APPENDIX
Prince of Persia Basic Strategies and Tricks


Hints for Prince of Persia

Sword-Fighting Basics

In sword fighting, look at the distance between sword tips. You can almost always tell when you're in range that way. Once you get used to this distance, you won't waste a lot of energy thrusting when your enemy is too far away.

You must learn to parry. This is even more true in Prince 2, but it is true enough in Prince of Persia. The more skillful enemies will hit you a lot if you don't learn to parry. One good technique is to practice a rhythm attack that goes step-parry-thrust-parry. It's a good idea to parry after lunging, because if your enemy blocks your attack, he may counter with one of his own.

Step back. Sometimes you can lure your enemy into a more vulnerable position by giving a little ground.

Turn him around. Often you can gain an advantage over your enemy by getting on the other side of him. To do so, keep crowding him until he's forced to change positions.

Use surprise. Sneak up on an enemy whose back is turned. Use the element of surprise to your advantage.

Avoid fighting. This is abvays better if you can do it. There are a few places in the game where you can simply outwit or outmaneuver an enemy and get by him without a fight. Some of those ways are mentioned in this book.

Running Jump Trick

Sometimes you just need a little more room to execute a running jump. There's a trick in Prince of Persia that lets you do that in a minimum of space. The trick involves the Prince's ability to slide when you change directions. What you do is walk to the edge of the place you want to jump from and turn. Then run a few steps, turn, and, as the Prince begins to run the other way, jump. You'll execute a good running jump. This does not work in Prince of Persia 2.However, the Prince needs less space to make a jump in Prince 2.

Hints for Prince of Persia 2

Sword-Fighting Basics

Sword fighting in Prince of Persia 2 is somewhat less predictable than in the original game. To complete the game, you will have to master a lot of subtle but important techniques. Here are some basic techniques, followed by some specific tips on beating specific enemies .

Distance from your enemy is both more critical at times and less predictable than in Prince of Persia. Some enemies seem to be more vulnerable from a greater distance while others are most vulnerable when in the act of attacking. See the section below on specific enemies for more information about this.

You must learn to parry. The more skillful enemies will hit you a lot if you don t learn to parry. One good technique is to practice a rhythm attack that goes step-parry-thrust-parry. It's a good idea to parry after lunging, because if your enemy blocks your attack, he may counter with one of his own. The guards in the Temple levels (10-13) are particularly good at getting in multiple counterattacks.

Step back. Sometimes you can lure your enemy into a more vulnerable position by giving a little ground.

Turn him around. Often you can gain an advantage over your enemy by getting on the other side of him. To do so, keep crowding him until he's forced to change positions.

Use surprise. Sneak up on an enemy whose back is turned. Use the element of surprise to your advantage.

Avoid fighting. This is always better if you can do it. There are a few places in the game where you can simply outwit or outmaneuver an enemy and get by him without a fight. Some of those ways are mentioned in this book.

Enemies

Palace Guards
Palace guards are easy. Just swing the sword at them and they die.

Skeletons
Skeletons are pretty ordinary fighters, but they're hard to get rid of. A lava pit works best, if you've got one handy.

Snakes
Snakes are very, very deadly. They kill you with one strike. However, you can jump over them. If you have to kill one, try to kill it from behind or strike it just as it begins to coil and strike you. If you try the head-on method, you'll have to be faster than the serpent!

Goblin Heads
The heads are among the nastiest and most damaging enemies you'll face. Killing them without being wiped out in the process is as much a matter of position as it is timing. Both are important.

If you find out the best place to stand, you'll most likely have the proper distance to hit the heads. This is especially true when you have the broken sword.

Timing is also very important. Don't just swing wildly. Watch what the heads do. They always hesitate just a moment before striking. That's when you hit them. Once you get the rhythm of their attacks, you should be able to hit them repeatedly. You'll have to, because some of them will take twelve hits to destroy (with the broken sword).

Parrying does work against the heads, but it isn't really recommended. With the broken sword, a parry does a half a potion damage (just like the regular attack). But with the good sword, you still get only a half potion damage as opposed to a full potion. Anyway, an attack is as effective as a parry for defense against the heads.

One other trick to try with the heads is to pin them against a wall. That kills them in one stroke!

Temple Guards
Many of the bird-headed temple guards are very good swordsmen. Learn which ones are especially skilled and which are more ordinary. Some of the temple guards are easy to hit from a distance. The good swordsmen are not. Use all your basic techniques against temple guards, but use them very well. Especially in places on the last three levels, where they gang up on you.

Don't get surrounded. There are a few places where the guards will come from both sides. There are ways to avoid being hit from front and rear, however, but you have to figure out the appropriate strategy based on the situation. Usually, it involves forcing one of the guards switch places with you. Sometimes it involves killing certain guards before the others arrive.

There are places in the game where you must cause a guard to fall on a pressure plate to jam a gate open. You'll need to have very good control over your fighting ability to maneuver him just where you want him.

More General Tips
from Broderbund's Quality Assurance Department

The people at Broderbund have written some additional tips. We thought you'd like to see them, too. They're pretty much the same as ours, but with some variations and slightly different points of view.

Keep your cool; panicking will kill you.

Enemies and other things to kill

Normal guards aren't tough: just swing. (This works for most of them.)

Skeletons don't die like normal guards.

Fighting Goblin Heads is more a matter of initial positioning than timing. Timing is very necessary, but positioning is crucial.

Snakes are dangerous; attack them from behind.

Watch out for holes in the floor where snakes may appear.

Standing on top of a snake hole is safe.

Bird-headed guards are good at sword play - very fanatical and very deadly.

Traps and other dangerous things

Wall spikes aren't deadly if approached cautiously (from the right).

Dart shooters can be your friend; though they generally aren't.

Lava is dangerous; avoid it.

Do not get stuck underneath the large stone doors.

Loose floorboards are not really traps, but they can be dangerous.

Watch out for really loose floorboards. They fall with one jiggle.

You cannot jump through a scythe (blade trap), so try going under or around (or over) it.

You cannot hold onto the edge of a trap door.

Move before walls can crush you. Look out for pressure plates.

Maneuvering, tactics, and things to know

Learn when to run and when to fight.

Learn how to execute a running jump; it's necessary.

Learn how to grab onto ledges during jumps or drops.

Learn how to parry; it will save your life.

Think ahead (i.e. parry before you think you have to).

Learn when to drop from a ledge while you are swinging so you land where you want to land.

Dropping loose floorboards onto things kills or destroys them. This can be good or bad, depending on what's underneath.

Loose floorboards will fall after three jiggles or if you touch them.

Really loose floorboards only need one jiggle before they drop; they also do not support any weight.

Floorboards won't hurt you if they fall while you are crouching.

Falling two "levels" will hurt you. Falling three or more will kill you.

When the timer starts counting down

Levels 1-3 have no time limit.

Level 4 does not have a time limit unless you die on the level.

The first time you die on Level 4, you will see the "tree check," which means that the timer has started.

If you make it through Level 4 without dying, you'll see the "tree check" for the first time right before Level 5.

Levels 5 and up are timed.

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