Prince of Persia captivated players on the Apple II in 1989 with its fluid rotoscoped animation and cinematic platforming. When the task of bringing it to the Super Nintendo (SNES/Super Famicom) fell to Japanese developer Arsys Software in 1992, they didn't settle for a simple port. Instead, they embarked on a technically ambitious expansion, creating a version often hailed as one of the best – and most distinctive – interpretations of Jordan Mechner's classic. Now, thanks to interviews with key figures Keiichi Onogi (producer, Masaya/Nippon Computer Systems) and Keisuke Yasaka (director), the untold story of its development emerges, revealing a saga of technical constraints, creative defiance, and near-miss collaborations.

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Image: Damien McFerran / Time Extension

From PC-98 to SNES: The Genesis of an Ambitious Port
The project originated after Masaya's previous collaboration with Arsys on Star Cruiser. Learning that Arsys had recently ported Prince of Persia to the Japanese PC-98 for publisher SystemSoft, Masaya saw an opportunity. "During the discussions to acquire the license," Onogi recalls, "Mr. Henry Yamamoto [President of SystemSoft] said, 'I'd like to add in original aspects to the SFC version instead of doing a faithful port like the PC-98 version.'" Crucially, Arsys was eager to innovate, harboring unused ideas from their PC-98 work. "There was no thought whatsoever that the SFC version would be a simple port," Onogi emphasizes. Yasaka's vision was clear: retain the core traps and systems but redesign the stages to leave "a different impression."

Engineering a Cinematic Experience on Constrained Hardware
The ambition faced immediate technical roadblocks. The SNES's limited VRAM posed a significant challenge to recreating the original's signature smooth animation – a cornerstone of its appeal. "Arsys had a lot of trouble," Onogi noted, citing VRAM constraints. Furthermore, the sheer volume of new content – additional levels (including memorable boss fights with Ashura and Amazon), new traps, an expanded map, and doubled time limit (from 60 to 120 minutes) – pushed against the physical limits of the game cartridge's ROM size.

"Every time the ROM was updated, Arsys would add new elements... All of the new content was really fun, so the project had a lot of momentum and excitement behind it." - Keiichi Onogi

Clever design and technical ingenuity became paramount. "We compensated for that issue through clever design and technology. The puzzles and mechanics for navigating the map are two examples of that," Onogi explained. Despite the hurdles, development progressed relatively smoothly, driven by enthusiasm. Yasaka described the final product as almost "like a completely new game."

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Here is the original cover for Prince of Persia on the Apple II... — Image: Broderbund

Creative Clashes: Blood, Cuts, and the Nintendo Censor
Arsys and Masaya's creative zeal sometimes overreached, particularly regarding the game's notoriously gruesome death animations – a series hallmark. While expanding on the PC-98 version's gore (which included blood sprays and bisections), the SNES team initially created even more graphic sequences, including a beheading and a burning death. "Prince of Persia is a difficult game, so the protagonist dies a lot. Because of that, we paid special attention to the death scenes. Thinking back now, it's possible we got carried away," Onogi admitted. Unused graphics for these brutal deaths remain buried in the game's code, a testament to their initial inclusion.

Nintendo's stringent content policies of the early 90s, which forbade depictions of blood, inevitably intervened. "Nintendo had to check over it before it was released, and they requested that we edit the particularly brutal scenes, so those got taken out," Onogi stated. The team had harbored faint hope the scenes might pass, but Nintendo's censors proved uncompromising.

The Elusive Creator and Enduring Art
Aware their extensive changes might upset the original creator, Onogi traveled to the US with gameplay videos and hundreds of photos hoping to secure Jordan Mechner's consultation and approval. "So much ended up being changed that we figured it'd be only natural for the original creator to get upset if he thought we went too far," Onogi explained. Despite his efforts, the meeting with Mechner never materialized; Onogi instead met with an unnamed Broderbund representative before returning to Japan.

One undeniable triumph was the iconic Japanese and European box art by legendary artist Katsuya Terada. Yasaka, seeking a popular artist with impact, was recommended Terada by graphic designer Tomoharu Saito. "I told him that we wanted the protagonist in the center, with Jafar and enemy characters all around him, as well as the captured princess, like a character introduction composition," Yasaka recounted. Terada's initial rough sketch was so compelling it required no revisions. "It was really well done and got me excited imagining the finished product."

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When we spoke to Katsuya Terada about the Prince of Persia cover... — Image: Time Extension

A Legacy Forged in Technical Ingenuity
Released in 1992, the SNES Prince of Persia was met with critical acclaim. Publications like Mean Machines praised its "spruced up" visuals, "superior animation," "stunning backgrounds," and the rewarding challenge of its new levels. For Onogi, the project was pivotal: "The SFC version of Prince of Persia never would've come into existence if we hadn't met Arsys Software... I think my game career would've been different too." The port stands as a testament to a development team pushing hardware limitations to its edge, embracing creative risk (even when it meant facing Nintendo's censors), and successfully reinterpreting a classic not through replication, but through ambitious expansion and technical finesse. It remains a benchmark for how to thoughtfully reimagine a beloved game on new hardware.

Source: "Like A Completely New Game: The Untold Story Behind Prince Of Persia's Impressive SNES Port" - Time Extension (Interviews with Keiichi Onogi and Keisuke Yasaka, translated by Liz Bushouse)