Prince of Persia

Created by Jordan Mechner back in 1989, Prince of Persia stands as one of the most ported games of all time. Made famous not only by its amazingly smooth animation but also its incredibly frustrating gameplay, Prince of Persia is one of those games that requires immense patience, plenty of precision, and the stomach to see your poor avatar slived, stabbed and otherwise killed in terrible terrible ways.
Initially, the immensely smooth main character is what made the game so popular, and a great tool.