Prince of Persia - The Forgotten Sands

Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands for Nintendo DS is a side-scrolling action-platformer created as a distinct handheld version of Ubisoft's 2010 release. It shares the Sands of Time setting but tells its own story and uses a control scheme designed around the DS touch screen.

The Prince is abducted by a cult that plans to exploit his royal blood and the power of the Sands. The ordeal leaves him without his memories, while Razia, the magical ally he encounters, has lost her powers. Together they pursue the cult and its resurrected master as the danger spreads toward Babylon.

The adventure is viewed from a fixed side-on perspective, with 3D-rendered environments framing the Prince's run through each stage. Platforming is the focus: reaching the next area means judging jumps, crossing hazardous spaces, and getting through moving obstacles while dealing with hostile creatures.

Every action is directed with the Nintendo DS stylus on the touch screen. That platform-specific approach makes this version notably different from the button-driven 3D console, PC, Wii, and PSP games that carry the same title.

An hourglass gives the Prince a limited Sand-based time power. It can slow down fast hazards and enemies, creating the opening needed to clear a difficult section, and it can also save the Prince from a fatal mistake. Sand is therefore a resource to manage; if no use remains when he falls, play returns to the last checkpoint.

Progress comes from combining careful touch control with the time ability as the levels introduce new timing problems and threats. The DS game keeps the series' mix of acrobatics, combat, and puzzle-like obstacle solving, but packages it as a self-contained portable adventure with its own plot and mechanics.