Dragon's Lair

Dragon's Lair looked like it came from the future. In an arcade full of blocky little aliens, suddenly there was a cabinet showing movie-quality cartoons, like you were inside the film. People lined up just to watch it, and plenty never worked up the nerve to play.

Dropping your money in and lasting ten seconds was practically a rite of passage.

History

It arrived in 1983, distributed by Cinematronics, with animation from the studio of Don Bluth, a former Disney animator. Instead of graphics drawn by the hardware, it played animated scenes stored on a laserdisc.

It was a sensation at launch and one of the first arcade games to charge 50 cents a play at many American arcades.

How to play

You guide Dirk the Daring through an enchanted castle to rescue Princess Daphne from the dragon Singe. Each scene is a stretch of animation packed with danger: collapsing floors, monsters, traps and tentacles.

At just the right moment you push the joystick the right way or hit the sword button. Get it right and Dirk keeps going; miss it or wait too long and you'll see one of his many hilarious deaths. Memorizing every scene is the only way to reach the dragon.

Fun facts

• The animation came from Don Bluth's team, made up of former Disney animators.
• Dirk's deaths are so creative that a lot of players failed on purpose just to see them.
• Its press-at-the-right-moment gameplay is an ancestor of what we now call quick-time events.

In the arcade

Dragon's Lair is on the UsuArcade wishlist, coming soon to the lounge. Vote with the 'I want to play it' button to move it up the list.

In the meantime you can go on other sword-and-sorcery adventures in Ghosts 'n Goblins, Black Tiger or Golden Axe in the lounge, with chat, live spectators and arcade high scores.

FAQ