Pixel Pashas, Digital Djinns

Abstract

Arabian, one of the earliest computer games with a decidedly Oriental setting came out in 1983. Structurally similar to Nintendo’s Donkey Kong (1982), the imaginary Orient permeates Arabian. The story is told as a “book,” consisting of the various scenarios as “pages.” Its hero, a scimitar-wielding, turbaned prince, fights his way through ships and castles against djinns and rocs, finally rescuing his princess, and the two fly away on a magic carpet. We thus encounter the Orient in Arabian on multiple levels: narrative setting, character design, and even in the game’s technical manual, which is filled with carefully-drawn djinns and other Oriental imagery.