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 Last week our 3in5 topic was Original Xbox Live Arcade titles, so this week we found it fitting to focus on the retro titles that have been remade for the Xbox 360 service. This week's first title is the recent XBLA remake of the classic Prince of Persia, aptly named Prince of Persia Classic. Jump in to find out if this retro remake is worth the Microsoft Points.
In 1989 Jordan Mechner designed the original title, Prince of Persia from his love of the tales of The Book of One Thousand and One Nights. In the game players control The Prince, an orphaned commoner who falls in love with the immense beauty of the Princess of Persia. When The Sultan leaves for war, the evil Vizier Jaffar seizes the opportunity to overthrow his rule by forcing the Princess to be his wife or die. The Prince is thrown into prison and the Princess is given 60 minutes to comply with Jaffar's demand, or lose her life. The Prince has a mere 60 minutes to break free from prison, save the Princess and kill the evil Vizier. When the original game was released it's real-time component was a first in gaming. Games already had a preset time-limit so players were forced to progress, but the clock in Prince of Persia was quite different. It never stopped, regardless of the situation. The puzzles and combat could take sometime to complete but it's artificial fast-paced environment and time system was a great balance to counteract it's slow animation style. Mechner used a process known as rotoscoping, where he would film his younger brother performing movements to animate the game realistically. 
In 2007 UbiSoft remade the game and placed a new coat of paint over the original vision, to resemble the recent Prince of Persia series character, and released the title for the Xbox Live Arcade platform. This remake is truly remarkable. Not only does it control flawlessly, complete with the same (sometimes) frustrating animations of it's original release but with a difficulty rarely seen in today's games. The game is difficult due to the time restrictions. In this particular release you are able to complete the game over the preset 60 minute limit, but it takes away from the overall presentation of the game. Without ever becoming overwhelming, the game (much like the original) forces you to think quickly and move precisely to complete each required puzzle to find each level's exit. With guards, spike-traps, falling blades and lengthy jumps, the game has it's share of obstacles. Graphically the title is above and beyond that of the original, which for the time was beautiful (the original also looks like it inspired other titles graphically...think, Flashback), with smooth animations that actually feels like you are experiencing a new adventure and not a cash-grab (Sup, Double Dragon?). 
The style of the title really shines, with great audio and a subtle Arabian musical presence. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time stands as one of my all-time favourite titles because of it's music and presentation. The game felt very exotic and enchanting, versus games today that are very rock-n-roll and hardcore (Sup, God of War?). Warrior Within and The Two Thrones shattered this feeling making the world and the hero too modernized, the former more so than the ladder of course. Prince of Persia Classic asks 800 points to experience the full game, and for a 60 minute adventure it may seem steep, but leader boards and achievement points help add to the value. Prince of Persia may be nearly 20 years old, but you'd be hard-pressed to find a better title for your hard-earned $10 then picking up this remake... unless you haven't played (the now bargin bin) Sands of Time... in which case, FOR SHAME! [Prince of Persia Graphical Comparison Video]  
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