More than
15 years before cel-shaded graphics first appeared on PlayStation 2, a game by
name of Dragon’s Lair was released in arcades. The big screen and Disney-style
animation attracted players to the cabinet, devouring quarters by the
truckload.
Dragon’s
Lair centers on Dirk the Daring, a heroic knight who can’t stop getting into
dangerous situations. Traps, pitfalls, monster scares, and other hazards pop
out of nowhere, sending Dirk to an early grave. Lucky for him, death isn’t
final. His bones might break and his skull might shatter but he’ll always come
back. He’ll return a few times on the hard difficulty setting, and will be
reborn an infinite number of times on the easy setting.
Dirk may
never realize it, but he is stuck in an animated movie of limited proportions.
His success depends on the player’s ability to react to the endless dangers
that befall him. Sounds like another action game, right?
Had the game
been developed today, that’s probably how it would have turned out. But 1983
was not a year of advanced technology. At that time the biggest arcade game
was the original Pac-Man. Developers didn’t have many tools or powerful
hardware, but they wanted to create a game that looked like they did. Their
solution: produce a short animated movie of a knight in peril. Every scene
needed to have at least two outcomes – he lives or dies. Unlike the other
games of that era, death animations could not be repeated. Otherwise it would
lose the illusion that you are controlling an animated movie.
The outcome
wasn’t as much a game of control as it was a game of
influence-at-just-the-right-moment. Essentially, it worked like this: pop a
few quarters into the machine, watch the movie unfold, then watch for an
announcement that you’ve died. Quarters gone. Game over.
Because the
events are scripted, players are faced with a situation that’ll remind them
(especially the younger generation) of the DVD games we have today. Dragon’s
Lair was the first of its kind – an animated movie where the viewer could
change the outcome. It’s surprising to think that reality TV hasn’t jumped on
the idea. Who wouldn’t watch a show called American Gamer?
On the Blu-ray
edition of Dragon’s Lair, the X button and D-pad are your only defense against
a plethora of trials that’ll test your ability to watch and react. Some of the
avoidable dangers include:
-
Falling rocks / caved-in
ceiling -
Collapsing floors
-
Ferocious monsters
-
Man-eating spiders
-
Oversized rats
-
Statues that come to life
-
Swinging over a fire pit
The disc
includes a Dragon’s Lair time capsule that shows how the game has evolved over
the years. From the pixelated cartoon days of the Amiga to the crisper, though
not much brighter, Deluxe PC Pack. The 20th Anniversary CD edition was much
closer to the arcade version, though it wasn’t until players got their hands
on the Laserdisc and DVD ports that they got to see the game as intended.
Dragon’s
Lair Blu-ray offers the same kind of extras you’d expect to find in a DVD
movie: trailers, commentary, and interviews. If you loved the game before,
this is the pinnacle edition. But this modern-day version of an ancient arcade
game is missing something: gameplay upgrades. So much time was spent making it
look superior for Blu-ray DVD players that they completely forgot that
Dragon’s Lair is supposed to be, first and foremost, a video game. If I’m
wrong – if this is merely an artistic masterpiece with slightly interactive
elements mixed in – then please correct me. But this wasn’t marketed to
moviegoers. It was shoved into arcade units and placed next to Asteroids.
For its
time, Dragon’s Lair was just as revolutionary as it appeared to be. But even
Rick Dyer said (during the commentary segment) that the mesh of animation and
gameplay created “an illusion of control.” During that same commentary
Don Bluth pointed out that he had a problem with some of the scenes because
“you’re not sure exactly what you should be doing.” They go on to talk about
the challenges of creating this “game,” and how wonderful it is to have in
high-definition.
After more
than 20 years, isn’t it about time for Dragon’s Lair to receive more than a
high-def upgrade? Shouldn’t gameplay have figured into the picture – or is the
picture really all that mattered to its creators?
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Gameplay: 3.0
You don’t “play”
Dragon’s Lair – you watch impatiently and hope for the best. It can be a
frustrating and unreliable nightmare. The mini-games found in DVD movies like
Open Season are less cumbersome.
For Dragon
Lair’s Blu-ray upgrade, the focus was on the graphical presentation. That’s
not a bad choice, but it means that only the existing DL fans will want to add
this edition to their collection.
Graphics:
7.0
Dragon’s Lair
isn’t a PS3-specific, jaw-dropping adventure. But it demonstrates a series of
fine visuals that can’t be found in any other console version of the game. For
a 1983 animated port that doesn’t have a Disney logo slapped on the cover,
Dragon’s Lair is downright amazing.
Sound: 7.0
Whereas the ’80s
proved to be a defining era in video game music, it wasn’t as remarkable for
the film industry. Dragon’s Lair’s background lies in movies and thus contains
an 80s movie-style soundtrack. It’s very good but can’t compare to game
industry compositions of the decade.
Difficulty: Hard
If Dragon’s Lair
were a game of Simon Says, it could’ve been a great edition to any PS3
library. But it’s really a game of watch closely and press the right button
at exactly the right time and hope the game doesn’t glitch.
Concept: 7.0
Another port of
the 20+ year-old animated movie game. This one comes with the sharpest images
possible, looking just as good as the arcade version on a standard TV and
runs in 1080p for those with a high-def set. Bonus content includes: 5.1
surround sound, a watch-only option (no interactions necessary), full-length
commentary from the creators, and interviews with Don Bluth, Gary Goldman, and
Rick Dyer.
Overall: 6.8
As a game,
Dragon’s Lair falls flat on its face. However, I’m grading it as short film
because, when you get down to it, that’s really what it is. Fans of the arcade
original will clamor for the developer interviews. The creator commentary and
high-def video – and being able to play the disc on any Blu-ray player (not
just a PlayStation 3) – are sure to win over those who purchased the last
high-def version. But the jittery scene transitions and unimproved gameplay
will not win over anyone looking for a new PS3 game.
