Arabian

About

Arabian tasks you with rescuing a captured princess by navigating four distinct levels filled with obstacles and enemies. You climb ladders, swing on ropes, and leap between floating carpets while dodging pink ghosts, crows, and a massive genie that ambushes from urns. Each stage features urns labeled with letters that must be touched in order to spell "ARABIAN" for extra points. The game shifts from a ship to an island cave, then to a castle exterior, with the goal of collecting golden bags in each location. Movement requires precise timing, missteps mean losing a life, and the genie’s sudden attacks keep things tense. This 1983 title stands out as one of Atari’s few platformers in an era dominated by shooters and fighters. The mix of climbing mechanics and letter-collecting puzzles offers a quirky twist on early arcade action. While its visuals and sound are rudimentary by modern standards, it earned a cult following for its inventive level design and two-player co-op mode. Its blend of platforming and light puzzling made it a niche favorite, particularly among retro gaming communities.

Storyline

The Arabian princess has been kidnapped, and only you can save her by traversing through the four magical pages on which this story has been printed. Collect the bags of gold from a ship, a cave, a wall with magic carpets, and the outside of the castle where the princess is being held in order to rescue her. In your way are an army of pink ghosts and black crows, who will do everything in their power to stop you, even combining to form an even bigger enemy.