The History of Dragon's Lair 2022 REMASTERED - Arcade console documentary

[@joeschmo5171]

The late Kathleen Quaife-Hodge who was one of my animation professors, and eventually went on to be a Disney animator on classic Disney films, worked at Don Bluth Studios as an effects animator. The Dragon’s Lair and Space Ace series were some of Mrs. Hodge’s first projects in the industry. She was part of a group of animators for all of the fire, smoke and water in these games. Mrs. Hodge was a wonderful person and an amazing talent. It’s awesome to see that her work is still appreciated!

[@PatmanQC-Arcade-Documentaries]

Very cool, I did not know that. Thank you for the info

[@michaelb5299]

In the 80s, I've spent over 5k quarters in this game.I used to have crowds watching me playing it all the way through over and over.

[@DC180]

ahhh so you were one of those guys

[@aurozappa305]

@@DC180 I wanted to beat up those dudes

[@rong7496]

I loved watching players like you, Michael. It was free entertainment.

[@cybercop0083]

That’s 1250$. I bought the Switch version for 12 quarters. But I had spoiled for me before I could play it😢

[@BossSpringsteen69]

I had a crowd a few times too. I didn't spend that much money but i made it to the lair. The day i made it to the lair I went to the arcade after school . The day prior i made it deep into the game play and was feeling quite confident. The closer i got to the Dragon's lair the sweatier my palms got. Between scenes i would wipe my hands on my pants and, randomly shake my head and make some fidgety type movements with my hands and legs just to briefly detach my mind from game play so i could quickly refocus when the next scene intro-ed. The next day at school i told my friend that i made it to the lair. He didn't believe me. Oh, well

[@gjtt]

Amazing the animators completed this in a year. I sunk all my paper route and landscaping money as a kid into this game. I credit it with increasing my memory and hand eye coordination. By the time I became adept with no deaths while playing, I had crowds of people watching me play at 12 years old.

[@mathew3267]

We all believe your story sir.

[@scottpilgrim99]

​@@mathew3267LOL😅

[@ChantingInTheDark]

The sound design of Dragon's Lair never gets the recognition it deserves, it's as good as Don's excellent animation.

[@PatmanQC-Arcade-Documentaries]

I agree, there isn't much there but what is their works really well

[@AllOuttaBubblegum123]

That voice would boom out in the arcades.

[@pizzaspy]

Seriously, it's some of the most iconic audio design in gaming history. Wildly imaginative and pitch perfect for the tone of the animation, I am in awe of it decades later. I use it as reference every time I contract audio to explain how much impact abstract/fun sounds can have vs physical. It takes confidence and talent to pull it off though and is difficult to direct. Need someone who can just run with it. Space ace is also just insanely good, but dragged down by how annoying the whining baby VO is.

[@scottmantooth8785]

*anyone remember the Don Bluth game Maelstrom?...had to plug in access codes for the levels and to travel to various planets...kinda buggy in spots but creatively for its day it's pretty cool if you can find it*

[@luvmenow33]

I could ALWAYS hear that attract mode music booming. The attract mode still gives me chills. And even though Dirk never really spoke a word the grunts and groans and noises he made were so outstanding to the gameplay it gave him so much character

[@ErwalDeeas]

If you weren’t around when this game came out, you may not get it but this game was revolutionary! Freaking huge that made arcades some serious $$$ back then. An absolute classic!

[@PatmanQC-Arcade-Documentaries]

Absolutely, just about up there with Pac-Man in terms of popularity although and obviously didn't have the staying power

[@dirtmerchant4718]

My favorite game of the time! In 1984 I played this at Golf n Things in Tucson, AZ. This gem was sitting not too far from Spy Hunter and cost a dollar just to play, which was crazy expensive. As a kid, all I had was five dollars to spend. Even though I was terrible at Dragons Lair, I walked away, totally blown away from what I witnessed. Today Dragons Lair is still my jam, and I own it on various platforms. The 80’s were the best!

[@PatmanQC-Arcade-Documentaries]

The best movies, the best music, the best games I agree :-)

[@nonentity2574]

Wow totally opposite experience. I remember putting in 4 tokens and walking away feeling ripped off. I didn’t even think i was playing it.

[@AllOuttaBubblegum123]

@@nonentity2574 . Cost a pound over here and was all over in seconds lol.

[@Tony_Cardoza]

I played this in the arcade at Gold N' Stuf in Reseda, California back in 1984 with my girlfriend Ali. My mom drove us there on Me and Ali's dates in her green jalopy station wagon.

[@Tony_Cardoza]

@@AllOuttaBubblegum123 I think it was 50 cents over here but this was in the mid 90s. It probably would have been 4 quarters those first few years. @nonentity that was my experience as well, died in seconds and felt played.

[@thedarkknight7287]

This was a marvel for its time when it was released. Did you see that arcade1up has the Dragon's Lair and Space Ace coming out soon. You can choose which style of cabinet you want and both games come with it. I think they should be pretty good. Great video!!

[@jonathanbynoe4375]

I got the chance to stream the game on PS Plus and it feels like you are watching a cartoon. The game was quite unique and timing the movements is so crucial. The control aspect of the game pressing the co-responding buttons shown on the screen has paved the way for modern-day game tiles such as God of War, Star Wars the Force Unleashed and Marvel's Spiderman.

[@PatmanQC-Arcade-Documentaries]

What also makes it stand out for me is how extremely smooth the animation is and it feels like an old-school Disney cartoon

[@dttomsen971]

A favorite game of mine when it first came out, I had all the moves memorized practicing at my hometown favorite arcade. One day I went to a popular large arcade and they had Dragons Lair on a platform showcased in the middle of the arcade. They had mounted a large monitor on top and had the volume cranked. When it was my turn to play I chugged along and got to the finale without losing a Dirk. After I got to the point where there was no more interaction needed from me I stepped back and looked around. The staff and almost the entire room was gathered around me - parents with their little kids on their shoulders. Some of them started clapping. I was never more embarrassed in my life, I slithered out the door and left.

[@richardadams4928]

Tied with Space Ace for my all-time favorite arcade game, and I've played a LOT of arcade and console games. The humor in the game can't be overstated, Dirk's grunts and vocalizations are often HILARIOUS. And Daphne is undoubtedly a legend in her own right. I was playing this once in a 7-11, and one room (disappearing floor) had given me a lot of trouble getting the timing right, but I finally got it for the first time. I wondered what the next room was, as I had never made it or seen anyone make it. A fanfare played as Dirk appeared on all fours atop a pile of gold. "Waaaaahhhh", he exclaimed as his eyes literally popped out of his head. My own reaction was much the same, as the camera panned right to show Singe snoring atop another pile of gold, Daphne nearby in her snow-globe prison. I was down to my last life at the start of the scene. My focus honed in, in a way it probably, literally, never had before in my life. I'm sure my brow beaded with sweat as I concentrated intensely on the screen. And, unaided by any foreknowledge and against any odds I myself would have dared to lay, I WON. I defeated Singe on one life, first try. And I admit that up to that point in time, it was one of the most satisfying things I had ever achieved. Ah, those memorable days. And the day they put out a CD-ROM set with Dragon's Lair, Time Warp, AND Space Ace was a red-letter day, too. God bless you, Don Bluth, you injected a lot of joy and entertainment into my life.

[@homietclown]

Good job on the video. This game is central to one of my favorite childhood memories. My best friends mom was called into work on a Saturday and we had to go along. I hadn’t realized till then that she worked for a video game distributor. Needless to say we spent that day with unlimited access to every video game available at the time. Our favorite couple of hours was memorizing Dragons Lair and being the only kids at school to see the ending at that time. What a day. Thanks again.

[@foxfireinferno197]

I have a friend who did the game more or less blind. He'd keep his eyes open just long enough to see which screen/sequence was starting, then close his eyes and get through the challenge flawlessly.

[@PatmanQC-Arcade-Documentaries]

LOL, that's fantastic

[@metalbeavis8429]

The claymation commercial brake sequence is one of my greatest childhood memories! Thank you for including that!! 🙏

[@PatmanQC-Arcade-Documentaries]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@reputablehype]

This was a game that connected me and my step dad when I was growing up. He talked so fondly about the arcade game when we bought it for the NES. I think he was a little bit disappointed with it when he realised it wasn't the same game but it definitely still held some nostalgia for him. Now I have a 3 yr old son and I have those same sort of connections. Thanks for all the work you do, really takes me back :)

[@PatmanQC-Arcade-Documentaries]

That is fantastic. I love reading about families bonding over video games. Thanks

[@mattm7798]

I remember being blown away by this when I played it in the late 0s...tried a couple times, died very quickly, and realized it looked cool but there wasn't much actual gameplay. I think I would have been much more impressed had I seen it in 1983(1 year before I was born)

[@masterofbloopers]

This was before my time, but I still have a great admiration for this series! I'm glad the game gets ported constantly so everyone will always have the chance to play it!

[@Dorelaxen]

I got the mini Replicade cabinet last year for Christmas, and it's the best thing ever.

[@PatmanQC-Arcade-Documentaries]

That looks so cool, probably one of my favorites that I've seen

[@AllOuttaBubblegum123]

Thanks Vivien

[@Dorelaxen]

@@AllOuttaBubblegum123 OI!

[@AllOuttaBubblegum123]

@@Dorelaxen lol. I'm a Huge young ones fan.

[@bleinhauser]

my grandfather owned a little butcher shop/grocery store and this game was in it for awhile. i was always there after school so when the guy would come in to empty out the change he always put a bunch of free credits on it for me.. by the time i was 6 years old i could beat the game fairly easy and always had the older kids huddled around to watch me play. if you could beat it without dying it was better than watching the cartoon.. i got it for sega cd years later then the “ dvd “ version i played on xbox … you say there’s no replay value but the replay value is playing it through for people who’ve never seen it or for people who remember it but never had any luck getting too far with it.. im pretty sure they learned their lesson with the cost of the second one and charged 50 cents a game lol

[@Buck3366]

There are so many arcade machines that really blew me away and seemed light years ahead of the competition.Firefox was one with its laserdisc footage gameplay,the holographic Time Traveller, G-LOC’s 360 degree ride in machine and Ridge Racer when it used the full MX5 as a sit down experience but nothing blew me away quite like seeing Dragons Lair sat amongst a selection of older generic arcade machines . It was like other worldly with visuals that just didn’t seem available at the time. I played it and yeah it was an on rails affair but man it was a beaut! Fab video as always Patman.

[@PatmanQC-Arcade-Documentaries]

I really loved Firefox both the movie and the arcade game. Never got a chance to try G loc in person But I sure did love the sit down power drift and outrun cabinets. Thank you

[@Mechulus]

Fond memories of watching on the secondary monitor at my local bowling alley. There must have been 40 of us crowding around watching a pro breeze through the game and rescue the princess. Don Bluth's animation was inspired for sure. The Secret of Nimh was a revelation. Thanks for covering this classic!

[@fitfogey]

Same fam.

[@soulred5195]

Secret of Nimh is a masterpiece and is still one of my favorite movies of all time. Every frame of that movie is a work of art!

[@PatmanQC-Arcade-Documentaries]

Absolutely. Our bowling alley didn't have it, the only place it did was a pizza place called showbiz pizza

[@Scott__G]

@@PatmanQC-Arcade-Documentaries Putt Putt Golf and Games in Columbus,Oh had it in their “premiere” spot just as you walked in the door… had the extra monitor on top, too, complete with velvet ropes to keep everyone back except those actually playing the game. Made me feel like a rock star, 🤘🤘🤘🤘beating the dragon in one life with throngs of admirers around me … and then getting shoved out of the way by 2 ten year olds screaming “I’M NEXT!!”

[@ThomasGrillo]

Thanks for the history, and behind-the-scenes look at this amazing game. I've had the Amiga, GameBoy, and PC versions of Dragon's Lair. Now, I have the Arcade1up Dragon's Lair cabinet. Loads of fun! :)

[@PatmanQC-Arcade-Documentaries]

That is fantastic, I would love to have one of those

[@luckyddubber2]

Thank you Mr Patman, for sharing all your knowledge about all those great arcade games, thumbs up !

[@PatmanQC-Arcade-Documentaries]

Glad you like them! Thank you

[@alexzapf6422]

So happy I grew up in the golden age of arcades. Used to go to a place called Herbs arcade on Saturday morning. Loved it. That’s the first time I played tecmo bowl, gauntlet, dragons lair etc. now. I have an arcade at home that has 4400 arcade games on it. Play it as much as I can. Watching your videos brings me back to an amazing time in my life. Thank you for what you do.

[@PatmanQC-Arcade-Documentaries]

Thanks a lot :-)

[@TheSimTetuChannel]

Very thorough review of Dragon's Lair as a whole. This brings back memories. It was actually 75¢ per play where I lived and kids were lining up all day to play.

[@PatmanQC-Arcade-Documentaries]

Thank you very much

[@Bigheadedwon]

THREE QUARTERS!?! Jesus, it was 50 here and I could hardly believe that. Or hell, maybe it was 75 and I just want to remember it being 50 so in my mind I spent less playing it than I did lol.

[@5HlNOBI]

Dragon's Lair became an obsession for me as a kid. I dumped SO many quarters into that game it's crazy. Especially since I remember the game's play costing anywhere between 50 cents up to $1 near me. This game was also a MAJOR reason why I bought my Amiga 500 too! Game play was a bit more suffer-able with a second disc drive on the Ami, but still a lot of disc swapping. We both had the DL madness, Pat. Great video. Great game, (although some would argue that it is neither).

[@SomeOrangeCat]

Dragon's Lair 3D seems like the logical evolution of the game to me. A playable cartoon where its not just quick time events.

[@PatmanQC-Arcade-Documentaries]

Exactly, I really enjoyed it

[@BlackArroToons]

Yes, good point about the Gamecube game. I can also imagine how much better it could be even today, with cel-animated CGI graphics with the painted style backgrounds on modern consoles, a fully controllable Dirk. It could be amazing.

[@hicknopunk]

There was...Dragon's Lair on Xbox which tried to do this.

[@remedy731]

@@hicknopunk that's what he was talking about.. . It's the same game that was on the GameCube

[@TheGoldenDragon_]

I loved this game back in the day. I wasn't very good either, but I had fun. Dragon's Lair and Time Traveler were the only ones that I remember that played like this with light flashes as prompts to move. Thanks for the vid on this one.

[@PatmanQC-Arcade-Documentaries]

Absolutely, thanks for watching

[@Macadamienutz]

Thanks Pat, you took me back to the greatest day of my life seeing this game at Showbiz in Milwaukee, my mind was definitely blown

[@thewingedavenger1007]

May your 2022 be filled with happy little games!

[@PatmanQC-Arcade-Documentaries]

You as well my friend thank you

[@AllOuttaBubblegum123]

This was amazing when it first appeared in our local arcade. Had no idea how to play it but just seeing playable animation like this was something else.

[@melaniem9433]

Yes, I'd pay people to play it just to see, cuz i could not get past anything, which made it more impressive to me.

[@scottl.1568]

Virginia Beach, Virginia. 1984. I was 7 going on 8. Messed around with this shit a couple of times and never again. Still got the PTSD to prove it 😅

[@stashmerkin9576]

I was able to play through the game on a single credit back in the arcades. Don't think I ever got through on a single life though. SO glad that you mentioned the excellent Gameboy Color version! As you said the port is very scaled back and some scenes are truncated but it's all recognizably there.

[@PatmanQC-Arcade-Documentaries]

Excellent, much better than I could do. I was always amazed at the Game Boy color version

[@Invidente7]

Dragon's Lair is such a classic. I mean, it kinda inspired QTEs and all among other things.

[@PatmanQC-Arcade-Documentaries]

It was essentially the very first QuickTime event

[@RyanRead]

Loved the game. I remember the early 80s game show, Arcadia that had people playing the games and so many were having the worst time trying to meet the points against each other.

[@PatmanQC-Arcade-Documentaries]

I never saw that game but we had something called Starcade that was something similar

[@RyanRead]

@@PatmanQC-Arcade-Documentaries I remember that show

[@KasumiKenshirou]

@@PatmanQC-Arcade-Documentaries There was an episode of Starcade included as a bonus feature on the Dragon's Lair 20th Anniversary Special Edition DVD boxed set.

[@Texy88]

With regards to the Spectrum version, compromise on colour is often necessary due to its colour-attribute limitation (only two colours permitted within each 8x8-pixel character square); adding more colour risked bleed that is known as either attribute clash or colour-clash, which can be unsightly if not kept to a minimum. Some programmers have managed to come up with clever ways of adding plenty of colour with little to no clash (look at the excellent Spectrum port of _R-Type_ as a prime example of this). As for the lack of sound, because the Spectrum available at the time did not have a dedicated sound chip, that - coupled with the Spectra at the time only having either 16K or 48K of RAM - meant that it’s sound capabilities can also be limited (the computer was not designed with games in mind originally so flashy presentation and sound was not seen to be as important as conserving precious RAM).

[@thefourhorsemen91]

I never got very far in this game but I always loved watching the animation and others as they played it. Another great (and humorous) video!

[@PatmanQC-Arcade-Documentaries]

Thanks a lot :-)

[@KillerKrieg]

Oh boy, I loved this video. This, in my opinion is one of the single greatest games of all time because it tried something new, beautiful, and was more or less successful at it and it created an amazing visual experience even to the casual observer. I have actually beaten Dragon's Lair and Dragon's Lair 2 and have a playthrough of the first on my own channel. Believe it or not, I don't remember ever playing Space Ace(and I hope for a video on it soon), and I would like to. I have it on steam, and you might have just given me an idea of what game to play next, and for that I'll say thank you. Love ya Patman, please keep up the good work, we'll be glad you did.

[@robwhatever2605]

Dragons lair kicked my ass. I had no clue what to do hahahahah.

[@PatmanQC-Arcade-Documentaries]

You and me both

[@sonicr360]

Excellent video! I recall you did an earlier version of a DL documentary on your channel, but this new one is hands down, one of the best Dragon's Lair history videos to date! I still recall seeing this in the Blackpool, United Kingdom in 1983 and was gobsmacked by the visuals and more importantly, the sound!! my first go was over in less than a minute! But even today, I own the Replicade and also the Colecovision / Pi version you showed in your video and it is flawless! The Replicade is a perfect mini version of the Arcade and the Laserdisk player! Again, lovely video, fond memories. Some people will struggle to understand the importance of this game and the history, but if you were 10 years old and was around in 1983 you will understand the technical marvel of this game! Once again, THANK YOU Sir for the video!

[@KasumiKenshirou]

You'd have to first show a person that wasn't around back then what other games at the time looked like before showing them Dragon's Lair.

[@dreadlegend7365]

Good to see a new vid PacManQC! Michael Anthony digs Pac-Man too👍👍

[@PatmanQC-Arcade-Documentaries]

LOL, good eyeball my friend. Thanks

[@dreadlegend7365]

Btw,, i was 10 at Showbiz in 1983 Davenport and clearly remember a huuge group of people watching the added monitor on top of Dragon's Lair while some gamer played and finished the game! I got in line, played the game, and lost my 50 cents within a minute, so for the rest of that day i played Congo Bongo lol. Good times!

[@tylerdurden639]

Ah, the good old days when PAC MAN came in 6 or 12 to a row. Still remember at the height of Pac Man fever when the arcade I frequented was up to 18 Pac Man machines in the one arcade. As for Dragon's lair... I watched people play it for hours, memorizing and learning everything I could about the game and talking to those who could get all the way through it. When I decided to play it, I was able to get all the way to the final room without making any mistakes. Ready the room wrong and died once, but then finished the game on my first playthrough. At 50c a game, I wasn't about to drop anywhere near the tens or hundreds of dollars to learn everything the "hard" way. Let's not forget the sequel Space Ace!

[@darthmix]

Yeah... I have a ton of nostalgia for this. It has some of my favorite animation ever and I love the idea of exploring a sinister castle that is trying to kill you. But there's a reason it was kind of a dead end for game design. The technology just wasn't there to make the game sufficiently interactive while still having these visuals. Obviously the visuals are what sold it, so good trade I guess, but it's just much more fun to watch than it is to play. I love Don Bluth and I know he's been trying to get a DL movie off the ground for years. Would love to see that.

[@inphanta]

Another great video. :) Here in the UK, Dragon’s Lair was £1 to play when most games were still 10-20p. I remember seeing it at a seaside arcade with my dad, but he wouldn’t let me play it because it was too expensive. 😭 Now I’m older and having played it, I now see he was right! I loved your oddly specific description of the Spectrum sound effects for this too. 😂 Thanks again for the informative content and the laughs. 😊

[@PatmanQC-Arcade-Documentaries]

That is crazy expensive even compared to the United States. LOL,Thank you for the nice words :-)

[@thebest12700]

i remember thinking this was the future of games lol i loved it even though i never knew how to play. i had it for the 3do and had my friends come help me beat it. great memories!

[@PatmanQC-Arcade-Documentaries]

A lot of people thought this was the future including myself :-)

[@kenschortgenjr7540]

This, along with Spyhunter, were my favorite games back in high school. It actually didn't take me too long to learn the sequences because I would watch others play it for hours and memorized as best I could. When I finally had everything down I kept a count of how many times I beat it. When I hit 50 successful wins, that was it for me and I haven't really tried to play it since even though I have it loaded on an Arcade Machine I built for my home.

[@theamigashow9506]

What an amazing game this was, stunning for the time. I didn't seem to care that the gameplay fell a little short, I was captivated by the idea of controlling the the cartoon. I also played the Spectrum and Amiga versions; willing them to be better than they were! I loved them though, thanks for making this. Great channel :D

[@PatmanQC-Arcade-Documentaries]

Absolutely, thank you for the nice words

[@philipsecor9742]

Thanks for sharing, @PatmanQC. Man, the memories! A few shots of arcades in the beginning are of a place called The Star Cruiser, now defunct of course, including the shot of Michael Anthony. The Star Cruiser was in Pasadena, and I was there on a regular basis, especially when Dragon's Lair was first introduced there! Such great times! Cliff Hanger would be my favorite follow up to Dragon's Lair later on. Also, a great game, challenging however great!

[@PatmanQC-Arcade-Documentaries]

Thank you for watching, glad my videos could scratch that nostalgic itch :-)

[@quantumfx2677]

When you mentioned showbiz that really brought back memories, showbiz did a lot for the arcades and how cool you could eat pizza and play arcades. The excitement was incredible just going there and a magic that came and went.

[@PatmanQC-Arcade-Documentaries]

Absolutely. He could always plan on the latest and greatest games at showbiz as well whenever you went

[@mstover2809]

Where I lived, it took about 6 months for the first person to beat it. A month later, we were having competitions to see who could get the highest score. The secret was to allow yourself to be killed on all "lives" one step before killing the dragon, then killing the dragon on you last life.

[@LowellLucasJr.]

Absolutely love this game and Daphne! Ohhhh man Daphne! ❤ ❤ ❤ Certainly a masterful and beautiful game, i can't wait for Don Bluth to finally make this a film! Excellent video my friend!

[@PatmanQC-Arcade-Documentaries]

Thanks a lot, glad you enjoyed it

[@aidanhever3369]

I can't wait to see your retrospective of Dragon's Lair II: Time Warp ! It has a lot of deleted scenes, especially the pirate level.

[@PatmanQC-Arcade-Documentaries]

It is on the list, thanks

[@nordicomsystems8841]

When Dragon's Lair first came out we were amazed and it was immediately a hit in the arcade at the local mall. Back then we'd go to the mall as a family on Sundays and I would spend the entire time in the arcade playing, and eventually got so good I could beat the game in a single play (which was a staggering $0.50) and I'd have a crowd of kids behind me watching. Ahh, the 80's!

[@BlackArroToons]

As a tiny kid back then, I was a fan of skilled players as we got to finally see the whole game's story and animation. Thanks for being one of the top players back then!

[@NBUltra187]

i remember how livid i was. paying 50 cents for a game and it being over with in 15 seconds

[@astroturfmatador9119]

I loved that game. Couldn't say how much I spent to master it, but at the time it was worth it. Then Space Ace came out and I just had to master all 3 difficulty levels on that one too. There was a 3rd game, but by a different company, called Cliffhanger. I believe it was done in anime style. I don't think it got as much love as the other 2 games, but it was still a great game.

[@billschlafly4107]

There was a Dragon's Lair machine at the local cinema back in the day. A big crowd would gather around whenever someone actually knew what they were doing. It had a bonus monitor on top of the machine so everyone could see the screen. I kept thinking...Wow! I want to do that! But I died really fast every time I played it because you had to know the right move and timing was important. I probably played it 4 or 5 times here and there before giving up entirely. It was a cool machine though.

[@nickalkire1187]

Love Dragon’s Lair!!!

[@dariusq8894]

I was too young to play arcade games when DL was released but I have a lot of fond memories of watching the cab at the arcade. One of the best attract modes in arcade game history.

[@TampaTec]

Great info you did your homework👍 I have this game for Atgames legends ultimate arcade. took me quite some time to beat the dragon because there's no continue feature. Still holds up decades later. Dragon's lair 2 wasn't as good, too crazy and all over the place gameplay.

[@PatmanQC-Arcade-Documentaries]

Thank you very much. I didn't get into the second game as much as the first one I'm sure I'll cover it at some point

[@jerrytorres4787]

@@PatmanQC-Arcade-Documentaries one of my favorite games in the arcade i played it everytime i seen it . fantastic video b.t.w. maybe cover space ace?

[@j.vonhogen9650]

@@PatmanQC-Arcade-Documentaries- I still remember how impressed I was with the Beethoven scene in Dragon's Lair 2 and the grand piano filled with water. So incredibly imaginative!

[@DrownedInExile]

I had no idea Dragon's Lair was that popular back in the arcade days. I remember the c64 version as weirdly fun and frustrating. I still hear the opening tune for the falling ledge stage whenever I get frustrated 😁

[@PatmanQC-Arcade-Documentaries]

It was a phenomenon, not as crazy as Pac-Man was but it was right up there. Its popularity was short-lived though

[@adamofgrayskull7735]

Love this game

[@PatmanQC-Arcade-Documentaries]

So do I

[@jeenkzk5919]

Once again, you’ve knocked it out of the park!

[@adrianshappymoments9343]

This game was the definition of a "quarter muncher". Loved it back in the day!

[@PatmanQC-Arcade-Documentaries]

Yes it was

[@robd1329]

It was impossible to play or beat

[@TheEman590]

I can see why. One wrong move and Dirk was dust. Probably cost so many quarters, one could melt them into a Six-pack of Metal Gears.

[@adrianshappymoments9343]

@@TheEman590 hehe, basically

[@mgpmbass3616]

Great video! I felt like I was back in 1983 lol. I stood in line for what seemed like forever to play it, only to lose all three lives in probably 30 seconds lol. But I saved my quarters, kept practicing and I eventually slayed the dragon and rescued Daphne. When I got my Win95 Packard Bell with a blazing (at the time) P-120, 8 Meg's of RAM, a 2 Meg Video card and a 2x CD-ROM drive, I went out and got the CD-ROM version which I still have, then I got D.L 3D and the 20th anniversary DVD box set when they came out as well. I wanted the mini version, but they're sold out and out of production, so I'm gonna build my own mini version using a cheap handheld arcade game and use RetroPie and Daphne.

[@Dhragon]

I really appreciate this video you did. Dragon's Lair is one of my all time favorite games. Every platform it released on, that I owned, I purchased it on. I also played this at Showbiz Pizza Place, here in the Pittsburgh area. I took to this game like a fish to water. I was pretty popular at Showbiz for playing this game, so any time I was there I would draw a crowd of people that wanted to see how the game actually ended. It only took me a few days to memorize all the room patterns. It also helped that I didn't have to spend any of my own money to play. The sister of a friend of mine worked there and she would hook me up with a roll of tokens whenever she was working. I'm going to go install this game again and play through right now. 😃

[@shrodingerschat2258]

I remember being obsessed with this game at 12 and I have know idea how many quarters and tokens I shoved into this game. I remember the day I finally beat the game, I hadn't realized a crowd gathered around while I was playing. When I finally killed the dragon I was surprised when everyone around me burst into cheers and applause! It was quite an experience!!!

[@LemurKrazy]

Same

[@ManahManah77]

I am so glad that you finally did this game. Also, it was very fitting that you mention how arcade games were literally everywhere at that time. Dragons Lair was at our local youth center at the city park (along with the only Journey arcade game I ever saw), and it indeed did have a 2nd monitor on top. I never was any good at the game, but it was really fun to watch someone who was. Great job as always 👍 Maybe do Space Ace sometime?

[@PatmanQC-Arcade-Documentaries]

Thank you, space ace is definitely on the list

[@nevchapman4735]

Love this game. In the arcade I spent a small fortune... I remember playing it on my c64 and now i've got the interactive dvd to fill my nostalgia fix when I need it now 👍 Be good to see a follow up on the other laser disc games, space ace, dragons lair 2 etc

[@nitrojunkie22]

Thanks for the video! Wow, does it ever bring back the memories. I was 12 when Dragon's Lair hit the arcades. Around this time, in my home town, we had just gotten a service called "The Ride", which was nothing more than a privately owned public transportation company. You could go anywhere in town for a buck. So, needless to say, now that parents didn't have to drive their kids to the mall, The Ride was packed with kids going to the mall to hit the arcade......"The Gold Mine". I would go there with a roll of quarters to beat that game. Finally did it, and racked up like a dozen lives (you would gain a life every time you completed the game), so when it got too boring, I would hand the game off to another kid standing there watching, and they got to play for free. It's amazing how fast time flies. I'm 51 now, but it seems like yesterday.

[@PatmanQC-Arcade-Documentaries]

A dollar for a ride anywhere? That is fantastic. This Has been one of the most popular videos I have done for quite some time so I must've scratched that nostalgic Itch for a number of retro videogame fans. Thanks

[@nitrojunkie22]

@@PatmanQC-Arcade-Documentaries Actually, you made me realize how old I’m getting ROTFLMAO

[@Metalthrashingnate]

Galloping Ghost Arcade at 11:26! Well done, sir! 😁

[@ThunderWarrior01]

The arcade right next to Saint Margaret’s bus station was the only one that had Dragon’s Lair in my hometown. The crowd around it didn’t shirk and the 50p’s were stacked for the next player. It kicked the cash out of me every Saturday and showed no mercy. I still had plenty of love for it when the 360 version was released that i bought it day one…I’ve even bought it on the store when it was at a price i couldn’t say no to.

[@LeShark75]

I was 8 years old when I walked into a seaside resort arcade here in the North West of England and saw Dragons Lair for the first time. That was 1983 and I've been a fan ever since. This was one of those big WOW moments in Videogames and I think you really had to be there to appreciate the impact of Dragons Lair sitting in your local arcade. Aside of a stunning looking game, the arcade machine cabinet was a stunner too with some gorgeous artwork on the decals. Myself, I own Dragons Lair on The Amiga (Inc Singes Castle), The SNES, The Grammarly Commercial, DVD, Xbox 360, PS4 and like Patman I love the Replicade 1:6 scale machine and have owned one for just over a year. Every now and again I just switch it on at low volume when I'm having a retro gaming session on another system and it just looks amazing on the shelf running the demo sequence. I recommend grabbing one if you can. Thanks for this Video Patman, another brilliant insight into one of my all time favorites.

[@variable5515]

Great video! I believe the C64 tape version had an unusual feature for the time where it would load the next scene while you were playing the current one. Pretty neat!

[@PatmanQC-Arcade-Documentaries]

Thank you, I wasn't aware of that if so that was way ahead of his time

[@theodorehsu5023]

Voice actor trivia: The Narrator for "Dragon's Lair: The Video Game" was Michael Rye, who in the late 60s voiced "The Lone Ranger" as the title character, and in the 70s and 80s voiced "Green Lantern" and "Apache Chief" during the "Super Friends." Michael would also narrate for "Space Ace" and "Dragon's Lair II: Time Warp." For the TV show: Bob Sarlatte fleshed out Dirk as his voice, and also gave him a bit more intelligence. Voice actress Ellen Gerstell was Daphne, Arthur Burkhart voiced Singe the dragon (most guys would recognize him as "Stalker" and "Destro" from the original "GI Joe" cartoon). A few new villains would be brought into the series, including a rogue sorcerer who punished a Smithy that got too ambitious by turning him into the golden "Smithee" statue Dirk faced in-game (the statue later came to life, and needed a weight to crush it, while the sorcerer fell victim to a magicked sword Dirk ducked). Singe also had gotten out of the lair when the episode called for him to make trouble, and Dirk was often called to help in areas of the kingdom there was that trouble and more.

[@PatmanQC-Arcade-Documentaries]

I did not know that about the narrator, he knew he sounded familiar but didn't know from where. Thanks

[@bobs3999]

Another amazing piece of work. Thanks PatmanQC. Looking forward to Space Ace!

[@PatmanQC-Arcade-Documentaries]

Thank you very much, it's on the list :-)

[@ianrotten4453]

I've still got my 20th anniversary DVD box set and the PC "return" games. Pure love for this ahead of it's time game! Thanks you just got a new subscriber!

[@PatmanQC-Arcade-Documentaries]

Thanks a lot, I appreciate that

[@CSGraves]

I never got to see Dragon's Lair cabinets in person back in the day, but the take-out down the road had Space Ace, which was similarly mind-blowing in the 80's. HBomberGuy also did an excellent video on Dragon's Lair & its influence a few years ago... entitled something like 'Halcyon Dreams'. Worth a view if you have 40 minutes to spare some night.

[@LurgsHowToGuides]

Just a classic game. This was 30p a go in England when all other games were 10p! It was mesmerising to play and watch. Arcade1up look to have done a great job on this. Thank you Don Bluth.❤

[@PatmanQC-Arcade-Documentaries]

No kidding, the animation is fantastic

[@melaniem9433]

I had the biggest crush on Dirk the Daring! His deaths were so funny they didn't make me feel too bad about killing him so many times, haha. This game also had a very unique smell that i loved - so glad this was made. Thanks for this video update!

[@PatmanQC-Arcade-Documentaries]

Absolutely, thank you very much for watching

[@victorholm9598]

We had the machine in the fastfood joint of my local mall in Ballerup, Denmark back then and boy what a treat it was! I remember studying all the people playing it to the effect of me learning all the levels by heart. It was a magical, but yet frighteningly hard game to play.

[@tursilion]

Thanks for the mention of my TI version, though I should note that 155 copies were released. The original plan called for 100, but I managed to fill all orders placed before the cutoff. :)

[@PatmanQC-Arcade-Documentaries]

Thanks for the info, excellent work by the way

[@Abruzzo333]

They had this game at my local mall's arcade in the mid 80's. The graphics were incredble at the time but I recall nobody ever being able to successfully play it.

[@Asterra2]

The first time I saw Dragon's Lair was, surprisingly, at a local fair. It was outdoors, alongside a few other cabinets, the purpose of which I couldn't tell you. One of the other cabinets was "The Pit"-the only time I saw that fascinating and difficult game in the flesh. Just a week or two after spotting Dragon's Lair at the fair, it hit arcades and didn't go away until something like 1989.

[@jcadult101]

Small world, I spent much of my teens in the arcade at Duck Creek Plaza in Bettendorf. We'd occasionally ride out to North Park mall to play there and have drinks and fries at Hardees. I recall a party or two at showbiz before we moved early 80s. Moved outside chicago by the time this came out and watched people play at the local bowling alley's arcade. Was more into the shooters like starwars and star trek. The Kimberly road barn was still there when I was in college but see it is what must be long gone now.

[@dad2-d244]

Great video. Thank you for all the work that went into this. Loved watching it.

[@PatmanQC-Arcade-Documentaries]

I appreciate that, thanks so much

[@davidkenny6294]

An amazing game! Thank you for making this video. Have you ever thought of making a special on Laserdisc games? Or maybe one on Thayer’s Quest? This game fascinated me in my youth and now that I’m older and (hopefully) wiser, it’s appeal has not diminished. Man, if I could only get my hands on this game today, or even a port!!

[@PatmanQC-Arcade-Documentaries]

An entire video based on LaserDisc games is a good idea so I will put that on the request list and see what comes up. He could always thayer;s quest on one of the various emulators

[@davidkenny6294]

@@PatmanQC-Arcade-Documentaries Many thanks PatmanQC. 👍

[@chrislaustin]

Thanks for this vid Patman, as I'm a HUGE Dragons Lair fan, and this game along with most of the genre, never get enough love. I can still remember the day I first saw DL, were I was, and who I was with. This is possibly the most translated game of all time, so while many complain of it's overall "gameplay", or lack there of, no one can argue it's popularity. I actually own a sealed copy of the Gameboy version, as it is most impressive what Capcom was able to do with that version. I also have posters for both DL & SA signed by all 4 original creators, and both hang proudly in my living room. Maybe in the future you could look in to doing a history of Laser Disc/FMV games, as your one of the few people I think could do the genre proud. It would for sure need to be multiple parts, as the early arcade games alone would be massive(Road Avenger, Time Gal, Badlands), then once home systems got CD storage, the market expanded even further(Night Trap, Sewer Shark, ect.).

[@PatmanQC-Arcade-Documentaries]

That is fantastic. It could be the most converted home game next to Pac-Man. That's why I mentioned it's the game that keeps on giving even though the gameplay is rather suspect :-)

[@TJCrows]

I played this in the arcades and I once owned an actual arcade game. I have been able to view the entirety of the laser disk, and your prototype attract mode sequence astonished me. At approximately 10:46, there is a cyclops type troll, sitting on a lava/mud pot/tree stump, throwing a spear. I did not see this on my game's laserdisc. And while there were lava/mud men in one sequence of the game, they did not look like this cyclops troll. Strange.

[@JMGENTERPRISES]

Love this game. It was one of the first games I had when I got the iconic Panasonic 3D0 system when I was child. The system had an nostalgic feeling even as a kid as it was so short lived but SO COOL at the time. This game was hard to beat as a child. But I saved up my allowance and bought the cheat book which showed you the correct moves to beat the game. I remember one night hanging out withy my friends and beating this game together with the cheat book 🙂

[@DontFeedTheTrolls]

Great video! This pretty much explains all the same views and experiences I had with Dragons Lair back in the day. Thanks for the upload!

[@PatmanQC-Arcade-Documentaries]

Thank you so much

[@iankempster7007]

Great video as always.

[@PatmanQC-Arcade-Documentaries]

Thanks again!

[@JustinLeeper]

I definitely remember seeing this. It blew everything away visually. But playing it…? It kinda did a different type of blowing. Also, I’m grateful to live in Tokyo where I can still hit the arcades whenever I want. I almost always play the Sega rhythm game, maimai.

[@mrmcquade7890]

thank you for the awesome trip down memory lane - this game will remain as one of the all time best games of all time time - LONG LIVE DRAGONS LAIR!!

[@PatmanQC-Arcade-Documentaries]

Thank you so much, I concur

[@scypsylock9402]

Hearing the intro still gives me goosebumps after all these years!

[@Anthony-qt8wv]

It was a very enjoyable game back in the day. I also remember how many broken machines I saw too and the "Out Of Order" signs. I think the arcade operator complained about the player always breaking down. I remember the second screen on top of the cabinet. That was pretty cool actually! I cannot believe it was 39 years ago this year!

[@jimmybisk]

Thanks for a really insightful video. When I first came across laser disc games, it was at a regular funfair in my hometown. The first game of this type I saw was called Galaxy Ranger (similar to Astron Belt). I recall being completely blown away by it at the time. It had the look & feel of playing a film. I came across a Dragons Lair cabinet in one of the arcades of a nearby seaside town but it was playing a similar laser disc game called Super Don Quix-ote. Again I was pretty gobsmacked when watching someone play it! I feel though that one of the only let downs of the cartoon games was the small lag observed after pressing one of the buttons to make a decision, which, in some ways, spoiled the illusion. I like the 3D efforts & had Dragons Lair 3D for the PS2, which I hugely enjoyed, although never managed to complete. I'd like to see some updated versions of the 3D efforts for modern consoles & would like versions of Space Ace and Super Don Quix-ote done in this way.

[@Bigheadedwon]

AHHH Dragon's Lair, where you'd wait in a 20 minute line to pay 50 cents to play for probably a minute tops. And of that minute 57 seconds was watching animation clips. This was the 1st arcade game I remember that was 2 damn quarters. I didn't even fully understand how to play it so I never really got much better. 20 years later I bought a DVD version, not a "game" it played on a regular DVD player. So I spent all that money as a kid on a game that turns out wasn't really even a game. I absolutely loved it though. I laughed at how the DVD version played about the same with a DVD remote as the arcade version. How come as a child I didn't realize the flashing light was an indication to move the stick or press the button? Took me a good while, but I became a master at it on my DVD player. Wish I could have gone back in a time machine to when it came out with my newfound DL knowledge and beat that game on 2 quarters. I would have been the legend of all arcade legends. As I remember things back then, there were 2 types of people in the arcade. Those who sucked at the game, and those who CLAIMED they were good. And after dropping lord knows how many quarters in the game and still sucking, did I learn my lesson? Nope, because I did the same thing when Space Ace came out, which not surprisingly I was no better at lol. I miss arcades, I miss every 7-11 having a few games and maybe a pinball machine. A Big Gulp + some nachos + a mini arcade was something I'll never forget. There's a liquor store in my town I just discovered a few months ago that has 2 arcade cabinets and a pinball.

[@mikeferr107]

Thank you for this revisitation. This game is a big deal to me, and I really enjoyed your in depth coverage. I was riveted watching this video. I know this is one that I'll watch over and over again like I did with the Q*bert, Frogger, and others of yours. ...and of course, I'm sure you know. I was really excited to hear that the Space Ace video is on the horizon.

[@PatmanQC-Arcade-Documentaries]

Thank you so much for the nice words, I'm glad you enjoy the rest of my content so much. Yes, space ace is definitely on the list :-)

[@TheEman590]

@@PatmanQC-Arcade-Documentaries Ooh, Space Ace did look cool. Can't wait for that one. I have a lot of respect for Don Bluth, I like his animation style. Seemed when a group of kids, with me among them, needed a movie to watch, a Bluth film was kept Handy like an American Tale, Land Before Time or All Dogs go to Heaven. Good times. Which one was your favorite? (If you have one)

[@phillusted7364]

great video and your comprehensive history of the computer/console versions of Dragon's Lair was excellent..

[@PatmanQC-Arcade-Documentaries]

Glad you enjoyed it!Thanks a lot

[@ukdnbmarsh]

corrrrr yeah this takes me back Dragons Lair, Championship Sprint, Space Harrier, Star Wars in a cockpit cabinet, Outrun

[@themadatheist1976]

Oh wow, for the ti99/4a, my family had that system with the expansion box with a voice module. Ended up taking it with me when I moved out and gave it to one of my roommates.

[@PatmanQC-Arcade-Documentaries]

I had one of those growing upIn between my Commodore Vic 20 and Commodore 64. I don't know what prompted my parents to get one for me but I did have it for a short period of time

[@datacipher]

When this released the biggest local arcade hooked up a projection tv to it in a lounge room. I was about 11 and one day my mother and father were there… she was around 40, and he even older…. Both having never played a video game in their lives. I assumed they’d be incredibly impressed by it. After watching a few minutes I came in the room and my father said: yes very impressed, so it looks like you’re not actually controlling the person most of the time, you just make some choice and then it plays the same even over and over…. They saw right through it, in seconds. Of course… I did too… I don’t know if I even actually tried the game even once. My laserdisc game of choice then was Mach 3 lol. I do think that artistry looks better than any animated movie I’ve seen. The colors are fantastic.

[@mobileslotwins1075]

I was never really a fan of part 1, but Time warp, now that was my favorite game to lose my allowance on. Best childhood memory

[@TheEman590]

I've seen clips of Time Warp. That games a mind trip. Gotta love Beethoven dressed like Elton John. Lol

[@Zyntaxs]

I never could find a Dragons Lair in an arcade back in the 80s, but I do remember seeing a Dragons Lair 2 at an arcade in the early 90s which I loved playing. When I joined the Navy, there was a DL 2 in the on base arcade in Orlando so I eventually beat it there. That game also had laserdisc issues as well - there was a certain scene it sometimes wouldn't pass which required you to get the attendant to reset the game - very frustrating.

[@PatmanQC-Arcade-Documentaries]

It was the opposite for me, I never saw the second game in the arcades at all.