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Reviews
Dragon's Lair (1983)
Fond memories from childhood
Others before me have done a good job detailing the basics of the game so I will focus on my personal experience playing the game. I will always look back on Dragon's Lair with great nostalgia. I was 13 years old and at Myrtle Beach SC on summer vacation when I saw a news report on the then groundbreaking new game that allowed you to guide the outcome of a cartoon. I remember my brother and I watching the report breathlessly as it showed screen shots of people playing. Remember that in 1983 video gaming was in it's infancy compared to where it is now and what we we watching, at the time, was amazing. I lived in a small southern town at the time and had to convince my parents to take us to the "big city" of Greensboro NC (45 min away) where I knew an arcade there would be sure to have it. It cost then the unheard of .50 to play and there was a line of people waiting. I only played 3 or 4 times and each time did not last too long as to master the game was really a matter of knowing the correct combination of joystick/button pressing at the correct time to move to the next scene. By the end of the summer my local arcade had the game and I will always remember the day I finally slew the dragon (I hate to think how many weeks allowance I had fed into that machine). Everyone in the arcade gathered around once I had reached the Dragon's Lair and when Dirk threw the sword into the dragons chest everyone cheered! My parents had shown to pick my brother and I up and they were there to witness it as well. They had never had any use for video games (seeing them as a waste of money) but even today they admit they were caught up in moment of that day and shared in my elation at slaying the dragon. With that being said, I don't think todays generation of gamers would have the same experience or enjoyment as I had. Considering the great advances in video gaming I would only recommend this game to those who would like to look back to the forefathers of todays gaming. It will always be a great memory from my childhood and to Don Bluth I extend a hearty "Well Done" and "Thank You"