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As with all Kings and Queens, the time has come for the Sultan of the Persian Royal family to do the good will rounds, touring the nation hugging and kissing badies and ruffling the lice-ridden hair of peasants.

In his absence, the Sultan has left his right-hand man, the Grand Vizier Jaffar, in charge of the kingdom. But, being a politician, Jaffar is incapable of doing the right thing, and before you can say, "Jaffar! Jaffar! The princess snatcher!" that's exactly what he's done. Jaffar's plan is to marry the girl, kill the Sultan and steal the kingdom - and he's imprisoned the fair maiden deep in a dungeon in the Tower with only an hour to decide on his 'proposal'. Thankfully, help is on its way in the shape of her beau (who we'll call Trevor). The player controls Trevor and now has one hour to find a route through the palace's dungeon to the Tower - but Jaffar's traps are aplenty...

Originally a PC title, Prince Of Persia has appeared on every computer/console known to man.

Guide Trevor through a series of trap-laden dungeons, tackling guards as he tries to find the Tower in an hour!

Because the dungeon is littered with guards wielding very sharp sabres, Trevor is going to need to use a little more than bad language to defeat them. Obviously, the priority on the first level is finding a sword. Once this has been achieved, our intrepid hero must test his mettle against one of the guards in order to move on to the next level. Developing good attacking and defending abilities is therefore essential.

As well as harbouring a thriving insect community, the dungeons are also full of traps which all too easily dispose of the unsuspecting novice. To being with, there are a number of floor tiles which are unstable. The tiles rattle as you walk across them to act as a warning - but don't hang around for too long.

The same principle applies to certain ceiling tiles. If you jump up and push them, they will vibrate. Often, these tiles need to collapse before Trevor can find a route to the next level. Once trap with no advantages, however, are spikes. Look out for a cluster of holes in the floor because it's from these that the spikes snap up. Trevor must jump them or shuffle through them cautiously. Other things to look out for are guillotine blades and the pendulum which slice Trevor into cold meat slices.

Unlike the average platform game, the controls in Prince Of Persia are a bit more complicated and take a bit of getting used to. Ultimately, though, they suit the realism of the game.

Most moves use a combination of button with the direction pad. If Trevor attempts to jump a wide gap, he needs a sufficient run up. Likewise, when descending to a lower lever it is often safer to lower yourself slowly rather than simply jumping.

In this age of censoring console games because of their graphic violence, this one comes as something of a surprise. For some reason, the Megadrive version of Prince Of Persia comes with a bit of added gore. For instance, when the heroic Trevor gets sliced up by one of the lethal traps, you can expect a more than your fair share of ketchup.

From the mists of time... Prince Of Persia is a senior citizen of the games world, and its looks and charms have undeniably faded over the years. When this was new, it was a clever innovatio on the platform game, but all the new ideas have been improved upon by the likes of Flashback.

The Super NES, with its extra levels and presentation is still the best version of Prince Of Persia. The sombre graphics, and most of all the sluggish control method, make the Megadrive version an inferior product. It's still a slick game, but not a great one.

What I was expecting of Prince Of Persia was a very similar version to that of the Mega-CD game. But, despite the fact that the intro sequence isn't as impressive as the CD version's, the in-game graphics and action are superior. This really is a good conversion with all of the elements that went to make Prince Of Persia a classic.

There are a few annoying niggles, though. Occasionally the controls don't behave as they should, proving fatal and very frustrating. With the likes of Flashback on the Megadrive these days, you wonder if Prince Of Persia is likely to find its niche.

I think Flashback is better, but fans of the original won't be disappointed. This is a tough game to crack, and the addictive quality of the gameplay ensures continued enthusiasm. If there is a detestable aspect to this game, it has to be the music. Turn the sound down quick or it might encourage you to slice your ears off!

Presentation 84%
P. Nice intro sequence and an invaluable password system.
N. The control system has moves missing from the other versions.

Graphics 87%
P. Excellent in-game graphics and animation.
N. The graphics are sombre, and rarely change.

Sound 65%
P. Sound effects are good.
N. As regards the music, welcome to hell!

Playability 83%
P. There are plenty of diverse skills to master.
N. The controls can often be a little too quirky.

Lastability 85%
P. It's tough, and there are plenty of routes and rooms to discover.
N. Those who prefer their games a little more ready cooked may find it boring.

Overall 83%
A good conversion of a classic game. Its trumpet might be slightly muted by the arrival of Flashback but it still has a lot to offer for those who like their games a little deeper.