This time, however, Dirk has the freedom to move around the more than 40 locations (totaling about 250 rooms of the castle), though ironically, the game play is almost as linear as its predecessor (more on this later). "Dragon's Lair 3D: Return to the Lair" (available for the Xbox, GameCube and PC) once again lets players assume the role of Dirk the Daring in the same damsel-in-distress storyline. It's estimated that over 320 million people have played "Dragon's Lair." The game is one of only three video games on display at the Smithsonian, along with "Pac-Man" and "Pong." OK, so it wasn't too interactive - but its originality, accessibility and Saturday morning cartoon visuals (penned by celebrated Hollywood animator Don Bluth and his team) helped the game gross more than $34 million its first year alone. It was "Game Over" for folks who pushed the joystick in the wrong direction or if the timing was off by a second or two. While fighting to reach the dragon's lair, Dirk had to run, jump and slash his sword through a number of "scenes" taking place in and outside a mammoth castle. The player assumed the role of Dirk the Daring, the king's bravest (but not always brightest) knight, out to rescue the kidnapped Daphne the Princess from the clutches of an evil wizard, Mordroc, and a dragon named Singe. In 1983, "Dragon's Lair" was the world's first laserdisc coin-operated game to successfully blend animation and arcade game play into one machine. Such is the case with the disappointing "Dragon's Lair 3D: Return to the Lair," Ubi Soft's anticipated follow-up to one of the most groundbreaking arcade games of its time.īut before we dive into this newly-released (or I should say, escaped) remake, a bit of history: (CNN) - The only thing worse than a lousy video game is when it taints a well-respected, 20-year-old franchise.
Editor's Note: The opinions expressed in this column are solely those of Marc Saltzman, a freelance technology journalist whose reviews also appear on the Gannett News Service.
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