince of Persia CD, Stage 2.png

Level 2
Map: 1️⃣ 

Prince of Persia CD, Stage 3.png

Level 3
Map: 1️⃣ 
The skeletal swordsmen cannot be killed with the prince's sword but must be pushed into pits.

Prince of Persia CD, Stage 4.png

Level 4
Map: 1️⃣ 
The prince must leap through a magic mirror, which creates his doppelgänger on the other side and drains his health to one point.

Prince of Persia CD, Stage 5.png

Level 5
Map: 1️⃣ 

Prince of Persia CD, Stage 6.png

Level 6
Map: 1️⃣ 

Prince of Persia CD, Stage 7.png

Level 7
Map: 1️⃣ 

Prince of Persia CD, Stage 8.png

Level 8
Map: 1️⃣ 
The prince becomes trapped behind a closed gate near the end of this level, but a white mouse opens it from the other side. It is revealed that the princess sent the mouse.

Prince of Persia CD, Stage 9.png

Level 9
Map: 1️⃣ 

Prince of Persia CD, Stage 10.png

Level 10
Map: 1️⃣ 

Prince of Persia CD, Stage 11.png

Level 11
Map: 1️⃣ 

Prince of Persia CD, Stage 12-1.png

Prince of Persia CD, Stage 12-2.png

  • Prince of Persia CD, Stage 12-1.png

  • Prince of Persia CD, Stage 12-2.png

Level 12
Map: 1️⃣ 
The prince faces his shadow doppelgänger. Injuring the doppelgänger injures the prince as well. To defeat him, the prince must sheathe his sword and merge back into him.

Prince of Persia CD, Stage 12-3.png

Prince of Persia CD, Stage 12-4.png

  • Prince of Persia CD, Stage 12-3.png

  • Prince of Persia CD, Stage 12-4.png

Level 13
Map: 1️⃣ 
The prince battles Jaffar.

Versions

The Mega-CD port of Prince of Persia was developed by Bits Laboratory, and it is based on previous ports of the game by Riverhill Soft to the PC-9801, X68000, PC Engine, and FM Towns. All of these versions were developed by Japanese teams and have similar graphical assets, with more detailed sprites and backgrounds than previous ports and anime-influenced character art. These were the first versions of the game to depict the prince wearing white pants with a differently colored vest and turban, which would become his signature outfit (previous versions, including the original Apple II game, depicted him wearing all white, with a shirt instead of a vest and no headgear). These versions have an additional final fight with Jaffar, set outdoors on a palace terrace, and share the same Red Book audio soundtrack. The Mega-CD port adds a voiceover to the introduction.

Magazine articles

Main article: Prince of Persia (Mega-CD)/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

Logo-pdf.svg
Mega-CD print advert in (BR) #28: "Novembro 1993" (1993-11-xx)
Logo-pdf.svg
Logo-pdf.svg
Print advert in (JP) #1992-05: "May 1992" (1992-04-08)
Logo-pdf.svg
Logo-pdf.svg
Print advert in (JP) #1992-07: "July 1992" (1992-06-08)
Logo-pdf.svg
Logo-pdf.svg
Print advert in (JP) #1992-10: "October 1992" (1992-09-08)
Logo-pdf.svg
Logo-pdf.svg
Print advert in (JP) #1992-11: "November 1992" (1992-10-08)
Logo-pdf.svg

Physical scans

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
{{{{{icon}}}|L}} Division by zero.
Based on
0 review
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
(JP) NTSC-J
63
[12]
(FR)
94
[13]
(UK)
72
[14]
(JP) NTSC-J
53
[15]
(IT)
79
[16]
(JP) NTSC-J
50
[17]
(FR)
78
[18]
(UK) NTSC-J
79
[19]
(UK) PAL
79
[20]
(JP) NTSC-J
69
[21]
(UK) NTSC-J
41
[22]
(UK) PAL
87
[23]
(FR)
86
[24]
(UK) NTSC-J
90
[25]
(JP) NTSC-J
66
[26]
(UK) NTSC-J
72
[27]
(FR)
80
[28]
(DE)
53
[10]
(UK) PAL
68
[29]
(UK) NTSC-J
82
[30]
(UK) NTSC-J
65
[31]
(UK) PAL
69
[32]
(JP) NTSC-J
63
[33]
(BR) NTSC-J
88
[34]
(ES) PAL
81
[35]
(DE) PAL
77
[36]
Sega Mega-CD
72
Based on
26 reviews

Prince of Persia (Mega-CD)

Mega-CD, JP
PoP MCD JP Box Back.jpgPoP MCD JP Box Front.jpg
Cover
Mega-CD, US
PoP MCD US Box Back.jpgPoP MCD US Box Front.jpg
Cover
Princeofpersia mcd us disc.jpg
Disc
Princeofpersia mcd us manual.pdf
Manual
Mega-CD, EU
PoP MCD EU Box Back.jpgPoP MCD EU Box Front.jpg
Cover
Prince of Persia MCD EU SpineCard.jpg
Spinecard
PoP MCD EU Disc.jpg
Disc
Prince of Persia MCD EU Manual.jpg
Manual
Mega-CD, FR (Blister pack)
PoP MCD FR blister front.jpg
Cover
Mega-CD, AU

Mega-CD, BR
PoP MCD BR Box Back.jpgNospine.pngPoP MCD BR Box Front.jpg
Cover
Princeofpersia mcd us disc.jpg
Disc

Technical information

Main article: Prince of Persia (Mega-CD)/Technical information.

References

Necretro-round.svg
NEC Retro has more information related to Prince of Persia
  1. File:PoP MCD JP Box Back.jpg
  2. 2.0 2.1 https://sega.jp/fb/segahard/mcd/soft_licensee.html (Wayback Machine: 2019-06-10 17:56)
  3. Beep! MegaDrive, "October 1992" (JP; 1992-09-08), page 10
  4. https://groups.google.com/g/rec.games.video/c/OjuBtBGP-y8/m/RLeY0Cjm3KQJ
  5. MegaTech, "April 1993" (UK; 1993-03-20), page 29
  6. Sega Pro, "May 1993" (UK; 1993-04-08), page 18
  7. Mega, "April 1993" (UK; 1993-03-18), page 26
  8. Sega Zone, "May 1993" (UK; 1993-04-08), page 54
  9. Select Round, "Septembre 1993" (FR; 1993-xx-xx), page 2
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 Sega Magazin, "September/Oktober 1993" (DE; 1993-09-01), page 29
  11. Video Game, "Outubro 1993" (BR; 1993-xx-xx), page 6
  12. Beep! MegaDrive, "August 1992" (JP; 1992-07-08), page 29
  13. Consoles +, "Octobre 1992" (FR; 1992-xx-xx), page 64
  14. Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide, "" (UK; 1993-11-18), page 123
  15. Famitsu, "1992-08-21,28" (JP; 1992-08-07), page 1
  16. Game Power, "Maggio 1993" (IT; 1993-0x-xx), page 103
  17. Hippon Super, "September 1992" (JP; 1992-08-04), page 40
  18. Joypad, "Septembre 1993" (FR; 1993-0x-xx), page 78
  19. Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming, "December 1992" (UK; 1992-xx-xx), page 38
  20. Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming, "May 1993" (UK; 1993-xx-xx), page 51
  21. Mega Drive Fan, "October 1992" (JP; 1992-09-xx), page 67
  22. Mega, "October 1992" (UK; 1992-09-17), page 42
  23. Mega Action, "September 1993" (UK; 1993-08-12), page 22
  24. Mega Force, "Mega-CD Force: Le Supplément Spécial Mega-CD" (FR; 1993-xx-xx), page 26
  25. MegaTech, "October 1992" (UK; 1992-09-20), page 30
  26. Marukatsu Mega Drive, "September 1992" (JP; 1992-08-xx), page 120
  27. Mean Machines Sega, "October 1992" (UK; 1992-09-xx), page 92
  28. Player One, "Octobre 1993" (FR; 1993-xx-xx), page 150
  29. Sega Power, "July 1993" (UK; 1993-06-03), page 36
  30. Sega Pro, "November 1992" (UK; 1992-10-08), page 54
  31. Sega Pro, "April 1993" (UK; 1993-03-11), page 74
  32. Sega Force, "December 1992" (UK; 1992-11-05), page 90
  33. Sega Saturn Magazine, "September 1995" (JP; 1995-08-08), page 87
  34. Supergame, "Outubro 1992" (BR; 1992-10-xx), page 14
  35. Todo Sega, "Octubre 1993" (ES; 1993-xx-xx), page 62
  36. Video Games, "1/94" (DE; 1993-12-19), page 50


Prince of Persia (Mega-CD)

PrinceofPersia MCD US Title.png

Main page | Comparisons | Maps | Magazine articles | Reception | Technical information


No results



Prince of Persia games for Sega systems
Sega Master System
Prince of Persia (1992)
Sega Game Gear
Prince of Persia (1992)
Sega Mega-CD
Prince of Persia (1992)
Sega Mega Drive
Prince of Persia (1993) | Prince of Persia 2: The Shadow and the Flame (Cancelled)
Sega Dreamcast
Prince of Persia: Arabian Nights (2000)