This article is about the 2002 game. For other meanings, see Dragon's Lair III.
Dragon's Lair 3D- Return to the Lair PS2 Gameplay HD (PCSX2)
Gameplay
Dragon's Lair 3D: Return to the Lair (titled Dragon's Lair 3D Special Edition in Europe) is an action-platformer video game developed by Blue Byte in cooperation with Dragonstone Software on the Genisis3D engine and released by Ubisoft in 2002 for Microsoft Windows, Sony Playstation 2, Nintendo Gamecube, and Microsoft Xbox. It is based on the characters and story from the classic 1983 game Dragon's Lair and incorporates some elements from its sequel Dragon's Lair II: Time Warp. The game's story follows Singe and Mordroc capturing Princess Daphne and luring Dirk the Daring into the original castle, wherein the heroic knight must overcome obstacles new and old.
| Ports: Playstation 2, Xbox and GameCube |
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Production[]
Don Bluth, whose studio produced the cartoon animation for the arcade original, also produced two new animated sequences for the opening and ending of the game, although the ending sequence relies heavily upon reanimated scenes previously used in Dragon's Lair II: Time Warp. The game uses cel-shaded polygons to mimic the distinctive style of the original. Rick Dyer promoted the game as an expanded, more-immersive re-imagining of the original game, noting in an interview with Next Generation: “You've played Dragon's Lair but now you get to see the rest of the story. You’ll see the rooms you never got to go in before and creatures, new NPCs, you never got to deal with.”[1] The game was originally developed by Blue Byte exclusively for home computers with a projected release date of Q2 2001, but the release was delayed until console ports were completed.
Mattel Interactive was reported to have been the game's US publisher for the Playstation 2 with a 4th quarter 2001 release.[2]
Gameplay[]
The game is the first in the main series to host non-restricted movement for the player, also being the first to be rendered in three-dimensional polygons. A mostly linear exploration of the castle is broken up with boss fights, many of which are characters from the original arcade game. Many of the rooms seen in the original are seen again, though some are modified. New mechanics are introduced by the Dragon Essences that grant new powers. Health and Mana meters are also introduced and can be given upgrades throughout the game. A crossbow is also introduced and is used as an alternative weapon and resourceful object for puzzles. Treasure is also brought into the game to act as optional challenges to complete; collecting all 100 treasures unlocks extra gameplay options such as unlimited mana, alternate character skins, and faster sword charging for use when the player starts a new game.
Plot[]
Dirk the Daring witnesses the capture of Princess Daphne by the dragon Singe but is unsuccessful in his initial attempt to rescue her. As Daphne is taken through a portal, she seemingly leaves behind an Amulet that allows her to talk to Dirk as he works his way through the castle where she is held captive. Daphne's voice explains to Dirk that he must first collect all the Dragon Essences: magical objects that grant their users abilities and are each guarded by the strongest beings in the castle.
When Dirk reaches the lair of Singe, he battles the dragon largely mirroring the original arcade's version of the fight. As the knight walks away with the princess in his arms, he notices a different reflection in a nearby crystal and drops her to find that she is really a dark alter-ego version of himself in disguise. Now exposed, the villain Hollow laughs at the hero for almost falling for his trap and goes on to explain how he is one of the beings holding an essence and that long ago, those who held the essences grew corrupt, thus a civil war between the forces broke out as the dark wizard Mordroc sought ultimate power. Dirk defeats his doppelganger and continues with his quest to collect the rest of the essences. When Dirk gains a magical arrow that is the only weapon capable of dispatching Mordroc, Daphne's tone exhibits a fearful concern. Dirk travels through a portal to where the princess is held captive and learns that the voice of Daphne which had been communicating with Dirk up to this point was actually Mordroc impersonating her (much like in Dragon's Lair II: Time Warp). Thanking Dirk for collecting all the Essences and eliminating his competition in the castle, Mordroc transforms into The Black Dragon and battles Dirk. Ultimately, Dirk defeats him and rescues the real Princess Daphne.
Characters[]
- Dirk (Voiced by Dan Molina)
- Daphne (Voiced by Darcy Harvier and Vera Pacheco, Song by Julie Eisenhower)
- Mordroc (Voiced by Gary Goldman)
*The Black Dragon - Singe
- Hollow (Voiced by Christopher Stone)
- Lizard King
- The Robot Knight
- The Cyclops Worms (Boss: The Cyclops Worm King)
- The Bats (Boss: The Bat King)
- The Smithees (Boss: The Master Smithee)
- The Giddy Goons
- The Drakes
- Suits of Armor
- The Gargoyles
- The Thorn Lord
- Thorn Beasts
- The Crypt Creeps (Boss: The Crypt King)
*Chattering Skulls
*Skeletal Hands - Spiders
- Flying Books
- Rolling Balls
Ports[]
A revised edition of the game titled Dragon's Lair III was released in 2004-2005 for PC-CD ROM and DVD-Video, and consists entirely of pre-scripted gameplay footage of Dragon's Lair 3D that forces the player to input command prompts. Originally, this concept was intended to be included in the original 2002 release as a "Classic Mode." In a 2000 interview with Next Generation Magazine Dragonstone president Steve Parsons stated: "We're going to be taking the exact licensed rooms like the Black Knight Room, the main hallway, and the puzzle room and instead of giving the player full control we'll give them access to scripted routines. What it all boils down to is the original Dragon's Lair, but in full 3D."[3]
Trivia[]
- The game included an original song and music video "He's My Guy" performed by Julie Eisenhower and produced/directed by Dave Hood, which plays during the credits.
- In 2002, AnJon Toys released a wave of four action figures as a tie-in with the game: Dirk the Daring, Princess Daphne, Mordroc, and Singe. A second wave of figures was planned but the company's financial losses prevented the retail release of additional figures and resulted in the closure of the company. Candidates for inclusions in future toys included Dragon's Essence Dirk, the Giddy Goons, the Thorn Lord, the Lizard King, and the Black Dragon.
Gallery[]
Screencaps[]
Promotional[]
Animated Cutscenes[]
External Links[]
References[]
| Video Games | [view] | |
| Arcade Coin-Op Cinematronics: Dragon's Lair · Space Ace Leland Corporation: Dragon's Lair II: Time Warp | ||
| Home Computer COLECO: Dragon's Lair Software Projects: Dragon's Lair · Dragon's Lair Part II: Escape from Singe's Castle ReadySoft: Dragon's Lair · Dragon's Lair: Escape from Singe's Castle · Dragon's Lair II: Time Warp · Dragon's Lair III: The Curse of Mordread · Space Ace · Space Ace II: Borf's Revenge | ||
| Home Console & Handheld MotiveTime: Dragon's Lair (NES) · Dragon's Lair: The Legend · Dragon's Lair (SNES) Oxford Digital Enterprises: Space Ace (SNES) Dragonstone Software: Dragon's Lair 3D: Return to the Lair Digital Leisure: Dragon's Lair Trilogy Other: Franky, Joe & Dirk: On the Tiles · Dragon's Lair (GBC) | ||
| DVD & PC CD-ROM Digital Leisure: Dragon's Lair III | ||