Faithful adaptation, or another failure for Dragon's Lair?

We can all recall the glory days of the arcades, rushing in with our pockets full of change and making a direct line for the latest Capcom or Namco fighter, or light-gun shooter. Chances are if you are nodding your head in agreement you are also familiar with the Dragon’s Lair franchise and its bumbling protagonist, Dirk the Daring. Many quarters were eaten by the Dragon’s Lair machines in the early 90’s. Primarily because it was so intriguing to be controlling what played out to be just like a Disney adventure.

In Dragon’s Lair you play as the knight, Dirk the Daring, trying to save Princess Daphne from the dragon king, Singe. You will navigate through a bizarre castle full of bizarre monsters and even more bizarre encounters. Flying horses made of armor; talking lizard kings and a chase scene with the Grim Reaper are just some of the twisted encounters to be had.

The entire game is played out with context sensitive button presses. Pushing the over key just as our hero is about to be consumed by a swarm of animated skulls, or slashing the sword at the right time to get out of a pinch. We are hinted as to what direction to push and at what time by promptings on the screen. The animation is fluid and never breaks and at times you may even forget you are playing a game.

What is great about this formula is that you feel like you are controlling your favorite Saturday morning cartoon. The only issues stem from the fact that it is severely limited. There is almost always only one right button for each situation, so playing through again will not produce any real surprises. Also with no exploration or puzzle solving the game is bound to appeal only to a select audience of fans.

But with the recent release of Dragon’s Lair on Blu-Ray it is safe to assume that the release is not there to recruit new fans, but to give us devotees another way to enjoy Don Bluth’s arcade masterpiece. Frustratingly enough, it is here that Dragon’s Lair fails the most.

In a game that is supposed to flow perfectly like a feature film, there are a surprising number of places where the animation breaks. Too often you will make your selection and have the feature pause for a few seconds before the next scene plays. Do you live and jump across the flaming moat? Did you fall in? This breakdown in the seamless play leads to irritation as it takes away the magic that is Dragon’s Lair.