Prince of Persia 2-in-1 Pack

Like all royalty worth its salt (if there is such a thing) Prince of Persia has pedigree, harking as it does from way back in 1989. The three mobile versions we've reviewed so far have all upheld this pedigree, each earning a Silver Award the first time around, and while the passage of time has stripped the older pair – Warrior Within and The Two Thrones – of some of their vitality, latest instalment Prince of Persia Classic, is barely three months old, and still gleaming with class.

The natural thing would have been for Gameloft to strap the two elder members of the family together in this latest 2-in-1, in an attempt to shift some unshiftable back catalogue bric-a-brac in Prince of Persia Classic's slipstream. However, it hasn't taken that route, opting instead to favour us with the latest and the second latest.

Starting at the beginning, then, The Two Thrones first appeared at the beginning of 2006. Like all Prince of Persia games, it revolves around acrobatics and killing, but there's an additional twist in that you occasionally change from a shining prince into his dark, chain-flailing alter-ego.

The controls are stripped down, so that you can execute most of your acrobatics and violence by pressing '5' in the right context. With the minimum of input you can slide down ropes, spring from walls, and even kill enemies by sneaking up behind them, should you wish to be sly.

At times, the efficient control scheme becomes a little too efficient, carrying out complex actions while you look on powerless, but for the most part it's an intelligent way of bring the gymnastics of the console version to mobile.

In his original review, our own Stuart Dredge singled out The Two Thrones' looks for praise, and this is where the passage of time is most evident. While there's nothing actively wrong with the graphics, they've been supplanted several times over in the two years since the game arrived, and in all respects The Two Thrones has made way for jump 'n' slash games like At World's End and Pirates of the Seven Seas.

Never one to give up, everybody's favourite Arabian prince returned to the fray late last year with Prince of Persia Classic. Like Tomb Raider Anniversary, it went backwards in order to take the series forward, reproducing the original Prince of Persia and embellishing it with glamorous new graphics.

The object of the classic Story mode is to reach an imprisoned princess in under an hour. Each level is a rat's maze of stone corridors, spikes, pits, switches, and Persian décor, populated by scimitar-wielding guards in baggy silk trousers. Half puzzle and half platformer, Prince of Persia is not only about finding your way to the end of each level, but doing it quickly.

As a result, success largely relies on memorising the various traps and leaps so that when you arrive at them you can jump, roll, and parry seamlessly, as though rehearsing moves for a performance.

The control system is fluid and naturalistic, so that you can't come to a dead stop when running or change direction without shifting your balance. Some of the Prince's actions are automatic, such as hanging from a ledge or springing away from a wall, and this adds to the sense that guiding him through the game is a matter of rehearsal, a dance in which you and he are partners, even though you're obviously leading.

Unlike The Two Thrones, Prince of Persia Classic hasn't had time to age, and the graphics are beautiful, with detailed backdrops and eerily lifelike character animation.

As our own Kath Brice put it:

"Prince of Persia Classic is a shining example to all mobile platform games out there. It doesn't have the same sort of modern action or thrills as Two Thrones, but its core gameplay is near flawless and is a wonderful reminder of the fact that good, solid concepts stand the test of time."

It almost goes without saying that Prince of Persia Classic merits the cost of the download alone, and while The Two Thrones is starting to show its wrinkles, it's still a wiry old contender, worth the time it takes to polish off in preparation for the main attraction.

Prince of Persia 2-in-1 Pack

Containing both young and old, and young dressed up as old, the Prince of Persia 2-in-1 from Gameloft boasts some of the best platform gaming the mobile has to offer
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Rob Hearn
Rob Hearn
Having obtained a distinguished education, Rob became Steel Media's managing editor, now he's no longer here though.