Dragon's Lair. The many deaths of Dirk the Daring...
Written: Sep 12 '04 (Updated Oct 22 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Excellent graphics and sound; appealing challenge; addictive gameplay.
Cons: Awkward play control; no password or continue system.
The Bottom Line: Players with a taste for difficult but rewarding games should give it a try.
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| platonism's Full Review: Dragon's Lair for Nintendo |
True to form, I wish to rescue a reviled game from the depths it has been pushed into. From almost all accounts, the NES version of Dragon's Lair (1990) is considered one of the worst of all games. Most of the reviews I've read have been of the 1/10, grade F variety. While I do understand where they come from, I beg to differ. The game is unusual, but given time it can become pleasurable and surprisingly addictive.
From the arcades to the NES
The original Dragon's Lair was released in the arcades in 1983, and was immensely popular. The first arcade game on laserdisc, it was designed by ex-Disney animator Don Bluth and allowed players to control cartoon-like scenes at a 50-cent clip. Interactivity was minimal however: the player had to execute limited but crucial movements or attacks. It brought forth the trial-and-error concept into the world of video games, for better or worse.
Such a game could not be ported to the NES without major alterations. The story has been kept intact: Dirk the Daring attempts to rescue Princess Daphne from the dragon Singe by navigating the hallways of an ominous castle, and ultimately defeating the kidnapper. But the game's mechanics have been changed: the NES version does keep the puzzle aspect of the arcade game, but it is a 2-D side-scroller in which you have a bigger role to play.
These changes bring the NES Dragon's Lair closer to the NES Prince of Persia. The latter was adapted from the PC game of the same name, in which you guide a prince through maze-like levels filled with perils of all kinds. Furthermore, both of these NES conversions were developed by the same company, Motivetime. Throughout this review, I will thus suggest several comparisons with Prince of Persia, but few with the arcade version of Dragon's Lair.
The NES Dragon's Lair consists of an intro screen outside the castle and four unnumbered levels. They are easy to recognize as they are separated by trips in a dark elevator. In each of these trips, you can take four different paths; choose the wrong one, and you might be forced to play a preceding level over again or even lose a life. Unlike the arcade game, the NES port's individual stages are not brief screens or sequences, but a continuous flow of about a dozen trials. These trials vary considerably. You sometimes have to defeat enemies such as serpents, bats or skulls; avoid projectiles; cross pits on moving platforms; get past gateways, moving blocks and pendulums. Bosses await Dirk at the end of each level. Various items can be collected throughout the game: gold, candles, energy, extra lives and a few different weapons.
Colorful dungeons
The graphics are truly excellent, some of the best seen on the NES. The animation is extremely fluid, albeit slow. The backgrounds are similarly impressive, with keen lighting effects, vivid colors and inventive designs. The characters are all very large and detailed, even though Dirk's face is quite indistinct. The lack of dialogue scenes between levels is surprising, given the game's arcade past (the PAL version reportedly includes static splash screens between the stages).
Soundwise, the game is also very satisfying. The voices of the arcade version are not there, but the music is mysterious and evocative, fitting in well with the game's atmosphere; the level 1 theme might be the best of all. The sound effects are good, but prepare to hear some of them (i.e. the sound of Dirk dying…) over and over again. You have the option to turn off the music before play, but it won't be necessary.
The many deaths of Dirk the Daring
Prince of Persia is nicknamed The 1,001 Arabian Deaths by many players, because its trial-and-error gameplay and unusual control result in innumerable failures along the way. Dragon's Lair is no different. In fact, it is even more unforgiving in that regard. Dirk might be Daring, but he is Dying a lot in this game. Whereas the Prince only had a few ways to die instantly – the two main possibilities being spikes and too big a fall – Dirk can be killed by almost anything. His deaths are sometimes understandable: no one could possibly survive when being squashed by gateways, falling in an endless pit or attacked by a dragon. But Dirk the Daring is also killed by small rocks thrown by prisoners, and merely by touching water.
There's no denying that the play control is generally counter-intuitive. For no apparent reason, the designers strayed from the norm and made B the jump button, and A the attack button (at least Dirk keeps attacking if you hold down the A button). Furthermore, Dirk's slow movement means that he only jumps, ducks or gets up after a slight delay; this can be aggravating in the more difficult parts of the game.
Nevertheless, with some practice the moves are not that hard to pull off. What ups the game's difficulty is that even if you memorize the patterns and know what to do, actually doing it is still a challenge. Especially when you notice some of game's idiosyncrasies: for instance, when you hop on a moving platform, you must keep walking as it moves or you will die. Yes, that's right – if Dirk is standing still on a moving platform, said platform will move all right… but without him.
The lack of a password or continue system ensures that you will play the first few scenes again and again if you want to beat the game. You do get five lives and there are some check points when you reach certain areas, but these lives are often spent in their entirety on the latest challenge at hand.
An amazing challenge
Appreciation of a game's difficulty varies a lot from player to player. Some have admitted that they cannot get past the very first screen of Dragon's Lair, and it is often mentioned as one of the hardest of all NES games. Personally, I love the challenge it offers. It requires memory, timing and dexterity, and whatever most gamers would lead you to believe, I think that it rewards patience and practice. Segments that seemed insanely hard initially become a lot easier once you get the hang of it. The second level's pair of bosses have been described as extremely cheap and 'impossible' by many reviewers, but their pattern can be learned in a matter of seconds.
I timed myself, and discovered that I reach the second level in two and a half minutes, and the third in about six. The game can be completed in less than twenty minutes. These short playthroughs make the game quite addictive and give it a one-more-time, arcade-like feel.
My guess is that those who hate Dragon's Lair probably don't like the famously difficult Battletoads either: both games throw everything at the player. One of the reasons why I keep playing Dragon's Lair despite occasional bouts of frustration is that I want to know what will happen next. But you can rest assured that Dragon's Lair is easier than Battletoads when all is said and done: it's a lot shorter, and its patterns are more straightforward.
The game should definitely take a while to finish. Once you have beaten Dragon's Lair, you can try to beat it again while getting every item and/or take the first place on the hi-score list. The ultimate challenge would be to beat it with only one man.
A fascinating oddity
In the end, Dragon's Lair is difficult to categorize: it is neither a straight action, puzzle or strategy game, but does borrow elements from all three genres. Once you get accustomed to its unusual gameplay, you should have some fun. And perhaps a good laugh at Dirk the Daring's expense. It would have greatly benefited from a password feature and a few more levels, but even as it is, Dragon's Lair remains a fascinating oddity. Give it a try...
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platonism
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