Videogame Help: Prince of Persia

December 31, 2003 6:33 AM

Exactly how do I climb the *%$&!@# walls in Prince Of Persia? (more inside)

I've climbed walls a few times by luck, but luck isn't helping this time - it's a really high wall and I need to know exactly how to do it. I need specific, detailed instructions, not just "hold R and then push A". Do I hold R down the entire time I'm climbing, or do I tap it, or just tap it in the beginning and then not again? Do I tap A right before I hit each wall or right after? Do I keep the A button down all the time? Do I have to keep moving the joystick in the direction of each wall I want to jump to, and if so, when do I do that? Will you come over to my house and climb the wall for me? Almost every time I try this wall, I jump from the first side to the second and then fall off. Occasionally, I can even make it halfway up the wall, but I have no idea how I'm doing it. Help! I took the day off from work just to stay home and play this, so being stuck really stings. The platform is Xbox. I have googled this and have come across several message boards with unsatisfactory answers, so I'm hoping some gifted gamer (or at least someone with better hand/eye coordination than I obviously possess) here can help me.

posted by iconomy to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (16 answers total)

i haven't gotten a chance to play the game yet, but if you end up not being able to find any answers here, try the help/advice section at Penny Arcade's forums.
posted by lotsofno at 7:20 AM on December 31, 2003

alt.games.video.xbox is another good resource for hints and strategies.
posted by Smart Dalek at 7:26 AM on December 31, 2003

Prince of Persia @ Gamefaqs, it's the only resource I use for gaming questions. Really good and I love the ultra simple interface. One of the gems of the web (saves on buying $30 guides). Hope you find your answer there or on the message boards.
posted by geoff. at 7:26 AM on December 31, 2003

I haven't played it in over 2 weeks. But, as I remember you need to:

Hold R to run up the wall

Before you reach the max height of wall running, move the joystick towards the wall you want to jump to and press A.

Move the joystick back to the opposite wall then press A when you hit the wall.

Continue this pattern to get to the top. It is tricky at first, but once you get the rhythm it becomes quite easy. Hope that helps.
posted by studentbaker at 7:56 AM on December 31, 2003

I played it on PS2, but the concept is the same: hold down R while pushing straight at a wall. Pull directly back near the top (you'll need to try a few times to get a feel for how high he climbs) and press the jump button. The prince will then launch himself backwards off the wall.

It's a great game, but it gets waaay more frustrating than this. The camera finally ruined it for me.
posted by yerfatma at 8:12 AM on December 31, 2003

I've been stuck on the exact same place, it sounds like. Thanks for asking mefi. :)
posted by callmejay at 8:27 AM on December 31, 2003

So, okay, when whatshername is fighting the undead dudes with her bow & arrow and you come in and fight them too...

How in the hell do you kill them all? Because that's where I'm stuck, because I suck at fighting. I just keep hitting buttons in the vain hope that I'll kill something, and then I just end up dying and dying and dying (and it seems like a waste to use up all my dagger on something like this).
posted by Katemonkey at 9:12 AM on December 31, 2003

Katemonkey, try pressing the A button when you approach an enemy (I think it is A) to vault over them, while in the air use your sword attack. Usually this will knock them to the ground so that you can steal the sand from them.

This only works on smaller enemies. The big guys will just knock you down mid-air. I can't remember what I did to get past those jerks.
posted by studentbaker at 9:18 AM on December 31, 2003

Just to clarify, you are killing them, right? What I mean is, you're knocking them down and then sticking the dagger into them to suck the sand (and life) out of them. That's the trick. Otherwise, they keep coming back. Of course, if you are killing them properly, the answer is, "Keep doing it."

In lieu of a deeper fighting system, the game simply throws wave upon wave of enemies at you. It'll take a while to kill them all. In a later battle like that one, the trick is to attack everyone but the boss until he's the only one left.

I wouldn't recommend studentbaker's tip in this battle, but it's a goodfor the smaller battles that populate most of the game. Other than the guys with swords or pikes, everyone falls for the run over their head trick (triangle on PS2).
posted by yerfatma at 10:06 AM on December 31, 2003

Response by poster: Thanks, studentbaker! I did it! And of course, I never realized that I had to take my finger off the the R button once I was on the wall. Wow..walls are very easy to climb once you know how... ;)

Thanks for the sites, geoff, Smart Dalek, and lotsofno, but I was asking here because this is my home turf, know what I mean?

Well off to swing from more bars!
posted by iconomy at 11:48 AM on December 31, 2003

Response by poster: Not that I didn't appreciate the links, guys - they've been bookmarked for future reference - thank you.
posted by iconomy at 12:22 PM on December 31, 2003

If I don't get past this damn big battle before the 5th, I will cry, because that's when the people who actually own the Playstation and Prince Of Persia will be returning, and therefore I won't get a chance to play it anymore.

I keep trying to kill the fuckers, but each time I drop my dagger down is when someone swipes me across the back with a blade. I think I need to make sure I'm in the room with full health.

And offhand, this is the first major game I've played in years...so I'm really quite happy that my attention span/ability has lasted this long.
posted by Katemonkey at 3:57 AM on January 1, 2004

Response by poster: I find that the only way to win hard battles is with a lot of A button. Jumping and rolling - lots of dodging. If all else fails, I hand the controls over to my 13 yr old son...it's disgusting how much better he is at this than I am.
posted by iconomy at 5:19 PM on January 2, 2004

Here's a hint for the fights: that really cool "jump over somebody and slash them all at once" move that you do by hitting the jump button as you approach an enemy with your sword drawn (finished up with frantic presses of the sword button) only works against red enemies. Blue guys will knock you on your ass and stick you in your guts for your trouble if you try it on them.

Anybody know a reliable way of killing birds without getting hit first? I always take a hit from them before landing a blow.
posted by NortonDC at 5:47 PM on January 2, 2004

NortonDC, Block, then attack. It works great against the birds.
posted by Apoch at 6:56 AM on January 6, 2004

Response by poster: Anyone still reading this? I would fear for my life to ask another Prince of Persia q on the front page ;)

How the hell does anyone get past the elevator cage fight at 80%? The round room, where Farah just keeps dying and dying and dying and dying...I've been trying for 2 weeks to get past it!
posted by iconomy at 11:08 AM on January 23, 2004