Prince Of Persia:The Fallen King

This is indeed a momentous occasion, people. For this could be, in the entire history of videogames as a medium, the first title ever to discriminate against left-handed people. We don’t know about you, but we’re off to the authorities to complain. Trouble is, which one? The police? The coastguard? Never matter, the Prince has finally seen fit to swashbuckle his way onto the DS (in a proper platformer rather than turn-based strategy) and the good news is Ubisoft’s gameplay is about as sharp as the tip of his sword.

Knowledgeable readers may be aware that this instalment of the Arabian franchise cares not for the D-pad and face buttons, oh no. The big gimmick this time is being able to control a range of acrobatics via simple screen taps (hence the left handers’ problem as their hand covers any crucial action; we blame Mario for running from right to left). This degree of separation makes spanning ever-increasing gaps a breeze, as it does solving a variety of malleable puzzles that are not only satisfyingly clever but allow levels to be negotiated in a whole new light, thanks to the magic of our wisecracking friend’s trusty floating assistant.

As far as gripes go, we’re largely clutching at grains of sand. The Prince’s limited attack arsenal (which basically extends no further than pointing your stylus at an enemy and tapping it to death) means it’s difficult to avoid being hit before you’ve steadied yourself. The background music suffers from over-repetition, too. Well, we say music – in actual fact it seems to be just a ten-second ambient loop that doesn’t always vary from level to level. The reason for such slackness is no doubt the hero’s rebirth as some anime-inspired caricature with a body only about two times the size of his head – an effect that doesn’t exactly push the DS to its outer limits but is nonetheless a feast for the senses. Well, sense. Overall then, while it may not have the staying power of a New Super Mario Bros or creative juices flowing out of every orifice, it’s enough to put a big smile on most gamers’ faces.