Who created the original 1989 computer game Prince of Persia?

Jordan Mechner created the original 1989 computer game Prince of Persia.

Mechner designed and programmed Prince of Persia, which Broderbund released in 1989. To achieve realistic movement, he recorded his younger brother’s actions on video and used rotoscoping to animate the prince’s running, jumping, climbing, and sword fighting. This technique gave the character unusually fluid motion for the period.

The game places the player in a time-limited rescue adventure. The protagonist must escape a dungeon, defeat guards, avoid traps, and reach the imprisoned princess before the countdown ends. Its precise platforming and lethal hazards made timing central to the experience.

Prince of Persia is sometimes confused with its later 3D successor, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, released in 2003. Mechner also created that later game’s story and served as a creative consultant, but the original 1989 title was his foundational creation.