Dragon's Lair 3D (PS2, Xbox)

By JON MINIFIE

Back in 1983, Dragon's Lair (the world's first fully animated laser disc video game) was released in arcades across the US and Canada. It told the tale of Dirk the Daring, an awkward but courageous knight, on a quest to save the Princess Daphne from an evil dragon.

The game became one of the most successful coin-ops of all time and is still one of only three video games on permanent display at the Smithsonian Institution (the other two are Pac Man and Pong).

Generally speaking, Dragon's Lair 3D is a solid looking title, but it doesn't have the same impact as the original, which was light years beyond the competition 20 years ago.

By blending cel-shaded characters with a 3D background Dirk now has the freedom to move anywhere onscreen. The controls are your standard third-person shooter style, which may disappoint fans hoping to see the return of the original control system, which used a simple four-directional joystick and only two buttons.

The huge levels are broken up into several smaller sections, each with a familiar theme of sword fighting, solving puzzles, tackling obstacle courses and mini-bosses.

The plotline holds true to the original and features many of the same challenges. Fans of the original will remember the falling disks, swinging axes and fiery pits with varying degrees of fondness.

Dragon's Lair 3D also features more than a dozen new characters, all designed by the game's legendary creator, Don Blueth, who successfully maintains the style and design of the original.

Over the years, numerous versions of Dragon's Lair have sprung up, on nearly every platform known to man. When it releases later this month Dragon's Lair 3D will be the best and the most ambitious yet.

$59.95

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