Prince of Persia 35th Anniversary - A Look Back at the Original Game

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Prince of Persia was first released on Apple II computers 35 years ago today, kicking off a legendary adventure series years before Ubisoft created its own entry in 2003. It's been through multiple iterations, telling the stories of a refugee who becomes a prince, a prince who becomes a refugee (and reclaims his throne), and a nameless adventurer who helps a princess save the world. The franchise has come roaring back this year with Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown and The Rogue Prince of Persia, two very different action-adventure platformer games that revisit the series' 2D roots; and details about the remake of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time currently in the works at Ubisoft Montréal.

Through it all, the series has been defined by its One Thousand and One Nights-inspired settings, acrobatic exploration, high-stakes combat, and coming-of-age stories that often focus on love and time as thematic pillars. To celebrate 35 years since Prince of Persia's debut, we spoke with creators from throughout the franchise about their experiences on the games and what the series means to them. We'll be publishing their stories weekly throughout the month of October, beginning with series creator Jordan Mechner and the legendary 1989 classic.

ABOVE: The original 1989 box art for Prince of Persia.

The original Prince of Persia centers on a refugee who falls in love with a princess, and is imprisoned by her father's evil vizier, Jaffar. Jaffar then seizes the kingdom and gives the Princess one hour to agree to marry him - or die. In those 60 minutes, players must escape a 12-level labyrinth of deadly traps, puzzles, and guards, where death is never further away than a mistimed parry or a poorly aimed jump - possibly onto a