Flying Sahur

Flying Sahur is a 1985 side-scrolling action game developed and published by the Japanese company Nihon Bussan for the Nintendo Entertainment System. The game is set in a fictionalized version of the Middle East during the medieval period. The player controls a flying carpet rider, referred to as Sahur, who must navigate through a series of horizontally scrolling levels. The primary objective is to rescue a captured princess from the fortress of an evil sorcerer. The game is notable for its unique vertical movement mechanic, which differs from standard platformers, and its use of a stamina-based flight system. The visual design employs a limited color palette typical of early NES titles, with environments ranging from desert landscapes to interior castle corridors. The soundtrack consists of a single looping melody that changes tempo based on the player's altitude. Flying Sahur received moderate commercial success in Japan but was not released in North America or Europe.

Gameplay mechanics are centered on continuous horizontal scrolling. The player character, Sahur, moves automatically to the right. The player controls only the vertical position of the flying carpet. The carpet has a fixed horizontal speed. The player must avoid obstacles such as stone pillars, flying enemies, and ground-based spikes. Collision with any obstacle results in immediate loss of a life. The game provides three lives per credit. There are no power-ups or weapons. The only method of defeating enemies is to land the carpet on top of them, which requires precise vertical alignment. The game features a stamina bar displayed at the top of the screen. This bar depletes when the carpet is at a high altitude and refills when the carpet is near the ground. If the stamina bar empties completely, the carpet descends uncontrollably to the ground, often resulting in a collision.

Operation controls are limited to a single directional input. The D-pad up button raises the flying carpet. The D-pad down button lowers the flying carpet. The A and B buttons have no function. The Start button pauses the game. The Select button has no function. The control scheme is intentionally minimalist, requiring the player to manage altitude with constant small adjustments.

Tactical techniques involve maintaining a mid-level altitude to balance obstacle avoidance and stamina conservation. The player should keep the carpet at a height where obstacles are visible but the stamina bar does not deplete rapidly. A common technique is to pulse the up button in short taps to ascend gradually, rather than holding it, which drains stamina faster. When approaching a group of enemies, the player should descend to ground level to refill stamina, then ascend quickly to clear the obstacles. The final boss, the sorcerer, requires the player to land the carpet directly on his head three times while avoiding his projectile attacks. There is no pattern to his movement, requiring reactive vertical positioning.