My First iPod Game: Dragon’s Lair

I may be a little late to the iParty (har), but I was thrilled when I heard from a friend that the original Dragon’s Lair is available in the app store. Admittedly Dragon’s Lair II: Time Warp was more my thing. The original was pretty tough, and I was very young. But the sequel got my tokens every week. I could beat the entire game on one credit. I still have fond memories of guiding a shrunken Dirk the Daring across Beethoven’s grand piano avoiding the composer’s hungry cat, and finding the secret golden objects required to finish the game. Those were the days. Though I prefer the sequel (get on that, EA!) I can’t pass up the chance to play an amazing port of an ahead-of-its-time animated experience.

The game is currently only $0.99, and features all the brilliant animation and dark whimsy the series is known for. Yes, it’s fun to watch Dirk die in disturbing ways, but successfully navigating the treacherous castle’s maze of death is easy thanks to the new on-screen d-pad and action button on the bottom right and left of the screen, respectively. Instead of relying on the brief flash of a certain section of the screen or Dirk’s sword to discern the proper move, these new implements are used. It’s a good use of the iPod/iPhone’s touch screen even if it does obscure a little bit of the screen in the process. A small price to pay for a laser-disc game in the palm of your hand.