Joystiq

Dragon's Lair swings onto XBLA May 18

Jordan Mallory — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 15:00:00 EST

Come May 18, the Xbox 360 will join historical icons like the Sega CD and Philips CD-i as one of the many proud platforms to receive a port of Advanced Microcomputer Systems' classically animated laserdisc fable, Dragon's Lair.

If you count the horrible Game Boy version and various other non-digital-media pseudo-ports from the 80s, the XBLA rerelease will be port number 67 for Dragon's Lair, although its Kinect capabilities make it distinct from its predecessors in that Dragon's Lair is the first XBLA title to support both regular controllers and Microsoft's all-seeing eye. The port also features a "full watch" mode for people too lazy to use either control method, as well as those who enjoy buying ancient animated feature films with MS Points.

Dragon's Lair swings onto XBLA May 18 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 28 Apr 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dragon's Lair XBLA dares to add Kinect controls

JC Fletcher — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 10:30:00 EST

We fully expected Dragon's Lair to show up on XBLA sooner or later, so that PEGI listing wasn't much of a surprise. However, publisher Digital Leisure managed to surprise us anyway -- with Kinect support.

You can play Dragon's Lair normally, or you can respond to on-screen prompts with the correct motion. Examples shown in screens include jumping away from a crumbling floor or reaching up to grab a rope.

That makes Dragon's Lair an unlikely technological trailblazer: according to PlayXBLA, it'll be the first XBLA game to support both the Kinect and the traditional controller. Assuming it arrives before Steel Battalion, of course.

Dragon's Lair XBLA dares to add Kinect controls originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 20 Mar 2012 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PEGI: Dragon's Lair coming to XBLA

JC Fletcher — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 12:30:00 EST

Sure, you can buy Dragon's Lair for many, many (many) platforms, but Xbox 360 is not one of them. Unless you count buying a DVD version and playing it through the Xbox's DVD player. That embarrassing omission is now being corrected: a PEGI rating has been spotted for an XBLA version of the FMV game. We're shocked ... that it took this long for Dragon's Lair to end up on Xbox.

Being a rating and not an official announcement, there's no actual release date associated with this newly discovered XBLA release. We're checking in with Digital Leisure, who will probably tell us about a couple more upcoming ports of Dragon's Lair in the process of answering.

PEGI: Dragon's Lair coming to XBLA originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 19 Mar 2012 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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European PSN releases for February 16

Griffin McElroy — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 12:30:00 EST

This week's "new" content on the European PlayStation Store is anything but -- headlining the new releases are Dragon's Lair and Final Fantasy, joined by the PSOne Classic Atari Anniversary Edition. Most of the "freshness" of this particular update comes from the twin Killzone 3 demos, which come in distinct 2D and eye-pulverizing 3D flavors. Check out the rest of the update below!

Choose your platform to view the corresponding release list:

(Note: Continue past the break to view both release lists.)

Continue reading European PSN releases for February 16

European PSN releases for February 16 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 16 Feb 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dragon's Lair opens its doors November 23 on PSN for $10

Griffin McElroy — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 16:30:00 EST

Dirk the Daring has a date with destiny, and also Daphne, and also a Dragon, and ... probably some other things that start with "D," too. Recently, that date was set: Dragon's Lair will be making its way to the PlayStation Network next Tuesday, November 23, with an entry fee of $10.

The game will include a "Visual Move Guide," which should make some of those more perplexing sequences significantly less so, as well as a "Watch Mode," where you can simply view all of Don Bluth's beautiful animations without worrying about being eaten, or stabbed, or crushed, or dissolved, or asphyxiated, or immolated, or drowned, or poisoned, or eviscerated, or ...

Continue reading Dragon's Lair opens its doors November 23 on PSN for $10

Dragon's Lair opens its doors November 23 on PSN for $10 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 20 Nov 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dragon's Lair now awkwardly leaping to PSN

Griffin McElroy — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 20:00:00 EST

Well, that's it then. That's everything, right? Like, Dragon's Lair is on every single technology platform known to man except for the PlayStation Network? And now, this oversight will be corrected, according to a trailer (which you can watch after the jump) that appeared in the latest PlayStation Store update. Yes, Don Bluth's almost-30-year-old animated classic will arrive on the PSN in that crisp, crisp 1080p resolution -- though no pricing or release date information has been revealed.

You know, come to think of it, Dragon's Lair's isn't on Xbox Live Arcade, either. So, it's got to show up there eventually, and then, of course, there's our Oral-B electric toothbrush ... and then ... well, we can all probably just keep on living our lives at that point.

Continue reading Dragon's Lair now awkwardly leaping to PSN

Dragon's Lair now awkwardly leaping to PSN originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 17 Nov 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dragon's Lair HD comes to iPad

Justin McElroy — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 12:00:00 EST

Hello, my name is Justin McElroy, and I play a character called "Justin McElroy" on the popular Joystiq web site and podcast. I hope you'll indulge me for a second as I regale you with a story of my misspent youth. When I was growing up, I was always transfixed by FMV games. I begged and pleaded for a Sega CD, I've finished Dracula Unleashed more times than I care to admit ... hell, I own two copies of Wirehead. To this day, I don't understand the draw of these oft-clunky classics, but it's nothing I can escape or reason away. Before I'd reached my 15th birthday, I swore to friends, family, anyone who would listen that I would one day be the "world's greatest FMV gaming journalist."

You, with the privilege of a dozen years of insight on my younger self, know how this story ends. FMV games have, for reasons beyond me, fallen by the wayside. You now know that the deviant, cretinous masses would prefer to see digital puppets dance on a screen than real humans -- their brethren -- leading out real, interactive drama in front of real, low-quality cameras.

But today, if only for a moment, I have managed to wash the bitter flavor of unfulfilled dreams from my palate. For today, I have written a post about The 7th Guest on iPhone, and I'm following it up with this:

An HD version of Dragon's Lair is now on iPad. It costs five dollars.

That's two FMV posts ... in a row. Maybe a drop in the bucket to 15-year-old Justin, who dreamed of visiting the set of Sewer Shark 3 and sitting down to heartfelt, career-spanning interviews with Rusty Dillen. But today, for nearly 30-year-old Justin, it's enough.

God bless.

Dragon's Lair HD comes to iPad originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 02 Nov 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dragon's Lair Trilogy for Wii: one step closer to porting Dragon's Lair to everything

JC Fletcher — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 16:20:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Hey, Mad Dog McCree: Gunslinger Pack, there's a new sheriff in town -- the "town" in this case being the set of "Collections of Three Laserdisc Games on Wii." Digital Leisure and publisher Destineer are partnering to release Dragon's Lair Trilogy on Wii this fall.

Despite the name, the "Trilogy" is only two-thirds Dragon's Lair: in addition to Dragon's Lair and Dragon's Lair 2: Time Warp, the disc will include Space Ace. And for those of you who want to watch the remastered animation, but who firmly insist that these aren't video games, you can remove any vestige of interactivity and just enjoy the games in "Watch Mode."

The collection will retail for $30, which is relatively good news for this guy.

Dragon's Lair Trilogy for Wii: one step closer to porting Dragon's Lair to everything originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 16:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A daring Dragon's Lair game collection

Alexander Sliwinski — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 03:00:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Syd Bolton, who runs the Personal Computer Museum in Brantford, Canada, really enjoys Dragon's Lair in all its many, many incarnations. Bolton owns almost every version of Dragon's Lair ever released, which is saying a lot considering that game has been ported more times over the last 30 years than a Carnival Cruise ship. However, he hasn't got them all, telling Joystiq that he's missing the mobile phone version from 2005 (because it wasn't available in his area) and the Amstrad CPC versions from the mid-'80s.

The picture above contains 47 versions of the game and its sequels. Bolton mentions that the image doesn't contain the whole collection, as a few copies are in storage. We've listed every copy of the game featured in the picture after the break.

Continue reading A daring Dragon's Lair game collection

A daring Dragon's Lair game collection originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 29 Jul 2010 03:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EA discounts more than a dozen iPhone games to $1 each

David Hinkle — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 01:00:00 EST

We can't imagine what kind of event would spur EA to slash the price on several of its big-name iPhone games -- oh, right. Regardless of motive, Touch Arcade informs us of the sale, which extends through tomorrow. Here are some highlights:

Command & Conquer: Red Alert [iTunes link]
FIFA 10 [iTunes link]
Dragon's Lair [iTunes link]
Need for Speed: Shift [iTunes link]
SimCity [iTunes link]
Battleship [iTunes link]

The good news: lots of iPhone games are only $1. The bad news: none of those games is Mirror's Edge (which is still only available for iPad).

[Thanks, Dali]

EA discounts more than a dozen iPhone games to $1 each originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 23 Jun 2010 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone Dragon's Lair priced down, down, down to $0.99

Randy Nelson — Tue, 11 May 2010 23:59:00 EST

You can be less daring with your pocketbook when it comes to snapping up Dragon's Lair for your iDevice, as EA Play has pressed the sword button and slashed a full $4 off the game's price on the App Store. Don Bluth and Rick Dyer's classic laserdisc-based arcade game can now be had for $0.99 -- one play on the coin-op at some arcades back in the day -- but be warned: there's no telling how long this price-drop will be in effect. In other words, don't drag on your decision making process.

Dragon's Lair ($0.99):

Gallery: Dragon's Lair (iPhone)

iPhone Dragon's Lair priced down, down, down to $0.99 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 11 May 2010 23:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dragon's Lair wall graphics demand to be put up, up, up

Randy Nelson — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 20:45:00 EST

Click to ~~save the princess~~ see a gallery

To some, their home is their castle. Now it can be a dragon's lair. LTL Prints - the Philadelphia company that introduced an eye-popping lineup of Jet Set Radio Future wall graphics back in December 2009 - is unveiling its latest cling-on art today, based on the classic 1983 arcade game Dragon's Lair by animator Don Bluth and designer Rick Dyer.

The graphics have been taken straight from the legendary laserdisc-based game, cleaned up and include the bumbling-yet-heroic Dirk the Daring, the hapless Princess Daphne and her captor, Singe the dragon. LTL Prints is offering the graphics starting at $14.95 for versions sized to fit laptop lids, all the way up to more expensive, 7-foot-tall prints. The look absolutely amazing -- we're just sad we can't order a 1:1 scales version of Singe. Then again, we'd need a really tall wall ...

Gallery: Dragon's Lair Wall Graphics

Dragon's Lair wall graphics demand to be put up, up, up originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 23 Apr 2010 20:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NintendoWare Weekly: Super Smash Bros., Ninja Gaiden, Dragon's Lair

JC Fletcher — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 10:07:00 EST

Nintendo announced its 500th downloadable Wii game today, reserving the honor for Super Smash Bros. Or, we suppose, for any of the other Virtual Console or WiiWare games released today. But Nintendo says it's Super Smash Bros., and that certainly seems like a more special way to celebrate a milestone than, say, the arcade version of Ninja Gaiden. See all the WiiWare, Virtual Console, and DSiWare releases after the break.

Continue reading NintendoWare Weekly: Super Smash Bros., Ninja Gaiden, Dragon's Lair

NintendoWare Weekly: Super Smash Bros., Ninja Gaiden, Dragon's Lair originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 21 Dec 2009 10:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dragon's Lair headed to DSiWare Dec. 21

Justin McElroy — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:15:00 EST

We expect this kind of thing from Tetris or Resident Evil 4, but whoever thought that Dragon's Lair would be appearing on so many consoles? It appeared on the iPhone just a week ago, and now the FMV adventure is (as rumored) set to appear on DSiWare on Dec. 21 in North America and Jan. 1.

Now, considering none of the DSiWare releases have been particularly large, we have no clue how they'll fit the whole game on the service. We do know from this video, however, that the console is powerful enough to handle the game. Now, the next obvious step in Dragon's Lair's quest for console domination? Well, Zeebo, of course.

Dragon's Lair headed to DSiWare Dec. 21 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EA dragging Dragon's Lair to iPhone

JC Fletcher — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 05:00:00 EST

click to cross the drawbridge into Screenshots' LairFollowing the well-received (by us, anyway) iPhone version of Space Ace, another, better-known Bluth-animated FMV classic is headed to the platform -- a game that, unlike Heavy Rain, is Dragon's Lair. This time, EA Play is publishing the 1983 Cinematronics arcade game, with an expected December release date. We'll get to watch Dirk the Daring die over and over again in a convenient portable format!

Dragon's Lair features both an "arcade mode" with the game as originally presented, and a "home mode" with extra scenes not used in the coin-op version. Our gallery features some new screens of the iPhone version, which look exactly like the game looked in 1983. Which is kind of the point.

There's supposedly a DSiWare version on the way as well, though EA doesn't seem to be involved with that one.

Gallery: Dragon's Lair (iPhone)

EA dragging Dragon's Lair to iPhone originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 05 Dec 2009 05:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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USK: Digital Leisure daring to put Dragon's Lair on DSiWare

JC Fletcher — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EST

If you like FMV games, the iPhone port of Space Ace is something of a revelation. It's the full laserdisc game, in much better visual quality than most ports, on a handheld platform for five bucks. If you don't, it's just another FMV game, and everyone knows those aren't real games anyway.

A German USK rating suggests that Digital Leisure is planning to port its predecessor, Dragon's Lair, to DSiWare. While we have no doubt that the DS hardware can run the game -- in fact, a Dragon's Lair conversion has been in progress for years by United Coders, and we wouldn't be surprised if that's what this is -- the file size is an issue. Space Ace on iPhone takes up 243MB, which is much larger than any DSiWare game. We hope Digital Leisure comes up with a solution for this issue other than porting the NES Dragon's Lair.

[Via GoNintendo]

USK: Digital Leisure daring to put Dragon's Lair on DSiWare originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Heavy Rain's David Cage wants to set the record straight on QTEs

Griffin McElroy — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 11:28:00 EST

"No! We don't make Dragon's Lair! This is not Dragon's Lair - do you think I'm crazy? I'm not stupid. Do you think I develop on PlayStation 3 to do Dragon's Lair again? It would be absurd. Of course it's not." We typically lead into quotes with a bit more background than that, but those who've read message board diatribes dismissing the upcoming Heavy Rain as nothing more than a series of Quick Time Events surely understand the frustration of Quantic Dream founder David Cage -- who owns the mouth from which the above quote was uttered during a press demonstration at GamesCom 2009.

Cage went on to explain "when there is an action sequence, yes we integrate [these] QTE sequences," but the rest of the time, the player will have full control as they navigate the game's four characters through a deep, choice-riddled story. That actually sounds pretty reminiscent of Quantic's last game, Indigo Prophecy / Fahrenheit. That's great and all -- but we actually wouldn't be disappointed by a new installment in the Dragon's Lair franchise. We admit it -- we're Dirkheads, through and through.

Heavy Rain's David Cage wants to set the record straight on QTEs originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 20 Aug 2009 11:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dragon's Lair on NES might be the worst game ever

David Hinkle — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 15:40:00 EST

While we like to think that we've played a lot of NES games, we never experienced the console's version of Dragon's Lair. And we're thankful for that, as a Nintendorks video (available after the break) shows what could possibly be the worst game ever made ever. Not only is the gameplay an issue, but it's so tough that getting past the first screen is on par with scoring a womp rat bullseye in your T17! How do you make this game and not stop to question it halfway through?

Continue reading Dragon's Lair on NES might be the worst game ever

Dragon's Lair on NES might be the worst game ever originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 24 Jun 2009 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bluth and Co. treat fans as Dragon's Lair turns 25

Randy Nelson — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 22:00:00 EST

Filed under: Arcade, Retro

It's hard to believe that a quarter-century has passed since the first LaserDisc-based arcade game from former Disney animator Don Bluth hit arcades. Dragon's Lair's use of hand-drawn animation set it apart from anything else at the time, and despite its simple trial-and-error gameplay, the game was a hit.

Digital Leisure, which has worked with Bluth to deliver countless home versions of Dragon's Lair, is offering a treat to fans of the classic for one week only. Anyone who purchases the DVD, PC, or Blu-ray Disc version from its online shop can have their copy signed by Bluth, designer Rick Dyer, and animators Gary Goldman and John Pomeroy. We highly recommend the BD version, which plays exactly like the original coin-op and runs in full 1080p. The company is also offering signed Dragon's Lair "lobby posters" for $80 a pop. Lead on, brave adventurers - your memorabilia awaits!

Bluth and Co. treat fans as Dragon's Lair turns 25 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 20 Jun 2008 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PSP Dragon's Lair game needs publisher

Justin McElroy — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sony PSP, Action

Dragon's Lair is like Dracula in Castlevania games. No matter how many times it's killed, history's most interactive DVD menu screen continues to rise from the abyss, ready to arbitrarily kill players for their lack of memorization skills. Now, the game's making its way to PSP, that is, if United Coders can find a publishers for Dirk's reanimated corpse.

This "Director's Cut" does have a few tweaks, with new scenes added, a castle map that displays your progress and five lives per player instead of three. (There's also an "Arcade" mode if you prefer fewer retries.) ... So, that's the end of the post. We know it was jarring, but unfortunately, our supply of punchy ways to end a story about Dragon's Lair were used up around the game's 17th iteration.

PSP Dragon's Lair game needs publisher originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 07 Jan 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dragon's Lair becomes even more linear on the DS

JC Fletcher — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 12:45:00 EST

Filed under: News

United Coders sent out a press release aimed at soliciting publishers for the PSP version of Dragon's Lair, and revealed some details about the identical-in-gameplay DS version in so doing. Since we didn't know anything about the game other than that it's Dragon's Lair, we were happy to see some specifics.

The Director's Cut mode adds the drawbridge sequence that didn't make it into the original arcade game, but has been found in most home releases since then. It also removes the score counter from the game and increases the number of lives. But more interestingly, the Director's Cut changes the level structure of the game into a more linear one. The original Dragon's Lair levels were presented in a semi-random order, with each level selected from a small pool of potential choices. The Director's Cut follows a prescribed level order designed by Technical Producer Dave Hallock. There's also a scrolling display of your progress

In the NeoGAF discussion thread, we also found a link to videos taken by a beta tester on the game. Some HUD elements have been added since the last video. the Director's Cut is not shown, but the Arcade Mode footage looks fantastic, with the arcade-accurate LED score counter and everything. It is unknown whether the bizarre dual-screen view option is still around.

Check after the break for, oddly enough, the PSP press release.

Continue reading Dragon's Lair becomes even more linear on the DS

Dragon's Lair becomes even more linear on the DS originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 03 Jan 2008 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dragon's Lair DS dares to display video

David Hinkle — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Video

The news that Dragon's Lair would be making its way to the DS is either very exciting or very meh. Either way you slice it, the title is still one of the most revered in gaming and will surely find many consumers wishing to pick it up on the DS (that goes without saying that the game will find a brand new audience on the handheld, as well).

Dragon's Lair DS dares to display video originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 17 Sep 2007 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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More than just Dragon's Lair coming to the DS

David Hinkle — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 17:20:00 EST

Filed under: News

We all knew that Dragon's Lair was going to be making an appearance on the DS. Now, we know when. Dragon's Lair, along with its sequel Dragon's Lair II, will both be gracing the handheld come early 2008. Not only that, but Conspiracy Entertainment also scored the rights to publishing Space Ace (our preferred title out of the lot) on the handheld as well.

Nothing much on the Space Ace port and all of the features in Dragon's Lair were previously confirmed. So, be sure to keep an eye on DS Fanboy for future updates on these games.

More than just Dragon's Lair coming to the DS originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 07 Sep 2007 17:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DS Dragon's Lair makes a Daring choice

JC Fletcher — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 10:40:00 EST

Filed under: News

The laserdisc classic Dragon's Lair is back again, after appearances on basically every system ever built, either in its original form (PC, Sega CD, DVD, Blu-Ray, Game Boy Color) or in some kind of terrible adaptation (NES, SNES, PS2). This time, Digital Leisure is releasing it in more or less original form on the DS, with some ... interesting options.

Of particular interest is the ability to control the game via touch screen. We imagine this will involve tapping the appropriate side of the screen. There are also optional move indicators, voice control (?), rumble support, and multiple difficulty settings.

And then there's the big feature. You can choose to play the game on one screen, or stretched across both. This allows Dragon's Lair to benefit from the advanced view obstruction technology not available in the arcade version.

[Via NeoGAF]

DS Dragon's Lair makes a Daring choice originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 27 Jun 2007 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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