Dragon's Lair Review

By , on January 19, 2010


Dragon's Lair
Download on the AppStore
3 out of 5

PROS

  • A wonderful port of this gaming classic.
  • Move guides and alternate versions of the game round out the experience.

CONS

  • The game is unforgiving and requires a lot of patience.
  • Little replay value.

VERDICT

It's Dragon's Lair. The price is a little steep but if you know what you're in for, it's a really well done port and might be worth the plunge.


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The year was 1983. Arcades were the place to be and utilizing new Laserdisc technology, a game came out that wowed so many people, lines were formed waiting to pop quarter after quarter into this machine. That game was Dragon's Lair. Since then, this gaming classic has been ported to everything imaginable, and now it's on the iphone. You play as Dirk the Daring, braving the dangers of Singe's castle to rescue the princess Daphne, and not die a horrible death in the process.

The controls consist of an on screen D-pad and button. When a button flashes, you press it, and if you hit it in time, Dirk will continue along his journey. If you pressed it too late or hit the wrong button, Dirk will die. Think of it as the earliest version of the Quick Time Event. Gamers can choose their difficulty as this version of the game not only comes with the ability to pick between home and arcade (two differing experiences of Dragon's Lair), but the ability to remove the flashing guides if one wishes.

The visuals and sound are exactly what anyone who has played this game remembers. The animation by Don Bluth's team is smooth and beautiful, and the sound effects round out the experience.

And in the end, an experience is what Dragon's Lair is. It really isn't a good game. It's far too punishing, almost impossible without the guides, and once you complete it, the replay value is non-existant. Still, it's a piece of gaming history and just might be worth the price if you haven't yet experienced it.

Screenshots

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