Put simply, Prince of Persia: The Fallen King is Phantom Hourglass does 2D platforming. All stylus control, all of the time. Pull far away and he’ll sprint, tap and he’ll roll – so far, so Link. Other moves feel stilted: context sensitive actions activated by tapping on scenery. Climb a wall, jump a ledge, walljump through a gap. A nice sprightly prince, but there’s an awkward disconnection between you and him.

Beneath the stylus work there’s a distinctly unimpressive platformer. Yes, it boasts a variety of caves, bazaars, temples and jungles, but all are identikit jobs: the same ledges and traps hammered together. The gymnastics and timed trap avoidance bring back fond memories, but it gets old quick. Remember: the original game had an hour time limit for a reason.

A wizard character appears as a riff on Link’s equipment, lobbing energy balls with stylus taps. Great for hitting switches. And, erm, more switches. Yet another idea that’s really only halfway to being entertaining. Not so much the Fallen King as the Constantly Tripping And Stumbling King.

Dec 2, 2008