In a nutshell: this release of Dragon's Lair is as perfect a version of the original laserdisc game from 1983 as you're likely ever to need, for better or worse.

Here's some longer thoughts on the game...

For anyone old enough to have frequented arcades in 1983 you'll undoubtedly remember the stir Dragon's Lair caused when it was released. I vividly recall seeing the local game with a second television monitor mounted atop the cabinet so that the crowds of people standing around could still see the game playing even from a distance, and when *anybody* made it to the end to face off with the dragon there's was a clamor of excitement. That was 30 years ago. Video games were so primitve back then that not only were characters limited in visual appeal and animation but gameplay too was barely more than a joystick moving in 4 directions and tapping a button. In that context Dragon's Lair soared above the rest with its genuine cartoon animation and even the stilted mash-buttons-and-learn-patterns gameplay wasn't too off putting.

In 2013 however Dragon's Lair has little to offer anyone who didn't fall in love with the game back then. The gameplay is only slightly more compelling than hitting the fast forward and skip buttons on your DVD player, and there's grade school fan fiction of King Arthur that's deeper than the plot put in motion here. The animation is very competent and Princess Daphne is a riot of laughter with her breathless exclamations and anatomy that should be poking holes in her costume. Thankfully there are options to make the game easier to play from on-screen prompts to just watching all the sequences play automatically... a much appreciated choice because it gets really tedious playing some sequences over and over because the timing isn't split-second accurate. There are "achievements" for playing the game in arcade hard mode (no audio or visual prompts) but that's strictly for the masochistic.

For the life of me I can't understand why the video files aren't in 1080p HD quality... it's 720p instead which makes me wonder if there's going to be yet another release somewhere down the line. I also would have liked to get a proper freeze frame mode in order to do animation analysis, and for some reason I wasn't able to take any screengrabs while playing. Very odd.

But, I did pay money for this and I definitely feel like I enjoyed my purchase.

In 1985 an arcade owner gave me a prize T-shirt that said "I Beat That Dirty Dragon at Video Command".

Today I finally earned it.

Very good game, but a few things to keep in mind before buying this game:
1. It's nothing but quick time events, so you're not really controlling where he goes, meaning no exploration
2. This was originally an arcade game, so you can beat the game in half an hour
3. There are different difficulties and the original arcade mode to play, so it has replayability.

Don't buy the game if you want a long game to fill your time.
Buy the game if you want a quick thing to play, and enjoy classic animations and arcade games

Loved this game then (1983), love this game now. This is the game that turned me from a pinball wizard into a RPG/ video game junkie. I even own the PC release they made way back before Steam even existed. Simple enough game, unfortunately no joystick control. A joystick would make this game easier in my opinion. Controls are right, left, up, down, and space bar for sword (which was a button on the arcade console). Seems easy, but it is not. The gamer has to pay attention to the cues on when and in which direction to move then do so on time. From years of playing here is a hint: the scenes play first either to the right or left then in the opposite direction later in the game. It can seem tedious I suppose, but I guess that is half the fun. Really can you go the distance, all the way to the dragon's lair without losing track of which side (right or left) one played or losing all your lives. Also if I remember correctly the Black Knight and the Lizard King are basically bosses somewhere about a third and three fourths of the way through the game. For me this is an absolutely must own game and I wish I had found it sooner on Steam.

Best features for me in this game: is instant replay from where one left off without inserting more quarters and a full playthrough without interaction (like watching a movie).

Exactly 34 years later to the date, and this game and its animations have withstood the test of time. Still as difficult as ever.. if you're looking to relive the '80s arcade masterpiece that practically invented the 'quick time event' then look no further.

Dragon's Lair and "Trilogy pack" here are not the same "Dragon's Lair trilogy" available on consoles even if the price are similar, watch out!

The versiond here str the oldest ones available out there (even older than 2006 blu-ray version with 1080p videos) and I can't understand why so many positive reviews.
- The games are 16:9 cropped. It is possible select the 4:3 version but it is a cropped version from already 16:9 cropped, not the original 4:3. It's shame, "cropped in the cropped", I can't accept this disregard for original work.
- Only 720p resolution when 1080p version was released in 2006 and it is available on other system.
- No setting options: it's not possible change language (it looks translated with Google Translator, please), aspect ratio, resolution or pad/keyboard inputs.
- Many crashes and input lag.
- No mediaplayer options during extra videos, low resolution and no subtitles.

Dragons Lair's deserved more respect.
Don't buy it (the same problems with Dragon's Liar 2 and Space Ace).

I hope they will release a definitive "Trilogy" with ORIGINAL 4:3 aspect ratio and 1080p remastered videos.
At least, they should release the console trilogy which is a lot better than this one.

This version is unwatchable and unplayable, so sorry Steam players have to play this.

Dragon's Lair is a high definition port of a 1980s Arcade game featuring a brave knight on a journey to save his princess.

I was a little tricked by this game, but maybe it was my fault. When I purchased Dragon's Lair, I thought it was HD remake, which perhaps provided extended gameplay or extra content, a fully fleshed out experience, based on the old 1980s Arcade game; but this is not the case, it is as advertised: the 1980s Arcade game.

So, I just wanted to throw that out there in case anyone was wondering. Now, to the game. It's kind of fun, though a little repetative. The game design is essentially based around memorising a path to the princess, and getting timings just right (press Left/Right/Up/Down at precise moments or you die and restart at a checkpoint). This, back in the 80s, I'm sure was a genius idea for getting tonnes of quarters out of kids playing the Arcade machine, but as a game I don't need to plug money in to continue, it's just a little droll.

I would recommend this game if you're looking for nostalgia. Maybe you played the game back in the day and never saw the end of it, or you were a Dragon's Lair champion and wanna relive your glory, you'll love it. But, if you're looking for a challenging and engaging title, with a story and interesting/creative gameplay, I would not recommend it.

Nilesy

When you walked into the arcade in 1983
It was extremely noisy.
One cabinet always called out to you more than any other.
Between the intense narrator and the princesses squeals, you were placed in a trance.
It was your first encounter with a siren capable of such seduction.
She spoke to you on an animated spiritual level.
Dragon's Lair looked and felt ahead of its time and even though you knew it was a cartoon on a laserdisk,
you suspended your disbelief and were transported instantly.
It was better than todays VR frfr
It was a magical portal into the 3rd dimension by way of Don Bluth's stunning artstyle.
It was single handedly responsible for your infatuation with blonde women.

Your 10-year-old self was certain that Daphne was stuck in the game and it was up to you to save her.
All the other games were a quarter but Dragon's Lair was $1.00 back then.
You would gladly give up 4 games of Frogger just for a few precious moments with this
interactive cartoon god box of epic adventures.

DL was always surrounded and being worshipped by a crowd of teenage wastoids.
You knew they were going to kick your ass and laugh when the the game did the same, but you just had to try.
You would push your way to the cabinet and stand your ground, just to ensure you got next.
It was virtual nectur from the future.
At home, you would dream that you were Dirk the Daring.
Those deaths, that violent yet enchanting universe,
the impact they had on your psyche was undeniable.
They were the most extreme animations you had ever seen.
They made you face humanity's frailty without the snuff.
Visceral and breathtaking. You wanted back in immediatly after the game over screen. You knew what you had to do.
It was all so innocent...i do not even want to think about what the 34th has done with this.
May god have mercy on our souls.

Dragon's Lair is an arcade classic and I was a huge fan as a kid. In the era of Pac-Man and Donkey Kong, a video game cartoon was amazing to my young eyes. Nostalgia and a Steam sale compelled me to purchase the game and relive my childhood.

I enjoyed it for a bit. The game play is simple and sometimes frustrating, but that is how the classic game is played. Unfortunately, I don't consider this edition the definitive version of Dragon's Lair. I say this for several reasons:

- Scenes do not seem remastered, unless they mean...
- Animation is zoomed & cropped for widescreen (my biggest criticism).
- It may run in 720p, but the picture quality looks like an old VHS tape.
- No native controller support or custom key bindings.
- Doesn't work in Big Screen Mode
- Imprecise button response for a game that requires precise input.
- Simplistic user interface. Limited Options.

Never-the-less, Dragon's Lair has a special place in my gamer heart and I am not unhappy to have it in Steam. I just wish it was a better version.

This game relives the old Laserdisk Classic Arcade games - especially Dragon's Lair. This is just exactly like the original but whats more remarkable is the achievements and the options that is suited for newcomers who never played this game, before they were born.