Prince of Persia

Prince of Persia reached Sega's Game Gear in 1992 as a conversion developed by The Kremlin and published by Domark. It brings Jordan Mechner's 1989 cinematic platform game to Sega's handheld, retaining its medieval-Persian setting, rotoscoped character animation, and a race against the Grand Vizier Jaffar.

Jaffar has imprisoned the Princess and given the unnamed Prince only an hour to reach the palace, defeat him, and save her. Progress is built around a succession of dungeon and fortress rooms, where reading the layout before committing to a leap is as important as moving quickly.

The directional pad handles the Prince's movement: a tap turns him, while holding left or right sends him running. Holding Button 1 with a horizontal direction makes him take careful steps, useful near ledges and traps. Up can make him jump, hang from a ledge, and climb up; down crouches, reaches for objects, or lets him lower himself from an edge. Button 2 supplies a jump, including a running jump when paired with a direction.

Platforming hazards include deep drops, floor spikes, guillotines, loose tiles, and doors operated by pressure plates. A trigger may open a gate only briefly, so the player has to connect the right switch, route, and timing. Potions can restore health or change the Prince's maximum health, while harmful bottles make a risky-looking pickup an additional puzzle.

Once the Prince obtains his sword, guards turn rooms into deliberate duels. Button 1 attacks during combat and Button 2 blocks; positioning, retreating, and striking at the right moment matter because both fighters have health. The adventure also includes its distinctive supernatural obstacles, including the Prince's shadowy double, rather than treating every encounter as a simple platforming test.

The Game Gear version follows the closely related Master System adaptation, with fourteen stages and passwords for returning to later levels. Its handheld presentation divides the journey into compact, screen-by-screen rooms, while preserving the larger game's mix of precise movement, traps, switches, potions, and swordplay.

Death sends the Prince back to the start of the current level, but it does not restore the countdown, so failed jumps and fights cost precious time as well as progress. The final challenge is therefore not simply reaching the end of the route: the player must get through the dungeon, find the Princess's captor, and finish the confrontation before the hour expires.