« Custom Levels
Neon Persia
Cheat: 2.EXE megahitReleased in: 2019
PoP version: Prince of Persia 1
Description: "Custom graphics and sound effects, and five new unique levels with puzzle elements and loose floors that have longer delays before they fall. Each level has two optional life potions."
Tags: custom-story, puzzles, custom-hack
Starting time: 60 minutes
By: norbert (Author)
Has altered:
graphics audio
Custom levels: 5
Download: 0000200.zip
Use DOSBox to start its executable "2.EXE".
PoP version: Prince of Persia 1
Description: "Custom graphics and sound effects, and five new unique levels with puzzle elements and loose floors that have longer delays before they fall. Each level has two optional life potions."
Tags: custom-story, puzzles, custom-hack
Starting time: 60 minutes
By: norbert (Author)
Has altered:
graphics audioCustom levels: 5
Download: 0000200.zip
Use DOSBox to start its executable "2.EXE".
enjoyment:
rated 3.67 by 3 people
difficulty:
rated 3.33 by 3 people
email service:
Email me about
new comments and replays. comments:
I played this one during the weekend, out of curiosity, the screenshots caught my attention. I managed to beat all 5 levels on my own, surprisingly enough, since I know Norbert is highly skilled, I kept my hopes for winning low at first and slowly proved me wrong...
Neon Persia has a really interesting vibe going on. It's proof of concept that certain key changes to the graphics can strongly impact the way this game feels. Here the semi-realistic "angled" perspective of tiles and walls is gone, only visually speaking - the physics remain the exact same. This means that, for example, you can step a little off the "edge" of a floor and still stand on its actual solid surface. Now, this is crucial to learn early on, if you want to get to places. It took me some time and several failures to adjust - it was easy to miscalculate the pixels to do safe jumps and such. I eventually got the hang of most everything...
The levels are built in a specific format: the middle is where the kid navigates and solves series of puzzles to reach the exit, the bottom is the chasm, and sometimes something to explore at the top. Such puzzles are, imo, highly cleverly designed and, effectively unique, as the author squeezed the most out of the newly delayed loose tiles and combined them with all other special tiles, you get a lot of exercise in proper timing, for which you don't exactly need super skills or know any obscure tricks but easier ones (this is well advertised, btw). One thing to notice is that, for the most part, each room's puzzles are self-contained or don't take any effect in other rooms (there are exceptions though). The author allows players to enter a room and safely analyze everything before moving - something I appreciated quite. It also helped to always assume every normal tile was a loose tile.
It's also advertised that each level has two optional life potions and, fortunately I figured them all... just not along the way. I got both in levels 1 and 4 successfully, whereas in levels 2 and 5, for the second potions, I moved the kid near their locations just to figure the way myself, without having to restart over and over. This was after finnishing the levels though. In level 3, I know how to get one or the other but not both (see spoilers below). I allowed myself to use the "skip room" cheat occasionally with purpose to, again, figure a good plan, in particular at the end of level 2.
Time for highlights:
- Of all custom graphics, I liked the chomper the most. Some of the glowing torches looked cool (I lost count midway lol). And with sound effects, the loose tile of course - sounds like a pot breaking which is so funny because the floor is kinda thick.
- All of the life potions were genuinely cool to figure out. I don't know which one is my favorite though, probably that second in level 5 because who doesn't enjoy trolling the shadow every once in a while.
- Favorite puzzle, I'd say, counting from left to right, the 4th room in levels and 3rd in level 4 (with LP) are on the top, and 5th in level 5. I don't think I disliked any puzzle but the final stretch in level 2 was the hardest for me (see below).
- I had no idea that skeletons screamed when falling, the first one in level 3 introduced me to that.
- One thing I would have liked was the ability to save my game since level 2 - minor nitpick though.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised. I can recognize the effort put into the whole package was worth checking out, despite some nitpicks of mine (the no "angled" perspective thing), and you should play this too. This being only 5 levels also seemed well judged. Good work.
Questions for the author:
- In level 2, at the final part with many loose tiles, the only way to get past that part that I could think off was to do a running jump that avoids the first loose tile (that is, tile 5) and hope to land on tile 29, kinda tricky but only then I could climb up and use the tiles on the upper row to continue, is that the intended way or is there another?.
- In level 3, about getting both LPs ... to get the first one, I do a precise running jump towards the skeleton, which then clips through the flow, then I drink the potion. Problem I found later was that the second skeleton (leading to second LP), would always walk until near the edge as soon as I entered said room, and it'd one-hit me if I climbed up where it is. I might add that, I entered by climbing on the left tile instead of right (over the gate), I haven't tested if that makes a difference. What I do know is, if I don't kill the first skel, the second skel stays in its place, but then I couldn't figure another way to safely obtain that first LP and live to tell. Any tips?
Robert (2025-08-25 05:29:52 UTC)
Hey Robert. Thank you for playing, and congratulations on finishing all levels, and even getting so many LPs. What is annoying about mods such as this one, is having to restart the level each time after failing a newly encountered puzzle. This makes the mod enjoyable only by playing with a level editor or SDLPoP, at least in my opinion. Your solution for passing the level 2 loose floors is indeed as intended. In response to your "Any tips?" for the second LP in level 3: it's time for a drink break to contemplate life.
norbert (2025-08-25 06:56:01 UTC)
@norbert Gotcha (:
Fortunately these levels didn't drag for me, you made them not overly long, and accessible, at least if your skills are average at most, like my case. Trial and error is just natural in POP, we know it's sometimes inevitable when raising the difficulty in a variety of ways. This makes me wonder if it'd be worth making some past mods of mine playable in sdlpop as intended as possible, I know that people appreciate the fact you can quicksave now...
Robert (2025-08-25 21:02:20 UTC)
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rated 3.67 by 3 people
difficulty:
rated 3.33 by 3 people
email service:
Email me about
new comments and replays. comments:
I played this one during the weekend, out of curiosity, the screenshots caught my attention. I managed to beat all 5 levels on my own, surprisingly enough, since I know Norbert is highly skilled, I kept my hopes for winning low at first and slowly proved me wrong...Neon Persia has a really interesting vibe going on. It's proof of concept that certain key changes to the graphics can strongly impact the way this game feels. Here the semi-realistic "angled" perspective of tiles and walls is gone, only visually speaking - the physics remain the exact same. This means that, for example, you can step a little off the "edge" of a floor and still stand on its actual solid surface. Now, this is crucial to learn early on, if you want to get to places. It took me some time and several failures to adjust - it was easy to miscalculate the pixels to do safe jumps and such. I eventually got the hang of most everything...
The levels are built in a specific format: the middle is where the kid navigates and solves series of puzzles to reach the exit, the bottom is the chasm, and sometimes something to explore at the top. Such puzzles are, imo, highly cleverly designed and, effectively unique, as the author squeezed the most out of the newly delayed loose tiles and combined them with all other special tiles, you get a lot of exercise in proper timing, for which you don't exactly need super skills or know any obscure tricks but easier ones (this is well advertised, btw). One thing to notice is that, for the most part, each room's puzzles are self-contained or don't take any effect in other rooms (there are exceptions though). The author allows players to enter a room and safely analyze everything before moving - something I appreciated quite. It also helped to always assume every normal tile was a loose tile.
It's also advertised that each level has two optional life potions and, fortunately I figured them all... just not along the way. I got both in levels 1 and 4 successfully, whereas in levels 2 and 5, for the second potions, I moved the kid near their locations just to figure the way myself, without having to restart over and over. This was after finnishing the levels though. In level 3, I know how to get one or the other but not both (see spoilers below). I allowed myself to use the "skip room" cheat occasionally with purpose to, again, figure a good plan, in particular at the end of level 2.
Time for highlights:
- Of all custom graphics, I liked the chomper the most. Some of the glowing torches looked cool (I lost count midway lol). And with sound effects, the loose tile of course - sounds like a pot breaking which is so funny because the floor is kinda thick.
- All of the life potions were genuinely cool to figure out. I don't know which one is my favorite though, probably that second in level 5 because who doesn't enjoy trolling the shadow every once in a while.
- Favorite puzzle, I'd say, counting from left to right, the 4th room in levels and 3rd in level 4 (with LP) are on the top, and 5th in level 5. I don't think I disliked any puzzle but the final stretch in level 2 was the hardest for me (see below).
- I had no idea that skeletons screamed when falling, the first one in level 3 introduced me to that.
- One thing I would have liked was the ability to save my game since level 2 - minor nitpick though.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised. I can recognize the effort put into the whole package was worth checking out, despite some nitpicks of mine (the no "angled" perspective thing), and you should play this too. This being only 5 levels also seemed well judged. Good work.
Questions for the author:
- In level 2, at the final part with many loose tiles, the only way to get past that part that I could think off was to do a running jump that avoids the first loose tile (that is, tile 5) and hope to land on tile 29, kinda tricky but only then I could climb up and use the tiles on the upper row to continue, is that the intended way or is there another?.
- In level 3, about getting both LPs ... to get the first one, I do a precise running jump towards the skeleton, which then clips through the flow, then I drink the potion. Problem I found later was that the second skeleton (leading to second LP), would always walk until near the edge as soon as I entered said room, and it'd one-hit me if I climbed up where it is. I might add that, I entered by climbing on the left tile instead of right (over the gate), I haven't tested if that makes a difference. What I do know is, if I don't kill the first skel, the second skel stays in its place, but then I couldn't figure another way to safely obtain that first LP and live to tell. Any tips?
Robert (2025-08-25 05:29:52 UTC)
Hey Robert. Thank you for playing, and congratulations on finishing all levels, and even getting so many LPs. What is annoying about mods such as this one, is having to restart the level each time after failing a newly encountered puzzle. This makes the mod enjoyable only by playing with a level editor or SDLPoP, at least in my opinion. Your solution for passing the level 2 loose floors is indeed as intended. In response to your "Any tips?" for the second LP in level 3: it's time for a drink break to contemplate life.
norbert (2025-08-25 06:56:01 UTC)
@norbert Gotcha (:Fortunately these levels didn't drag for me, you made them not overly long, and accessible, at least if your skills are average at most, like my case. Trial and error is just natural in POP, we know it's sometimes inevitable when raising the difficulty in a variety of ways. This makes me wonder if it'd be worth making some past mods of mine playable in sdlpop as intended as possible, I know that people appreciate the fact you can quicksave now...
Robert (2025-08-25 21:02:20 UTC)
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