Dragon's Lair (1990 video game)

Last updated
Dragon's Lair
Dragon's Lair NES cover.jpg
North American cover art
Developer(s) Motivetime
Publisher(s)
Programmer(s) Andy Williams
Artist(s) David Percival
Composer(s) Mark Cooksey
Series Dragon's Lair
Platform(s) Nintendo Entertainment System
Release
  • NA: December 29, 1990 [1]
  • JP: September 20, 1991
  • EU: January 3, 1992
Genre(s) Cinematic platformer
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer [lower-alpha 1]

Dragon's Lair [lower-alpha 2] , titled as Sullivan Bluth Presents: Dragon's Lair on the cover art and in-game as Sullivan Bluth's Dragon's Lair or Don Bluth's Dragon's Lair, is a cinematic platform video game developed by Motivetime and published by CSG Imagesoft for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Based on the LaserDisc game of the same name, it is identical plotwise to the original.

Contents

Gameplay

The game is a side-scroller with the character walking slowly. Dirk can walk, crawl, or jump forward, and he has an array of weapons that he can discover and use to dispose of enemies. The controller layout is reversed from other mainstream NES titles, with Select functioning as the Pause button while Start is used for the Candle object (which helps reveal hidden weapons). Also, B is used for jumping, and A for attacking (the input of the A & B buttons is almost always the opposite in similar NES games). In the Japanese version, the controls have been altered; the Up button jumps while the B button uses the candle.

Areas and levels

The Drawbridge, the first level of the game Dragon's Lair (NES).png
The Drawbridge, the first level of the game

There are seven areas of the castle and four main levels of play: [2]

Regional differences

PAL and Famicom versions have faster gameplay than the original North American release due to improved framerate. [3] [4] Both versions also use 256KB ROMs compared to the US's 128KB ROM. [4] Furthermore, the PAL version has also additional enemies in The Entrance Hall level: spiders, flying insects, and a giant snake boss at the end; new death animation (when Dirk gets flattened); splash screens that appear as the player enters each level (beside The Dungeon stage); and The Elevator Shaft area has increased difficulty with added projectiles flying around, touching one is instant death. [4] The Japanese and PAL versions play most of the songs faster. Also, a part of the ending theme was changed.

30 Life Code

The 30 Life Code was added exclusively to the PAL and Japanese versions. It gives 30 lives to the player after they gain a high score and enter "BATS" as their name. The player will get the extra lives in their next game. [4]

Reception

The game was panned by critics and gamers alike due to its poor controls, sluggish movement, and immense difficulty level. The game was especially criticized for the player dying in one hit from most obstacles and enemies, despite the player having a health bar.[ citation needed ]

See also

Notes

  1. Up to 2 players with alternating turns.
  2. Japanese: ドラゴンズレア, Hepburn: Doragonzu Rea
  3. In Electronic Gaming Monthly's review, two critics gave Dragon's Lair a 4/10, one a 3/10, and another a 5/10. [6]

Related Research Articles

<i>Contra</i> (video game) 1987 video game

Contra is a run and gun video game developed and published by Konami, originally developed as a coin-operated arcade video game in 1986 and released on February 20, 1987. A home version was released for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1988, along with ports for various home computer formats, including the MSX2. The arcade and computer versions were localized as Gryzor in Europe, and the NES version as Probotector in PAL regions and France.

<i>Double Dragon II: The Revenge</i> 1988 video game

Double Dragon II: The Revenge is a side-scrolling beat 'em up produced by Technōs Japan originally released as a coin-operated arcade game in 1988. It is the first sequel to Double Dragon, released during the previous year. The sequel involves Billy and Jimmy Lee in a mission to avenge Billy's girlfriend Marian after she is shot to death by the Black Warriors leader Willy, who is retaliating against the Lee brothers after his defeat at the end of the previous game. Double Dragon II was initially developed as an upgrade kit for the original Double Dragon, but evolved into a stand-alone game due to an increase in memory size, resulting in the developers reusing assets for both games.

<i>Space Ace</i> LaserDisc based videogame

Space Ace is a LaserDisc video game produced by Bluth Group, Cinematronics and Advanced Microcomputer Systems. It was unveiled in October 1983, just four months after the Dragon's Lair game, followed by a limited release in December 1983 and then a wide release in Spring 1984. Like its predecessor, it featured film-quality animation played back from a LaserDisc.

<i>Snakes Revenge</i> 1990 stealth action game

Snake's Revenge is a stealth action-adventure video game produced by Konami for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1990. It is a stand-alone sequel to Metal Gear that was released in North America and the PAL region following the international commercial success of the NES version. The game was produced without the involvement of series creator Hideo Kojima, who went on to develop a separate sequel for the MSX2 titled Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, which was released later during the same year in Japan.

<i>Last Action Hero</i> (video game) 1994 video game

Last Action Hero is a series of action video games based on the 1993 film of the same name. Versions were released for the NES, Super NES, Sega Genesis, Game Boy, Game Gear, and MS-DOS. Versions were also planned for the Sega CD and Master System, but ultimately were not released.

<i>Dragons Lair II: Time Warp</i> 1990 video game

Dragon's Lair II: Time Warp is a 1990 laserdisc video game by the Leland Corporation. It is the first true sequel to Dragon's Lair. As with the original, Dragon's Lair II: Time Warp consists of an animated short film that requires the player to move the joystick or press a fire button at certain times in order to continue. It takes place years after the original Dragon's Lair. Dirk has married Daphne, and the marriage has produced many children. When Daphne is kidnapped by the evil wizard Mordroc in order to be forced into marriage, Dirk's children and his mother-in-law are clearly upset by the abduction of Daphne, and Dirk must once again save her.

<i>Super Castlevania IV</i> 1991 video game

Super Castlevania IV is a 1991 platform game developed and published by Konami for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It has been re-released multiple times, including for the Super NES Classic Edition.

<i>Castlequest</i> 1985 video game

Castlequest is an adventure video game. It was developed and published by ASCII Corporation in 1985 for the FM-7, PC-88, and Sharp X1. Additional versions followed in 1986 for the Famicom and MSX, and was subsequently released in 1989 for the NES in the United States by Nexoft Corporation.

<i>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project</i> 1991 video game

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project is a side-scrolling beat-'em-up released by Konami for the Family Computer (Famicom) in Japan in 1991 and for the Nintendo Entertainment System in North America in 1992. It is the third video game iteration of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for the NES. The game features play mechanics similar to the previous game, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game, but it is an original title for the NES without any preceding arcade version. It is based on the 1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series, being released after the show's 5th season. The game was re-released as part of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection in 2022.

<i>S.C.A.T.: Special Cybernetic Attack Team</i> 1990 video game

S.C.A.T.: Special Cybernetic Attack Team, also known as Final Mission in Japan and Action in New York in Europe, is a science fiction side-view shoot-'em-up produced by Natsume for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Within PAL-A regions, the game was only released in the UK. It was released in Japan in 1990, in North America in 1991, and in the PAL region in 1992. It was also later released on the Virtual Console in the PAL region on February 4, 2011, and in North America on February 7 for the Wii and in the PAL region on December 4, 2014 for the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U and was released on the Nintendo Switch via the Nintendo Switch Online service on September 23, 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sony Imagesoft</span> Former American video game publisher

Sony Imagesoft Inc. was an American video game publisher that operated from 1989 to 1995 and was located in California. It was established in January 1989 in Los Angeles, California, as a subsidiary of the Japan-based CBS/Sony Group (CSG) and initially named CSG Imagesoft Inc. Their focus at the beginning was on marketing games exclusively for Nintendo consoles.

<i>Solstice</i> (1990 video game) 1990 video game

Solstice: The Quest for the Staff of Demnos, or simply Solstice, is a 1990 puzzle video game developed by Software Creations. It was published by Nintendo in Europe and CSG Imagesoft in North America for the Nintendo Entertainment System. The game focuses on the wizard Shadax's bid to defeat the evil baron Morbius and rescue Princess Eleanor, whom Morbius plans to sacrifice. Shadax aims to gather the six pieces of the titular Staff of Demnos hidden within the fortress of Kâstleröck. The game's setting is non-linear, and consists of 250 rooms, each with a particular puzzle to solve.

<i>Joe & Mac</i> 1991 video game

Joe & Mac, also known as Caveman Ninja and Caveman Ninja: Joe & Mac, is a run and gun platform game released as an arcade video game by Data East in 1991. It was adapted for the Super NES, Mega Drive/Genesis, Nintendo Entertainment System, Game Boy, Amiga, Zeebo, Nintendo Switch, and IBM PC compatibles.

Digital Leisure, Inc. is a Canadian publisher of software. The company formed in 1997 with the aim to acquire, remaster and publish numerous classic video-based arcade games such as the Don Bluth-animated titles Dragon's Lair, Dragon's Lair II: Time Warp and Space Ace. Over time, they have acquired the publishing rights to various full motion video games, which they have re-released on a variety of modern formats. In more recent years, they have produced original games as well.

<i>New Ghostbusters II</i> 1990 video game

New Ghostbusters II is an action video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System and Game Boy, both developed and published by HAL Laboratory in 1990 in Japan and in 1992 in the PAL region. The NES version was never released in North America due to licensing issues with Activision. As a result, NES players in North America only received Activision's Ghostbusters II game. HAL also developed a Game Boy version of New Ghostbusters II, titled simply Ghostbusters II, which they also published in Japan, while Activision published it in North America and PAL regions.

<i>Super Contra</i> 1988 video game

Super Contra, known as Super Contra: The Alien Strikes Back in Japan, is a run and gun video game by Konami, originally released as a coin-operated arcade video game in January 1988. It is the sequel to the original Contra and part of the Contra series. The game stars Bill Rizer and Lance Bean as they are sent to thwart another alien invasion from the vicious Red Falcon.

<i>Dragons Lair: The Legend</i> 1991 video game

Dragon's Lair: The Legend is a 1991 side-scrolling platform video game for the Nintendo Game Boy developed by Elite Systems. The game is part of the Dragon's Lair franchise and stars Dirk the Daring, who explores the world attempting to collect all 194 fragments of the mythical Life Stone. The gameplay is an extreme departure from other games in the series as it includes no enemies and aside from its protagonist, no other established characters. It does however retain the grueling difficulty that the series is known for.

<i>Dragons Lair</i> (1983 video game) 1983 LaserDisc-based arcade game

Dragon's Lair is an interactive film LaserDisc video game developed by Advanced Microcomputer Systems and published by Cinematronics in 1983, as the first game in the Dragon's Lair series. In the game, the protagonist Dirk the Daring is a knight attempting to rescue Princess Daphne from the evil dragon Singe who has locked the princess in the foul wizard Mordroc's castle. It featured animation by ex-Disney animator Don Bluth.

Dragon's Lair is a video game franchise created by Rick Dyer. The series is notable for its Western animation-style graphics and complex decades-long history of being ported to many platforms. It has been adapted into television and comic book series.

<i>Double Dragon II: The Revenge</i> (NES video game) 1989 video game

Double Dragon II: The Revenge is a side-scrolling beat-'em-up produced for the Nintendo Entertainment System in late 1989. It is the second Double Dragon game for the NES and was published in North America by Acclaim Entertainment, who took over publishing duties from Tradewest. The game shares its title with the 1988 arcade sequel to the original Double Dragon, using the same promotional artwork for its packaging and having a similar plot, but the content of the two games are otherwise drastically different. The NES version of Double Dragon II was directed by Hiroyuki Sekimoto, with the arcade version's director Yoshihisa Kishimoto taking a supervisory role in the game's development.

References

  1. "Dragon's Lair (Video Game 1990) - Release Info". IMDb . Seattle: Amazon . Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  2. Dragon's Lair Instruction Manual. CSG Imagesoft. 1990. p. 9.
  3. "Sullivan Bluth Presents Dragon's Lair for NES (1990)". MobyGames . Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Dragon's Lair (NES)". The Cutting Room Floor . Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  5. Baker, Christopher Michael. "Dragon's Lair - Review". AllGame . San Francisco: All Media Network. Archived from the original on 14 November 2014. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
  6. Harris, Steve; Semrad, Ed; Alessi, Martin; Sushi-X (March 1991). "Dragon's Lair". Electronic Gaming Monthly . Vol. 4, no. 3. p. 16.
  7. Aslan, Charlie T. (October 1990). "Nintendo ProView: Dragon's Lair" (PDF). GamePro . pp. 60–61.
  8. "Dragon's Lair Review". Mean Machines . January 1992. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  9. Lachel, Cyril (22 May 2012). "Dragon's Lair Review for NES (1990)". Defunct Games. Retrieved 7 January 2014.