View source for Software:Dragon's Lair

{{Short description|Video game franchise}}
{{Infobox video game series
| title                  = Dragon's Lair
| image                  =Dragons-lair-logo.png 
| caption                = 
| genre                  = Fantasy, [[Engineering:Animation|animation]]
| developer              = [[Company:RDI Video Systems|RDI Video Systems]]<br>Software Projects<br>Motivetime<br>[[Company:Elite Systems|Elite Systems]]<br>Sullivan Bluth Studios<br>Don Bluth Interactive<br>Dragonstone Software
| publisher              = [[Company:Cinematronics|Cinematronics]]<br>CSG Imagesoft<br>Leland Corporation<br>[[Company:Data East|Data East]]<br>[[Company:Ubisoft|Ubisoft]]<br>[[Company:Digital Leisure|Digital Leisure]]
| creator                = Rick Dyer
| artist                 = Don Bluth
| writer                 = Rick Dyer
| composer               =
| platforms              = {{cslist |[[Software:Arcade video game|Arcade]]|[[Engineering:PlayStation|PlayStation]]|[[Engineering:Nintendo Entertainment System|NES]]|[[Engineering:Super Nintendo Entertainment System|SNES]]|[[Engineering:Sega CD|Sega CD]]|GBC|[[Engineering:Philips CD-i|CD-i]]|Jaguar CD|[[Engineering:Xbox (console)|Xbox]]|[[Engineering:GameCube|GameCube]]|Nintendo DSi|IBM PC|[[Engineering:Amiga|Amiga]]|[[Engineering:Nintendo Switch|Switch]]|TI-99/4A|[[Engineering:Apple IIGS|Apple IIGS]]}}
| first release version  = ''[[Software:Dragon's Lair (1983 video game)|Dragon's Lair]]''
| first release date     ={{Video game release|US|1983}}
| latest release version =''[[Software:Dragon's Lair 3D: Return to the Lair|Dragon's Lair 3D]]''
| latest release date    ={{Video game release|US|2002}}
}}
'''''Dragon's Lair''''' is a video game franchise created by Rick Dyer. The series is famous for its Western animation-style graphics and complex decades-long history of being ported to many platforms and being remade into television and comic book series.

The first game in the series is titled ''[[Software:Dragon's Lair (1983 video game)|Dragon's Lair]]'', originally released for [[Software:Arcade video game|arcades]] in 1983<ref>{{cite web|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2007/TECH/fun.games/05/18/dragons.lair/|title=Review: 'Dragon's Lair' returns on Blu-ray Disc|date=May 18, 2007|website=CNN.com|access-date=March 15, 2016}}</ref> by [[Company:Cinematronics|Cinematronics]]. It uses [[Software:Interactive film|laserdisc]] technology, offering greatly superior graphics compared to other video games at the time.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.classicgaming.cc/classics/dragons-lair/images/articles/2008-dlair-article-USA-GamesMag-Feb2008.pdf|title=Enter The Dragon's Lair|date=February 2008|work=Games Magazine|access-date=October 29, 2018}}</ref> The game was ported to several other platforms, but as no home system technology of that era could accommodate the graphical quality of [[LaserDisc]], several abridged versions of the original game were released under different names.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.classicgaming.cc/classics/dragons-lair/images/articles/2007-dlair-article-USA-RetroGamer-May2007.pdf|title=Conversion Capers|date=May 2007|work=Retro Gamer|access-date=October 20, 2018}}</ref> The first true sequel, ''[[Software:Dragon's Lair II: Time Warp|Dragon's Lair II]],'' had started development as early as 1984, but would only appear in arcades in 1991. While its graphics were once again praised, its by-then outdated and limited interactivity compared to the newer generation of arcade games kept it from reaching the popularity of the original.<ref>{{Cite magazine|title=Review Crew: Dragon's Lair II|date=December 1994|magazine=Electronic Gaming Monthly}}</ref>

The two main games in the series are considered gaming classics<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2003/TECH/fun.games/02/13/saltzman.dragon/index.html|title=CNN.com - New 'Dragon's Lair' disappoints - Feb 13, 2003|last=Service|first=Marc Saltzman Gannett News|website=edition.cnn.com|access-date=October 29, 2018}}</ref> and are frequently re-released for each new generation of consoles.<ref name="DLT review IGN">{{Cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2010/10/27/dragons-lair-trilogy-review|title=Dragon's Lair Trilogy Review|last=Harris|first=Craig|date=October 27, 2010|website=IGN|language=en-US|access-date=October 29, 2018}}</ref> In 2010, they were bundled alongside the unrelated 1984 Bluth Group game ''[[Software:Space Ace|Space Ace]]'' in the ''Dragon's Lair Trilogy'' which was made available across numerous platforms.<ref name="DLT review IGN"/>

Forays into other media include a short lived animated series that aired on ABC in 1984 and a comic-book miniseries released in 2003. Plans for a feature-length film have existed since the 1980s and resurfaced in 2015, when Bluth launched two crowd-funding campaigns.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.polygon.com/2015/10/26/9617632/dragons-lair-movie-kickstarter-don-bluth|title=Dragon's Lair creators turn to Kickstarter to raise money for Dragon's Lair: The Movie|work=Polygon|access-date=October 29, 2018}}</ref> The Kickstarter campaign was unsuccessful<ref name="DL Kickstarter"/> but the Indiegogo campaign reached its target in early 2016.<ref name= "indiegogo"/>

== Games ==
* ''[[Software:Dragon's Lair (1983 video game)|Dragon's Lair]]'' is a laserdisc video game published by [[Company:Cinematronics|Cinematronics]] in 1983.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=7647 |title=Dragon's Lair |publisher=The International Arcade Museum |access-date =October 5, 2013}}</ref> 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 [[Unsolved:Magician (fantasy)|wizard]] Mordroc's castle. It featured animation by ex-Disney animator Don Bluth. Most other games of the era represented the character as a [[Sprite (computer graphics)|sprite]], which consisted of a series of pixels displayed in succession. Due to hardware limitations of the era, artists were greatly restricted in the detail they could achieve using that technique; the resolution, framerate, and number of frames were severely constrained. ''Dragon's Lair'' overcame those limitations by tapping into the vast storage potential of the [[LaserDisc]] but imposed other limitations on the actual gameplay. The game can freeze as the laserdisc searches for the correct scene to play, and the cabinets are difficult to maintain.<ref name="PO"/> It was advertised as the first truly 3D video game and as the meeting point of video games and animated films.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.classicgaming.cc/classics/dragons-lair/images/articles/1984-dlair-article-USA-StarBurst-Apr1984.pdf|title=New Concept in Arcade Video Gaming|last=Landau|first=Francesca|date=April 1984|work=Starburst|access-date=October 29, 2018}}</ref> Its success sparked numerous home ports, sequels, and related games. In the 21st century, it has been repackaged in a number of formats (such as for the [[Engineering:IPhone|iPhone]]) as a "retro" or historic game. It is currently one of only three video games (along with ''[[Software:Pong|Pong]]'' and ''[[Software:Pac-Man|Pac-Man]]'') in storage at the Smithsonian Institution in [[Place:Washington, D.C.|Washington, D.C.]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thocp.net/software/games/golden_age.htm#PacMan |title=History of Computing: Video games - Golden Age |publisher=Thocp.net |access-date=August 14, 2011}}</ref>{{Dubious |reason=Direct inquiries to the Smithsonian Institution during research for a licensed documentary film have produced official responses that there are no records nor evidence of the game's storage there. Additionally, searching the Smithsonian Institution website for Pong and for Pac-Man yields results which state that each arcade game is in the collection (including a photo of the Pong inside its crate), but there are zero results when searching for Dragon's Lair. |date=March 2019}} In 1988 Readysoft started development of conversion of the game for 16-bit machines. The development was done on [[Engineering:Amiga|Amiga]] and due to many compromises concerning limited memory and a slow, small external storage device, the game was released in 1989 with only 15% of the scenes of the arcade original. In 1990 Amiga version was ported to [[Engineering:Atari ST|Atari ST]] and [[Software:MS-DOS|MS-DOS]]. (source: Retro Gamer 38)
* ''Dragon's Lair: Escape from Singe's Castle'' is a 1989 video game released for [[Software:MS-DOS|MS-DOS]] by ReadySoft. It is a semi-sequel to ''Dragon's Lair'' and it completes the original game presenting the adventure of Dirk after he slayed the Singe the Dragon. The game features elements like difficulty level settings, selectable number of lives or possibility to save game position. In 1990 and 1991 it was ported for [[Engineering:Amiga|Amiga]] and [[Engineering:Atari ST|Atari ST]]. In 2022 an [[Engineering:Apple IIGS|Apple IIGS]] version was released.
* ''[[Software:Escape from Singe's Castle|Escape from Singe's Castle]]'', also known as ''Dragon's Lair Part II - Escape from Singe's Castle'', is a 1987 video game published by Software Projects for the Amstrad CPC, [[Engineering:Commodore 64|Commodore 64]], and [[Engineering:ZX Spectrum|ZX Spectrum]] home computers. The game is sometimes referred to as ''Dragon's Lair II'' but is not the official arcade sequel ''Dragon's Lair II: Time Warp''. 
* ''[[Software:Dragon's Lair (1990 video game)|Dragon's Lair]]'' is a 1990 [[Software:Platform game|platform game]] developed by MotiveTime and published by [[Company:Sony Imagesoft|CSG Imagesoft]] in North America, [[Company:Elite Systems|Elite Systems]] in Europe and Epic/Sony Records in Japan for the [[Engineering:Nintendo Entertainment System|Nintendo Entertainment System]]. Its plot is identical to that of the original game.
* ''[[Software:Dragon's Lair: The Legend|Dragon's Lair]]'' is a 1991 [[Software:Platform game|platform game]] developed by [[Company:Elite Systems|Elite Systems]] and published by [[Company:Sony Imagesoft|CSG Imagesoft]] in North America, Elite Software in Europe and Epic/Sony Records in Japan for the [[Engineering:Game Boy|Game Boy]]. This is actually a port of Elite's 1985 [[Engineering:ZX Spectrum|ZX Spectrum]] game ''[[Software:Roller Coaster (video game)|Roller Coaster]]''.
* ''[[Software:Dragon's Lair II: Time Warp|Dragon's Lair II]]'' is the first official sequel other than ''Escape from Singe's Castle''. Released in 1991 by Leland Corporation, its story takes place years later. Dirk has married Daphne, and the marriage has produced several children. When Daphne is kidnapped by the evil wizard Mordroc in order to be forced into marriage, Dirk's children are clearly upset by the abduction of their mother, and Dirk must once again save her. Home ports of the game were announced for the [[Engineering:Philips CD-i|Philips CD-i]], [[Engineering:3DO Interactive Multiplayer|3DO Interactive Multiplayer]], and Jaguar CD. However, only the CD-i version was actually released, though non-playable demos of the 3DO and Jaguar CD versions appear on those consoles' respective versions of ''[[Software:Brain Dead 13|Brain Dead 13]]''. The game was later ported to the [[Engineering:Wii|Wii]] as part of the compilation release ''Dragon's Lair Trilogy''. The game was also released for Amiga, Atari ST, and MS-DOS but it contained only half of the story.  
* ''[[Software:Dragon's Lair III: The Curse of Mordread|Dragon's Lair III]]'' was made for Amiga, Atari ST, and MS-DOS in 1992 and contains a set of levels that didn't fit into home version of ''[[Software:Dragon's Lair II: Time Warp|Dragon's Lair II]]''. The game also included a newly produced "Blackbeard the Pirate" stage that was originally intended to be in the arcade game but was never completed.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.d-l-p.com/community/forums/archives/default.asp?Action=View&MessageID=22033&Archive=Yes&Keywords= |title=Dragon's Lair Project Message Board |publisher=D-l-p.com |date=January 23, 2002 |access-date=August 14, 2011}}</ref>
* ''Dragon's Lair'' is a 1993 platform game developed by MotiveTime and published by [[Company:Data East|Data East]] in North America, [[Company:Elite Systems|Elite Systems]] in Europe and [[Company:Konami|Konami]] in Japan for the [[Engineering:Super Nintendo Entertainment System|Super Nintendo Entertainment System]]. Its plot is identical to that of the original game.
* ''Dragon's Lair'' is a 2001 game developed by [[Company:Digital Eclipse|Digital Eclipse]] for Game Boy Color that is a faithful translation of the original coin-up version.
* ''[[Software:Dragon's Lair 3D: Return to the Lair|Dragon's Lair 3D]]'' was developed in 2002, as a [[3D computer graphics|3D]] interpretation of the game developed by Dragonstone Software and published by [[Company:Ubisoft|Ubisoft]] for [[Software:Microsoft Windows|Microsoft Windows]], [[Engineering:Xbox (console)|Xbox]], [[Engineering:GameCube|GameCube]] and the [[Engineering:PlayStation 2|PlayStation 2]]. It is based on the original ''Dragon's Lair'' and follows a similar story as Dirk must enter Mordroc's castle to rescue Princess Daphne from a dragon. Many of the characters and locations from the 1983 original make appearances in the game, along with new puzzles, rooms, and enemies. The game uses cel shading to mimic the distinctive style of the original. Bluth produced two new animated sequences for the opening and ending of the game. It received mixed reviews.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/dragons-lair-3d-return-to-the-lair/critic-reviews/?platform=pc|title=Dragon's Lair 3D: Return to the Lair|website=Metacritic|language=en|access-date=October 29, 2018}}</ref> In 2005, Digital Leisure created a new ''Dragon's Lair III'' which utilizes 3D footage from ''Dragon's Lair 3D'' but has a control system like the original arcade games.

''Dragon's Lair'' led to the creation of 1984's ''[[Software:Space Ace|Space Ace]]'', another game animated by Don Bluth and his crew. ''Space Ace'' is a ROM and disc upgrade kit for the ''Dragon's Lair'' cabinets, complete with new control panel overlay, side art, and header.

== Gameplay ==
Players have five controls: up, down, left, right, and attack. Gameplay consists of reacting to on-screen button prompts which trigger pre-drawn success or failure animations, essentially a forerunner of the modern quick time event.<ref name="PO">{{Cite web|author=Simone de Rochefort|url=https://www.polygon.com/videos/2017/10/27/16537352/stranger-things-season-2-dragons-lair-history|website=Polygon|title=Something out of science-fiction: A short history of Dragon's Lair|language=en|date=October 27, 2017|access-date=June 21, 2019}}</ref> A perfect run with no deaths lasts no more than 12 minutes. In total, the game has 22 minutes or 50,000 frames of animated footage, including individual death scenes and game over screens.<ref>{{cite magazine | title=Dragon's Lair | magazine=Animator's Newsletter | issue=8 | page=39 |date=Spring 1984 | url=https://www.animatormag.com/category/1984/issue-08/page/3/ | access-date=May 2, 2022}}</ref>

== Characters ==
=== Dirk the Daring ===
Dirk the Daring is the main protagonist of the first game and subsequent franchise. As a knight of the kingdom, Dirk was entrusted with the rescue of Princess Daphne from Mordroc and Singe because all other knights were killed. He becomes heir to the throne upon saving Princess Daphne; following her rescue, Dirk and Daphne are married. In both games, Dirk is voiced by sound editor Dan Molina. ''Retro Gamer'' included Dirk on their list of top 50 game characters in the category "Top Ten Forces of Good" and called him "without a doubt, the epitome of the heroic knight".<ref>''Retro Gamer'' 2, page 37.</ref>

=== Princess Daphne ===
In the games, Princess Daphne is the beautiful daughter of King Aethelred and an unnamed queen. She serves as the series' [[Social:Damsel in distress#In video games|damsel in distress]]. A beautiful maiden coveted by many princes and knights, her heart belongs to the kingdom's champion, Dirk the Daring.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/stream/amtix-magazine-17/Amtix_17_Mar_1987#page/n87/mode/2up/ |title=Amtix Magazine Issue 17 |date=March 1987 |access-date=June 13, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/stream/Computer_Gamer_Issue_18_1986-09_Argus_Press_GB#page/n49/mode/2up/ |title=Computer Gamer - Issue 18 (1986-09) (Argus Press) (UK) |date=September 1986 |access-date=June 13, 2014}}</ref>

=== Singe ===
Singe is a dragon who kidnaps Daphne.

== Adaptations ==
=== TV series ===
The game led to the creation of a short-lived television cartoon series, ''Dragon's Lair'' by Ruby-Spears Productions, where Dirk the Daring is voiced by Bob Sarlatte and the unseen storyteller that narrates each episode is voiced by Clive Revill. Changes in the TV series include the originally nameless Dragon being given the name Singe (voiced by Arthur Burghardt), Princess Daphne (voiced by Ellen Gerstell) wears a long pink dress, and includes some exclusive characters like Princess Daphne's father King Ethelred (voiced by Fred Travalena), Dirk the Daring's horse Bertram (vocal effects provided by Peter Cullen), Dirk the Daring's squire Timothy (voiced by Michael Mish), and Dirk the Daring's rival Sir Hubert Blunt (voiced by Peter Cullen). Enemies include the Lizard King, the Phantom Knight, the Giddy Goons, and the Mudmen. Thirteen half-hour episodes were produced and aired on the ABC network from September 8, 1984, to April 27, 1985. It was last aired on the USA Cartoon Express between the late '80s and the early '90s. To keep the show in the spirit of the game, before each commercial break the storyteller asks what the viewer would do to solve the problem facing Dirk. After the commercial break, the outcomes of the various choices are shown before Dirk acts on the correct idea (with the occasional exception) to save the day. Don Bluth had no involvement in the TV series.

=== Comic books ===
A comic book miniseries based on the game, but incorporating elements from the cartoon series as well, like Dirk's horse Bertram, was released in 2003 by CrossGen, concurrent with a miniseries based on ''Space Ace''. Arcana Studio published the entire comic book series in 2006, as there are three issues that were previously unpublished.

=== Film ===
In the 1980s, a film version of ''Dragon's Lair'' was planned, with Alan Dean Foster involved in shaping the story. The project fell apart due to low interest from other studios.<ref>Cawley, John. ''[http://www.cataroo.com/DBtvfeat.html Games on TV and The Big Screen]''</ref>

In 2015 and 2016, Bluth and Goldman [[Software:Crowdfunding in video games|crowdfunded]] {{US$|731,172}} for a 10-minute teaser for an animated feature-length ''Dragon's Lair'' prequel film, their first feature film since ''Titan A.E.''<ref name="DL Kickstarter">{{cite web|url=https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/donbluth/dragons-lair-the-movie?ref=video |title=Dragon's Lair: The Movie (Canceled) by Don Bluth & Gary Goldman — Kickstarter |website=Kickstarter.com |access-date=September 13, 2016}}</ref><ref name= "indiegogo">{{cite web|url=https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/dragon-s-lair-returns/x/12369452 |title=Dragons Lair Returns |website=Indiegogo.com |access-date=September 13, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.polygon.com/2015/10/26/9617632/dragons-lair-movie-kickstarter-don-bluth |title=Dragon's Lair creators turn to Kickstarter to raise money for Dragon's Lair: The Movie - Polygon |website=Polygon |date=26 October 2015 |access-date=September 13, 2016}}</ref> Bluth and Goldman have announced that the film will provide more backstory for Dirk and Daphne and that Daphne will show that she is not a "blonde airhead".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/dragons-lair-movie-wont-depict-sexualized-version-/1100-6433325/ |title=Dragon's Lair Movie Won't Depict "Sexualized" Version of Princess Daphne - GameSpot |access-date=September 13, 2016}}</ref>

In March 2020, a live action film adaptation was approved by [[Company:Netflix|Netflix]] after one year of negotiations. Ryan Reynolds was in talks for the lead role. Reynolds, Roy Lee, Trevor Engelson, Bluth, Goldman, and former Bluth collaborator John Pomeroy are producers, with Dan and Kevin Hageman as writers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/ryan-reynolds-talks-tackle-live-action-film-80s-game-dragons-lair-1279270|title=Ryan Reynolds in Talks to Tackle Live-Action Adaptation of '80s Video Game 'Dragon's Lair' (Exclusive)|website=The Hollywood Reporter|last=Kit|first=Borys|language=en|date=March 27, 2020|access-date=2020-03-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200328094441/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/ryan-reynolds-talks-tackle-live-action-film-80s-game-dragons-lair-1279270|archive-date=March 28, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><!-- As of 2023, no further announcements surfaced. Do not add anything until reliable sources confirm new information. -->

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [http://digitalleisure.com/ Digital Leisure, License Holder of ''Dragon's Lair'']
* [https://www.mobygames.com/game-group/dragons-lair-series-and-versions ''Dragon's Lair''] at [[Social:MobyGames|MobyGames]]
* [http://www.classicgaming.cc/classics/dragons-lair ''Dragon’s Lair''] at Classicgaming.cc
* {{IMDb title|qid=Q123537015|title=Dragon's Lair: The Movie}}

{{Dragon's Lair}}

[[Category:Fantasy video games]]

{{Sourceattribution|Dragon's Lair}}