May 9, 1989
Spent the day hard-wiring the shadow man into the level I built yesterday. It’s kind of a letdown. For over a year now, the shadow man has been this awesome idea that everyone gets all excited about when they hear it. Now, it’s just… what it is. The unlimited potential has been replaced by the concrete reality of what I programmed today.
This time, there’ll be no time for me to tear it all down and reprogram it five more times, to try to more fully realize the dream. The hundreds of thousands of kids who I hope will play this game will encounter the shadow man just as I programmed him today. I hope he blows them away. I’m too close to it to be able to tell. If not, well, I blew it.
Apple II Mirror from jordan mechner on Vimeo.
May 10, 1989
Paul showed us nine color comps for the Prince of Persia box. “Us” was David, Nancy, Sophie, Diane Rapley (head of marketing), Brian, and me. In the end everyone agreed on #5. I had the feeling that if I hadn’t been there, they might well have picked #6, which showed a bunch of guys with swords bursting out of a paper movie poster.
May 11, 1989
Everyone is being nice to me because they think my game is going to be a hit.
May 15, 1989
Mo, Larry and Sebastian (my old high school buddies) were very impressed by the game. Mo especially liked the new additions – the Fat Guard, who I put in today, and the blood smear on the slicer.
Got a check for $9,000 from Bandai for Nintendo Game Boy Karateka. Snatched from the jaws of bankruptcy once again. My checking account, previously parched and gasping for funds, is now overflowing.
Brian and I sat at the Mac working on the game documentation (which I promised Nancy for tomorrow).
May 17, 1989
Made a disk to give to Doug tomorrow (Brian’s advice – actually something I should have done a long time ago). I made one for Gary too.
Nobody thinks we’ll make this August 29 ship date. I keep telling Brian: “We’ll make it! We’ll make it!” And I don’t even know if I believe it. But I’ve got to try.
Microsoft Word 4 arrived via Fed Express. I booted it up and it crashed immediately.
Added a balcony window that looks out onto a starry night. It really helps define the palace section as a different place. Someday I’ll make the stars flicker.
The game is taking shape by leaps and bounds, but unfixed bugs are piling up behind me.
May 18, 1989
Gave Doug his disk.
Worked all day on level design and background graphics.
Everybody’s gone away.
Just me and Domino’s now.
I should go running except… I’m so hungry I’d probably faint.
