Prince of Persia Preview

The long-running Prince of Persia series has not brought anything new to console gamers for quite some time. Mattel Interactive, hoping to bring back all the jumping and slashing fun, has tweaked last year's PC version and geared it up for a Dreamcast release.

Though it's virtually identical to the PC version, Prince of Persia for the Dreamcast promises to fix many of the problems that hindered gameplay and to improve upon the formula. For starters, the game's 15 levels have been retooled to ensure maximum playability. Several features have been drastically changed for this release; for instance, the combat system has undergone a complete overhaul, and you will have the ability to use items on the fly while in combat rather than having to find a quiet spot to drink a potion. Many puzzles that were overly frustrating have been fixed as well.

Prince of Persia is nearly finished, save for a few final tweaks to the control scheme. And the graphics look good - the game's use of single-skinned models gives a seamless look to all of the characters. Also notable are a more dynamic camera and faster, more frequent battles to give the game not only the well-known adventure feel but also an element of action around every corner.

Prince of Persia is slated for a November release. Look to GameSpot for a full review at that time.