Before Assassin’s Creed There Was Prince of Persia 1989

The Origins of Prince of Persia and the Vision of Jordan Mechner

Jordan Mechner, a young game developer and film enthusiast, created Prince of Persia while working largely alone on the Apple II. Drawing inspiration from swashbuckling adventure films like Raiders of the Lost Ark and tales from One Thousand and One Nights, Mechner wanted to make a game that felt fluid and cinematic, not stiff and mechanical like most platformers of the 1980s.

To achieve realistic movement, Mechner pioneered a technique called rotoscoping. He filmed his brother running, jumping, and climbing, then traced each frame by hand to animate the character. The result was a remarkably smooth animation that set Prince of Persia apart from every other game at the time. This realistic motion gave the character a sense of weight and humanity that players had never seen before.

Gameplay Mechanics That Defined the Early Platforming Genre

Prince of Persia featured an innovative blend of action and puzzle-solving. The player controlled a nameless prince trapped in a dungeon, racing against time to rescue a princess from the evil vizier Jaffar. The challenge: the prince had only 60 minutes of real time to complete his mission.

Each level was filled with traps, spikes, crumbling floors, and pressure plates that required careful observation and timing. Combat was strategic rather than chaotic sword fights demanded precise reactions and positioning rather than button mashing. The combination of deliberate pacing and tension made every mistake feel costly and every victory satisfying.

Some of the most memorable gameplay elements included:

• Realistic sword duels that required parrying and timing rather than brute force.
• Environmental puzzles that rewarded observation and memory.
• Death traps that tested reflexes, precision, and patience.

The Influence of Cinematic Storytelling in an 8-bit Era

Unlike most games of the 1980s that focused solely on points or levels, Prince of Persia delivered a clear narrative goal: rescue the princess and defeat Jaffar. The minimalistic story was supported by fluid animation and atmospheric sound design, creating a sense of urgency and immersion without relying on dialogue or cutscenes.

Mechner’s filmmaking background was evident in every aspect of the game. The camera transitions, character animations, and pacing resembled the rhythm of a movie rather than a typical arcade experience. These narrative choices influenced countless future developers who sought to merge storytelling and gameplay seamlessly.

Technical Innovation on Limited Hardware

The technical achievement of Prince of Persia is even more impressive when considering the limitations of the Apple II hardware. The game used a limited color palette and memory resources, forcing Mechner to compress animations and level data efficiently. This pushed the system to its absolute limits and showcased how creativity could overcome technical constraints.

The success of the game led to ports on numerous platforms including MS-DOS, Amiga, and the NES. Each version had to be adapted manually due to different hardware structures, but the core gameplay and feel remained consistent. This consistency helped establish Prince of Persia as a recognizable and respected franchise.

How Prince of Persia Paved the Way for Assassin’s Creed

When Ubisoft acquired the Prince of Persia rights in the early 2000s, they created Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2003), which revitalized the series in 3D. The team that worked on that reboot later laid the conceptual groundwork for what would become Assassin’s Creed. Many of the ideas including parkour mechanics, acrobatic combat, and historical settings evolved directly from the DNA of the original Prince of Persia.

While Assassin’s Creed became a massive global franchise, its design philosophy still carries the spirit of the 1989 original. Both games value movement precision, environmental storytelling, and the feeling of freedom within structured spaces. Without the innovations of Prince of Persia, it is unlikely that the Assassin’s Creed series would exist in the form we know today.

The Enduring Legacy of a 1989 Classic

Decades after its release, Prince of Persia continues to be celebrated as one of the most influential games ever made. Its combination of realistic animation, creative puzzle design, and tight gameplay mechanics have inspired developers across generations. Modern indie titles like Dead Cells and Celeste still draw from the core principles established by Mechner’s vision.

The 1989 version remains a reminder of what can be achieved with creativity, persistence, and a clear artistic goal even with limited tools. In many ways, it set the stage for how we experience narrative-driven action games today.