For better and worse – Dragon's Lair 30th Anniversary Review

This game is a piece of living history, and in so being displays it's triumphs and flaws in troves. It is, as advertised, a playable cartoon. This is a miracle of very basic programming. In order to achieve this however, the game is very limited and the controls depend entirely on timing that was developed over 30 years ago. There is a steep learning curve for each new "room". What strikes me as a let down is how random the journey through this castle seems. There is no attempt at narrative or progressive challenge until the final scene, and then, once you've mastered it (the option of infinite lives is very welcome and all but necessary) it is over in a flash. I would have preferred more watchable cutscenes and more time to linger in each room. It all goes bye so fast that you hardly have time to appreciate the genius animation on display. In the end I'm thrilled to be able to venture past the first frame (which i never conquered in the arcade, always assuming the game was somehow broken) and I am grateful someone has taken the time to restore it. It is well worth $5 to relive, in all it's clunky, beautiful, eye-popping, imperfect glory.
Review by iCompletelyAgree on Dragon's Lair 30th Anniversary.