Prince of Persia 2: The Shadow and the Flame
Encyclopedia
Prince of Persia 2: The Shadow and the Flame is a platform game
released by Brøderbund
in 1993.
, the character explores various deadly areas by running, jumping, crawling, avoiding traps, solving puzzles and drinking magic potion
s. Prince of Persia 2 is, however, more combat-heavy than its predecessor. In the first game, enemies appear only occasionally and are always alone, while in the sequel, up to four enemies may appear at once, sometimes flanking the player, and may even be instantly replaced by reinforcements when they are killed. As in Prince of Persia, the trick is to complete the game under a strict time limit that passes in real time
. Lives
are unlimited, but time cannot be regained except by reverting to a previously saved game. In other areas, more significant improvements have been made. The graphics are far more complex than the simple look of the game's predecessor, the areas explored are larger, and the variety of backdrops is greater.
The ship is struck by lightning, cast by Jaffar, just as a mysterious woman appears in the barge and asks the Prince to find her. He regains consciousness, and finds himself on the shore of a foreign island.
As the Prince fights his way back to Persia, he finds many useful tools in his quest against Jaffar. At one point the Prince's mother, revealed to be the mysterious woman on the ship, shows herself, and explains about her husband's death, and her plight to abandon the Prince so that he might live. In a temple, the Prince finds that he can separate from his body, transforming into the shadow that Jaffar's magic mirror created in the events of Prince of Persia. The Prince uses this move to to steal the sacred flame of the temple, and then travels back to Persia. Here he immediately encounters Jaffar, who flees. The Prince transforms into the shadow bearing the blue flame once again, and casts fire at Jaffar, defeating him. The Princess awakens from the spell Jaffar set upon her, and the Prince orders the former Vizier's ashes be scattered. As the Prince and Princess ride into the distance, however, it is revealed that an old woman is watching them through a crystal ball
.
ported the game to the SNES and released it in 1996. It has some missing features and lacks several stages, including the last one. On August 11, 2006, the Mega Drive
port was leaked. Ported by Microïds
, this conversion was going to be published by Psygnosis, as depicted in the leaked version, but it was canceled in an almost complete state for unknown reasons. The game can also be unlocked in the Xbox
NTSC
version of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
by finding a secret area. The GameCube
, PlayStation 2
and Xbox PAL
versions of the game lack Prince of Persia 2, with that secret area unlocking the original Prince of Persia early instead. The PC
version of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time lacks the secret entirely.
The Macintosh version has high resolution graphics (640x480), the MS-DOS and SNES version only low resolution graphics (320x200).
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
released by Brøderbund
Brøderbund
Brøderbund Software, Inc. was an American maker of computer games, educational software and The Print Shop productivity tools. It was best known as the original creator and publisher of the popular Carmen Sandiego games. The company was founded in Eugene, Oregon, but moved to San Rafael,...
in 1993.
Gameplay
Similar to the first Prince of PersiaPrince of Persia
Prince of Persia is a platform game, originally developed by Jordan Mechner and released in 1989 for the Apple II, that represented a great leap forward in the quality of animation seen in video games....
, the character explores various deadly areas by running, jumping, crawling, avoiding traps, solving puzzles and drinking magic potion
Potion
A potion is a consumable medicine or poison.In mythology and literature, a potion is usually made by a magician, sorcerer, dragon, fairy or witch and has magical properties. It might be used to heal, bewitch or poison people...
s. Prince of Persia 2 is, however, more combat-heavy than its predecessor. In the first game, enemies appear only occasionally and are always alone, while in the sequel, up to four enemies may appear at once, sometimes flanking the player, and may even be instantly replaced by reinforcements when they are killed. As in Prince of Persia, the trick is to complete the game under a strict time limit that passes in real time
Real-time strategy
Real-time strategy is a sub-genre of strategy video game which does not progress incrementally in turns. Brett Sperry is credited with coining the term to market Dune II....
. Lives
1-up
1-up , pronounced "one up", is a term in console video gaming that commonly refers to an item that gives the player an extra life, to complete the game. In certain games, it is possible to receive multiple extra lives at once...
are unlimited, but time cannot be regained except by reverting to a previously saved game. In other areas, more significant improvements have been made. The graphics are far more complex than the simple look of the game's predecessor, the areas explored are larger, and the variety of backdrops is greater.
Setting
The game takes place eleven days after the events of the first game, in Persia as well as various other locations. During this period of eleven days the Prince was hailed as a hero who defeated the evil Jaffar. He turns down all riches and instead asks for the Princess's hand in marriage as his reward, to which the Sultan of Persia reluctantly agrees.Plot
Prince of Persia 2: The Shadow and the Flame begins as the Prince enters the royal courts of the palace. Before he enters, however, his appearance turns back into that of a beggar. Nobody recognizes him, and when he attempts to speak with the Princess, a man who shares his appearance (Jaffar, who is magically disguised) emerges from the shadows, ordering him to be thrown out. With guards pursuing him, the Prince jumps through a window and flees the city by way of merchant ship.The ship is struck by lightning, cast by Jaffar, just as a mysterious woman appears in the barge and asks the Prince to find her. He regains consciousness, and finds himself on the shore of a foreign island.
As the Prince fights his way back to Persia, he finds many useful tools in his quest against Jaffar. At one point the Prince's mother, revealed to be the mysterious woman on the ship, shows herself, and explains about her husband's death, and her plight to abandon the Prince so that he might live. In a temple, the Prince finds that he can separate from his body, transforming into the shadow that Jaffar's magic mirror created in the events of Prince of Persia. The Prince uses this move to to steal the sacred flame of the temple, and then travels back to Persia. Here he immediately encounters Jaffar, who flees. The Prince transforms into the shadow bearing the blue flame once again, and casts fire at Jaffar, defeating him. The Princess awakens from the spell Jaffar set upon her, and the Prince orders the former Vizier's ashes be scattered. As the Prince and Princess ride into the distance, however, it is revealed that an old woman is watching them through a crystal ball
Crystal ball
A crystal ball is a crystal or glass ball believed by some people to aid in the performance of clairvoyance. It is sometimes known as a shew stone...
.
Ports
Titus SoftwareTitus Software
Titus Software, later known as Titus Interactive S.A., was a long-running French software publisher that produced and published video games for various formats over its lifetime....
ported the game to the SNES and released it in 1996. It has some missing features and lacks several stages, including the last one. On August 11, 2006, the Mega Drive
Sega Mega Drive
The Sega Genesis is a fourth-generation video game console developed and produced by Sega. It was originally released in Japan in 1988 as , then in North America in 1989 as Sega Genesis, and in Europe, Australia and other PAL regions in 1990 as Mega Drive. The reason for the two names is that...
port was leaked. Ported by Microïds
Microïds
Microïds is a French software brand belonging to Anuman Interactive that publishes and develops video games. In recent years the company's collection of brands and game licenses has grown since being a part of MC2 France...
, this conversion was going to be published by Psygnosis, as depicted in the leaked version, but it was canceled in an almost complete state for unknown reasons. The game can also be unlocked in the Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
NTSC
NTSC
NTSC, named for the National Television System Committee, is the analog television system that is used in most of North America, most of South America , Burma, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, and some Pacific island nations and territories .Most countries using the NTSC standard, as...
version of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is a third-person action-adventure computer and video game published by Ubisoft. It was released on November 21, 2003 and is a reboot of the landmark video game series Prince of Persia, created by Jordan Mechner in 1989.The Sands of Time, developed internally at...
by finding a secret area. The GameCube
Nintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
, PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
and Xbox PAL
PAL region
The PAL region is a television publication territory which covers most of Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and most of Western Europe...
versions of the game lack Prince of Persia 2, with that secret area unlocking the original Prince of Persia early instead. The PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
version of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time lacks the secret entirely.
The Macintosh version has high resolution graphics (640x480), the MS-DOS and SNES version only low resolution graphics (320x200).
External links
- Prince of Persia 2: The Shadow & The Flame at the Macintosh Garden