Dragon's Lair 3D: Return to the Lair

aka: Dragon's Lair 3D: Special Edition

Released

November 18th, 2002 on Windows

Releases by Date (by platform)

Publishers

Developers

Dragonstone Software

Moby Score

6.8

#14,098 of 155K

Critics

65% (51)

Players

(40)

Ranking

#361 on GameCube
#599 on Xbox
#4,653 on Windows

Collected By

53 players

Genre: Action
Perspective: Behind view
Gameplay: Platform
Puzzle elements
Setting: Fantasy
Misc: Licensed

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Description official descriptions

The goofy, but courageous knight Dirk the Daring is on a quest to save the pretty princess Daphne. The princess was kidnapped by the evil dragon Singe and imprisoned in a medieval castle owned by an even more evil wizard called Mordroc. Now, it's only up to Dirk to use his courage and his quick reflexes to overcome the traps in the castle, if he wants to save the princess and his skin.

Dragon's Lair 3D: Return to the Lair can be considered a re-imagining of the 1983 arcade game: gameplay-wise it deviates from it significantly, being a full-fledged action platformer with unrestricted character movement. Dirk has to battle enemies, jump across platforms and hazards, and solve a few puzzles on his way. Health and mana points can be upgraded over the course of the game. Dirk can also use a crossbow to combat enemies and solve some of the puzzles. Collecting Dragon Essences scattered through the castle grants him new powers.

The game features the familiar cartoon-like style of the original version (done with cel-shaded technique), as well as many familiar locations and boss enemies.

Spellings

龙穴历险记 3D - Chinese spelling (simplified)

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Credits (Windows version)

205 People (122 developers, 83 thanks) · View all

In Memory of	Raquel Dionne Johnson (Keli) Pat Monahan
Dragon's Lair Co-Creators	Rick Dyer Don Bluth Gary Goldman John Pomeroy
Chief Executive Producer	Rick Dyer
Executive Producer	Dragonstone Software Thomas Konkol Steven Parsons
Technical Director	Todd Heckel
Lead Programmer	Todd Heckel
Creative Director	Wilfredo Panganiban
Lead Designer	Wilfredo Panganiban
Lead Game Programmer	Eugene Foss
Designer Dragonstone Software	Steven Parsons
Project Directors	Rick Dyer Thomas Konkol
Programmers	Andrew Garrett Branimir Karadzic Chris Morrissey Ricardo Robaina Christian Comeau
Designers	Daniel Jacobs Brian Smith
[ full credits ]

Reviews

Discussion

Subject	User	Date
Let's Play Series on YouTube	ikrananka (0)	2017-03-13 18:56:26

Trivia

HD

This is the first ever Xbox title to feature 1080i High Definition (HD) TV graphics mode.

References to the game

The game is featured in the 2005 movie The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants when the in-movie filmmaking team of Tibby Rollins and Bailey Graffman interview Brian McBrian, resident convenience store arcade whiz of this game (sometimes homophonically described as "Dragon Slayer", despite a legible Dragon's Lair 3D marquee -- presumably a prop devised for the movie, as the game isn't on record as existing in coin-op format) for their "suckumentary".

BAILEY: I think I found a good subject for an interview. His name is Brian McBrian, king of 'Dragon's Lair.' I've heard he's broken every record there is. Okay, he's definitely not what you'd call lame... but I figured he'd be a good contrast to all the loser types in the movie.

TIBBY: Start setting up. Stand next to him. Pretend you're a fan, like you watch him all the time. Right. And action. Video arcade wizards are fixtures at most convenience stores. Brian McBrian is a fixture at this one. 'Dragon's Lair,' he says...is his calling. So, Brian, you spend a lot of time here?

BRIAN: Sometimes all day.

TIBBY: So you prefer to spend most of your time here at the Quick Mart...instead of out in the real world?

BAILEY: Well, maybe he finds the world of 'Dragon's Lair' more interesting.

TIBBY: Tell us about it, Brian.

BRIAN: Well... basically, you're Dirk the Daring... in the year 1305 AD. See, the goal is to rescue Princess Daphne, who's being guarded by Singe, the dragon. See, chamber number one is the snake room -- see, snakes slither from the ceiling. You don't even get to see the dragon until chamber number 23!

Later in the film, Brian gives Bailey a GBC with its different Dragon's Lair version to play while she recuperates from leukemia treatment in the hospital.

Information also contributed by Pseudo_Intellectual