Dragon's Lair - XP Compatible (Jewel Case)
by Digital Leisure
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Our Price: $3.90
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Category: Video Games
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Product Summary
Brand: SelectSoft PublishingFormat: CD
Platform: Windows 2000, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows XP
Publisher: Digital Leisure
Product features:
- Fight your way through the castle of a dark wizard who has enchanted!
- Original arcade look and feel in every move. Original scoring scheme.
- Multiple levels of difficulty. Total scene authentication.
- Remastered with stunning MPEG1 video quality.
- Optional Arcade cabinet Window [Windows 95/98/Me/2000/XP]
Video Game Reviews of Dragon's Lair - XP Compatible (Jewel Case)
Customer Review: Lazy Reproduction Can't Keep A Good Game Down
Summary: 3 Stars
After a considerably long wait, Digital Leisure's landmark arcade title, "Dragon's Lair", is finally available for PC play.
For those of you unfamilliar with the title, "Lair" is the product of collaberation between video-game visionary Rick Dyer ("The Secret of the Lost Woods") and animation hero Don Bluth ("The Secret of NIMH", "An American Tail"): in the midst of the video-game boom - when no home-based consoles could outdo the arcade experience - Rick Dyer had an idea to improvise on his previous, unsuccesful text-oriented games; after being inspired by the work of ex-Disney animator Bluth, the two of them developed an idea for a game that would literally be like playing a cartoon.
Animated traditionally, their game would feature both a soundtrack and spoken dialogue, and turn-based responses to the perils faced by the hero ("Dirk the Daring") would either advance him towards the lair of the dragon ("Singe") or cause him to meet an untimely doom.
The concept was fairly revolutionary at the time, leading to a serious revamping of the industry to focus on more character-driven elements in games than seen before, as well as the need of voice-actors to cover the characters.
Though it's aged somewhat questionably, "Lair" is still a fun blast from the past, and a must-own for fans of Bluthian animation. Alas, the video quality is not exactly hi-def: it hasn't been remastered for this specific release, so playing with a fullscreen leads to a pretty blurred and grainy picture. Not that this really hinders the gameplay, which is controlled by way of the spacebar (to swing the sword) and the directional keys (move Dirk in a certain direction). Pretty basic, and stupifyingly simplistic compared to modern titles, but hey - it's the "original arcade experience".
A handful of cool extras, however, are included to make this release semi-exclusive: a 2-player mode, a "Watch" mode (watch the scenarios progress without playing), a featurette called "Dragon's Lair History", and a dozen previews for response-themed games from the 80s (no demos, though - but plenty of cheesy live-action, police-themed titles). "History" is pretty cool, as it's composed of about a half-dozen TV news reports regarding "Lair"'s release, making-of, and impact; it even includes a handful of interviews with Don Bluth and Rick Dyer. Less impressive is the video and audio quality of this feature, the latter of which has suffered especially over time, making the viewing of this collection a little tough. Nevertheless, the extra features are a couple of nice touches that really serve to give you a sense of this VG revolution as it was two decades ago: effectively, a unique little time capsule.
Give it a buy if you're not too enthusiastic about spending more money for the remastered release. Rest assured, this version's fallbacks will not impact your gaming experience too negatively, and it's certainly the most accurate portrayal of the era in which it made its mark.
Description of Dragon's Lair - XP Compatible (Jewel Case)
Just like the arcade without all the quarters! Original arcade look and feel in every move. Original scoring scheme. Arcade circuitry control through software dip switches. Multiple levels of difficulty. Total scene authentication. "Watch" feature to view without playing. Historical interviews with the creators. Now Completely Arcade Accurate! This is the first truly arcade perfect version of the classic Dragons Lair. Remastered with stunning MPEG1 video quality, the beautiful Don Bluth animation can be played full screen or within an authentic arcade cabinet window. You control the actions of Dirk the Daring, a valiant knight on a quest to rescue a fair princess from the clutches of an evil dragon. Fight your way through the castle of a dark wizard who has enchanted it with treacherous monsters and obstacles. Lead on brave adventurer your quest awaits! Optional Arcade cabinet WindowAction Games
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