Dragon's Lair 3D

Format PC

Developer DragonStone Software

Publisher Ubisoft

Genre Action, Adventure

Time to get misty-eyed as Mark Hill revisits the '80s

Most old-timers (I prefer the term 'veteran' - Ed) caught in a wave of gaming nostalgia like to reminisce about those undisputed classics of the golden era - the likes of Space Invaders, Star Wars Arcade, Chuckie Egg - all boasting awful graphics but gloriously pure gameplay. However, there was one title nearly two decades ago that completely reversed this formula. Based on cutting edge laserdisc technology, 1983's Dragon's Lair arcade game looked like a full-blown Disney animated movie, while its gameplay consisted almost entirely of pressing the right button at the right time (see also this month's Emulation Zone - page 22). In a way, the millions who chucked their change into the slot for hours on end were little more than lab pigeons getting to see the next bit of the cartoon as reward for pecking the correct colour.

UP UP LEFT
While these days the art of game design is all about finding the balance between storytelling and giving the player freedom, back in 1983 a game with a movie-like plot was a real bombshell. Don Bluth, who has gone on to direct such animated rubbish as Titan AE and Thumbelina, is largely responsible for the great creation that is Dirk the Daring, a charming idiot of a knight, hellbent on rescuing the equally dippy princess Daphne. And

while Dragon's Lair consisted mostly of avoiding obstacles, the characters and amazing visuals made everyone feel they were starring in their own epic cartoon. There was even a short-lived animated series that showed events as if you were playing the game - Dirk would die horribly, with comments such as: "If Dirk had jumped on the crocodile's head, this would have happened", before you were shown the route he actually did take.

Now, after a long history of Amiga versions and minor console outings, the pseudo-interactive hand-drawn animations of Dragon's Lair are being recreated as proper 3D environments, for a new outing called Dragon's Lair 3D. The question is, will this next generation provide those incredible graphics with the real-time gameplay to go with it?

Well, having spent some time with a beta build of the game this month, we can report that the answer is... not exactly.

DIRK CROFT
Dragon's Lair 3D falls rather neatly into the category of an action-platform game, a sort of simplified Tomb Raider that will be hoping to attract a younger audience rather than veterans with fond memories for the original. The PC version is identical to the console releases, so don't expect any great depth of gameplay. However, what you do get is charm by the bagful, as you explore the castle, battle creatures with your sword, test your reflexes against obstacles, solve simple puzzles and bask in the retro cel-shaded graphics. There are even some spells - called dragon essences - which show how far the gameplay has departed from the memory-based skills of the original.

In keeping with the spirit of the original (in which the creators of the game did the voices themselves to save money), the acting is pretty dismal. In fact you may be driven to find Daphne in order to strangle her high-pitched larynx rather than save her. But then your little brother will probably love it. And hey, you might too.

Mark Hill