Prince of Persia, Atari 8-bit

After apparently years of toil, and unforseen circumstances, a homebrew conversion of Jordan Mechner‘s classic Prince of Persia finally arrived on Atari 8-bit systems, in 2021. It requires a 128KB XL/XE; it’s free to download and play, and comes it in a variety of different formats (including cartridge). And – I have to say, right out the gate – that it is a brilliant port.

The precise controls have been retained perfectly, so playing Atari Prince of Persia is a dream. Graphically, the game is excellent too. With obvious care given particularly to the animations, which are faultless. Gameplay-wise, it’s as good as you could hope. Sword fighting is superb, because you really feel like you’re in control (if you know what you’re doing), and switching between careful movement and quick movement (which is essential in this game) is intuitive and easy. Just like in the original, and just how it should be.

I’ve got absolutely no complaints about this homebrew port and highly recommend that you check it out. Plus: it’s another great conversion to add to our list!

More: Prince of Persia on Wikipedia
More: Prince of Persia on atarimania.com