Dragon's Lair 3d: Return to the Lair

by Microsoft

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00007B77O
• Item Weight: 8 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: November 18, 2002
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #23,774 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Platform: Xbox

Amazon.com Review

If you've been around long enough to remember Don Bluth's 1983 arcade version of Dragon's Lair, then you'll discover much to enjoy in Dragon's Lair 3-D. You'll still find all of the elements of the arcade game that encouraged eager teens to part with a whopping fifty cents for what might very well have been little more than two minutes of gameplay. There's our goofy, bumbling knight, Dirk the Daring; the object of his affection, Daphne, who's been kidnapped by the evil wizard, Mordroc; and of course Singe, the resident dragon.

Whether or not you played the original, you'll still enjoy the unique graphics of Dragon's Lair 3-D. Playing the game, which appears to have been hand drawn in many places, is akin to controlling a cartoon. The bright primary colors and detailed 3-D backgrounds combine to make Dirk's adventures particularly engaging. Throughout Mordroc's castle you'll encounter everything from a miniature solar system floating near the ceiling of one room, to castle walls that slide, shift, and bounce; furniture and books that attack you; stairwells that disappear under your feet; and a deadly green gas that seeps into rooms whose exits suddenly disappear behind bricks that stack up right before your eyes. Beating these foes and traps can be immensely satisfying, especially in a world that looks this good.

Fortunately Dragon's Lair 3-D parts company with the arcade version in significant ways. The arcade version was one of the most ruthlessly choreographed games ever: you didn't play it so much as move the joystick and then watch the screen. Not so with Dragon's Lair 3-D, where even after defeating a foe or disabling a trap there is a chance to discover a hidden treasure or magic potion somewhere in the room. What's more, while Dirk's primary weapon is still his sword, he can do a few more things with it in Dragon's Lair 3-D, and later levels let him use a crossbow that's good for both long range attacks and gaining access to various castle locations.

But as with the original, there is little to no replay value with Dragon's Lair 3-D. Once you've jumped and fought your way through Mordroc's library, there isn't much to enjoy in doing it again. That said, doing it once is more than worthwhile. --Bill Hummel

Pros:

• Captures the classic fun of the original arcade game
• Beautiful colors and animations accentuate Dirk's adventures
• Challenging and rewarding gameplay

Con:

• Little replay value

Product Description

Princess Daphne has been kidnapped by the evil dragon, Singe, and hidden in a medieval castle owned my Mordroc, a powerful and malevolent wizard. To save her, you will take on the role of Dirk the Daring, a goofy but courageous knight. As he advances through the castle with the help of a magical amulet, Dirk must overcome a slew of challenges, from jumping over flaming pits and climbing ropes to flying across chasms and battling swarms of the wizard's minions. Use quick reflexes, cunning, and resourcefulness to fight your way through the castle to find Daphne and save the kingdom from Mordroc's clutches.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not as bad as some say, January 1, 2003

By 

Matt Roseboom "Editor/Publisher/Photographer" (Orlando, Florida, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dragon's Lair 3D: Return to the Lair (Video Game)

I received this game for Christmas and almost returned it after I read the many bad reviews of it. I'm glad I kept it. It's really fun and I've had no problems with the camera as some others have reported.
Yes it will be more fun to those who remember playing the original in the arcade. It will also be more fun to those with HDTV's.
The puzzles and obsticles are just right, not too hard and not too easy. But I'm the kind who like to walk through games without being stuck for days on a certain part. The puzzles and levels are also different enough to keep the game from being boring.
I'd recommend the game.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Returning to the Lair..., August 10, 2003

By 

-- "--" (Gondor, IN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dragon's Lair 3D: Return to the Lair (Video Game)

"Dragon's Lair 3D: Return to the Lair" revives the 1980s coin-op phenomenon with mixed results. Again, you take on the guise of Dirk the Daring, a long-limbed klutz of a knight, who is seeking his love interest, the flaky Princess Daphne, who was abducted by the evil wizard Mordroc and his greedy dragon. If you're not familiar with the setup, it probably sounds pretty underwhelming, but the characters, sometimes even the environments themselves, exude such personality that the basic premise is rendered moot. It is a rare occurance to find a game this atmospheric complete with a protagonist as memorable as Dirk. You see, Dirk is daring, but only because he lacks the intelligence to surrender to the odds. He thinks he is a far more capable hero than he truly is, and all of this is conveyed with a complete lack of speech. Excellent.

If you're an avid fan of the original game, and you have yet to play "Dragon's Lair," then you had best remedy that at once, since this game is designed with you in mind. Despite the fact that newcomers can pick this one up and run through it without a hitch, those players will probably not find as much to like as old-school "Dragon's Lair" aficionados. After all, "Return to the Lair" recreates many of the previous game's set-pieces, environments, traps, and foes in glorious 3-D. The cell-shaded graphics do a marvelous job of mimicking traditional animation, and are a sight to behold. Production values are all top of the line, though - that includes an awesome score and some resounding sound effects as well.

Controlling Dirk is easy enough with a little practice, as the scheme is sharp and intuitive. He will have to brave some truly inspired environments on his quest to rescue the princess, but as the game progresses they do begin to feel just a bit too similar to one another. Still, you do get the sense that you are invading some devious wizard's castle, and that's really the idea. Unfortunately, the gameplay itself can also be repetitive. You will guide your bumbling avatar through rooms complete with traps and a few foes, and at the end of each room you will find... well, another room with traps and a few foes. Combat is not particularly engaging, despite some excellent animations, and there's a lot of fighting to be done. Occasionally you'll face a boss impeding your progress, but defeating them just requires you to remember a set pattern of attack and defense, and these encounters are more tedious than exciting.

In the end, "Dragon's Lair" may be flawed, but it's strangely addictive, and very endearing. In gameplay terms, it is a little bit like playing through a bedtime fairy story. Naturally, that won't appeal to every one, but I myself found enough enjoyment to complete the experience mostly satisfied with the journey.

Final Score: C+ (or four stars on a curve)

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars First Ever 1080i Hdtv game, July 10, 2003

By 

James (Houston, Texas United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dragon's Lair 3D: Return to the Lair (Video Game)

Ok first of all i have to say this, the graphics for this game are amazing. I hear about thisgame being the first hdtv game. I went out to blockbuster and rented it. You need a special ac adapter for the xbox so u can play games in hdtv and i had not gotten it yet. So i decided to play the game until i went out to buy it the next day. Next to halo this is my favrotite game. It has exellent graphics good sound efect and its a really enjoyable game. But hdtv owner will really see what this game can do when i installed tha adapter and played the game. The graphic changes were amazing. This is a must for hdtv xbox owners. It shows what the xbox system can truly do.

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