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Prince of Persia The Shadow and the Flame goes mobile

The sequel to the classic original is now available for Android and iOS.

Rick Broida Senior Editor
Rick Broida is the author of numerous books and thousands of reviews, features and blog posts. He writes CNET's popular Cheapskate blog and co-hosts Protocol 1: A Travelers Podcast (about the TV show Travelers). He lives in Michigan, where he previously owned two escape rooms (chronicled in the ebook "I Was a Middle-Aged Zombie").
Rick Broida
2 min read
Twenty years later, the Prince of Persia is looking mighty good.
Twenty years later, the Prince of Persia is looking mighty good. Ubisoft

Any number of video games can trace their roots to Prince of Persia: Assassin's Creed, Tomb Raider, even endless runners like Mirror's Edge and Vector.

But what of that legendary original? Last year, Prince of Persia Classic made its iOS debut, and for those who have been eagerly awaiting the sequel, it has arrived: Prince of Persia The Shadow and the Flame.

Ubisoft

Originally known as Prince of Persia 2, the game was released by Broderbund (remember them?) way back in 1993 (remember when?). Twenty years later, it looks significantly better, with 14 gorgeously rendered levels spanning five different environments.

For those too young to remember the series, Prince of Persia combines run-and-jump platforming action with puzzle solving and occasional bouts of combat.

But there's a plot, too; one that picks up soon after the original game: The Prince, arriving at the castle to claim his princess, is deceived by the evil Jaffar and must flee the city. Adventures ensue.

The mobile game promises touch-screen-optimized controls and a brand new combat system. At press time, I wasn't able to give it a proper test, but the user reviews on both Google Play and the App Store average around 4.5 stars.

By the way, while we're looking back at game history, the original Prince of Persia was created by Jordan Mechner, whose earlier classic Karateka was revamped for iOS late last year. If PoP2 is anywhere near as good, you're in for a treat.

Prince of Persia The Shadow and the Flame is available now for $2.99. If you've tried the game already, hit the comments and share your opinion.