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dragons lair trilogy?
Xiaou2:
Come on.
Dragons Lair was EPIC.
At the time it came out... there were graphics not much more advanced than excitebike. And the sounds were not much better...
Dragons Lair had the most incredible hand painted scenes, with some of the best hand drawn animation out there. The orchestrial sounds and effects, far surpassing what was typical of the general arcade experience.
As a kid seeing the game, I was in awe. Loved watching others play it.. but I couldnt get anywhere on it, and at 50 cents a pop, I only played so far into it.
The game was shallow in terms of gameplay... but as an experience, it was pretty great. Even repeated deaths were fun, because of the various ways Dirk was killed off... especially the end of the game where he turns to bones and falls apart. Just plain beautiful stuff.
Compared to what Japan is putting out today... like that "Flip the Table" game, it still shines. And such hand drawn animation never really gets old. In fact, compared to much of the CGI animation, its GODLY. Many CGI animators are generally very bad an making realistic and believable movements.
I also wouldnt say that Laserdiscs were a bad decision. DL made Boatloads of cash. Not just for the operators... but for the actual sales of the machines. I think the machine sales broke all sorts of records.
Personally, I didnt care for the sequals. DLII had too many option points in it to be able to enjoy any animation. Space Ace was pretty cool though.
Time Traveler SUCKED big time. The main character as a yokel cowboy was pathetic. The cheesy actors performances were dreadful, and the games slow and unrealistic actions (actors moving too slow, with too many frames) didnt match the pace of games situations... nor did it give any real depth of emotion or any real meaningful experience. Not so on DL, where each section evoked some sort of emotional response. From dirks expressions, the environment, the baddies, the sound effects, various visual camera pans... etc.. all created a real emotional experience/ride.
Just watch the entire DL video, and right after it, watch Time Traveler, and see how each made you feel. Even compare scene by scene. There is no comparison whatsoever. DL blows TT out of the water in every way shape and form.
As for games that tell you which way to go... thats plain stupid. If it tells you, then there is no challenge at all, and you could play till the end easily.
(DL had a lot of 'clues' to help out, but didnt go so far as to give away everything)
DLs gamplay was 'Quarter Muncher". Much like any sidescroller beatem-up... where it would be impossible to play to the end on a single credit. Its a game which you earn your ability to see and experience more of the animation/sounds by figuring out what button to press at the right times.
The problem with the LDs were cost. It cost a boatload of cash to make custom hand drawn animation... especially stuff on DLs level. (Don Quixhote does not even come close to DLs awesome hand painted backgrounds, or the animation realism/fluidity. Its a snorefest too) And next was playtime. Once someone figured out all the moves... either by quarters, or by buying a cheat book... they could play a very long time on a machine. Hence DL2s increased decision inputs.
DL still continues to sell, generation after generation on multiple platforms, because its a true masterpiece. That cant be said for a game like Time Traveler. And cant be said for a lot of other games which have more controlability.
It certainly isnt perfect, but Im sure glad it was made. Even though I only know a certain level of rooms (I prefer not to cheat, and figure them out on my own), I still loved the experience as a kid, and even the occasional try at it now and then.
As for the Going out of Business comment... Umm, most all game companies Bit the dust in the supposed crash of the 80s. There were too many games made for Ops to purchase, some of them being low-earners.
In the arcades here locally.. ALL had a Space Ace, & Dragons Lair. Some even had Mach 3, Galaxy Ranger, and Cliff Hanger. (Galaxy Ranger being made by Sega, and Sega not falling in the arcades till more recent years)
Xiaou2:
From Wiki:
Reception
Dragon's Lair initially represented high hopes for the then sagging arcade industry, fronting the new wave of immersive laser disc video games. Arcade operators at its release reported long lines, even though the game was the first video arcade games to cost 50 cents.[5] Operators were also concerned however that players would figure out Dragon's Lair's unique predefined game play, leading them to "get the hang of it and stop playing it." [6] By July of 1983, 1000 machines had been distributed, and there were already a backlog of about 7,500.[6] By the end of 1983 Electronic Games and Electronic Fun were rating Dragon's Lair as the number one video arcade game in the US,[7] while the arcade industry gave it recognition for helping turn around its 1983 financial slump.[8] Dragon's Lair received recognition as the most influential game of 1983, to the point that regular computer graphics looked "rather elementary compared to top-quality animation".[9] By February of 1984, it was reported to have grossed over
$32 million
for Cinematronics
lilshawn:
look, if you like it, buy it and play it if you don't whatever don't. if you're on the fence download it.
--- Quote ---Those games came out after dragon's lair, but not after dragon's lair II, space ace or time traveler. In other words, they didn't learn their lesson.
--- End quote ---
i think for the sake of continuity through the sequel they kept the same system in place.
--- Quote ---And no, we don't have to get our mindset to "then" because we aren't purchasing them then, we are purchasing them now
--- End quote ---
good lord, let's compare it to GOD OF WAR THEN! YA IT SUCKS MONKEY BALLS!!! even Toy Story looks more real than this piece of crap!
--- Quote ---Laserdisc "quick time" games were a gimmick and it showed.
--- End quote ---
of course they where, that's the point. in the 80's EVERYTHING was about gimicks! all you needed was a hook, it didn't mater what, you just had to provide something different. whether it be time traveler's 3D mirror cabinet, journey's digitized photos and cassete of music playing in the cabinet, or even the xmen cabinet... hellooooo 6 players?!?! i gotta play this!
--- Quote ---laser disc games were a TERRIBLE decision for video game companies
--- End quote ---
just think of it as a proof of concept. the idea WAS there, YES it was poorly implemented, but it paved the way for future technology. companies realized then, that things had to change. people wheren't going to keep playing the same crappy space games over and over.
you think it sucks, fine don't play it. i'm not asking you to. I'm not saying dragons lair is super epic either, chances are, i'll play it 3 more times and that will be it. which is how i feel about EVERY game currently being produced, which is why i choose to NOT download all my games and not play them on my NOT moded system, because i would be ripped off buying all these crappy games i'd play once.
saint:
+1 from my personal experience and point of view as a child of the 80's.
--- Quote from: Xiaou2 on November 07, 2010, 12:44:01 pm ---Come on.
Dragons Lair was EPIC.
At the time it came out... there were graphics not much more advanced than excitebike. And the sounds were not much better...
Dragons Lair had the most incredible hand painted scenes, with some of the best hand drawn animation out there. The orchestrial sounds and effects, far surpassing what was typical of the general arcade experience.
As a kid seeing the game, I was in awe. Loved watching others play it.. but I couldnt get anywhere on it, and at 50 cents a pop, I only played so far into it.
The game was shallow in terms of gameplay... but as an experience, it was pretty great. Even repeated deaths were fun, because of the various ways Dirk was killed off... especially the end of the game where he turns to bones and falls apart. Just plain beautiful stuff.
Compared to what Japan is putting out today... like that "Flip the Table" game, it still shines. And such hand drawn animation never really gets old. In fact, compared to much of the CGI animation, its GODLY. Many CGI animators are generally very bad an making realistic and believable movements.
I also wouldnt say that Laserdiscs were a bad decision. DL made Boatloads of cash. Not just for the operators... but for the actual sales of the machines. I think the machine sales broke all sorts of records.
Personally, I didnt care for the sequals. DLII had too many option points in it to be able to enjoy any animation. Space Ace was pretty cool though.
Time Traveler SUCKED big time. The main character as a yokel cowboy was pathetic. The cheesy actors performances were dreadful, and the games slow and unrealistic actions (actors moving too slow, with too many frames) didnt match the pace of games situations... nor did it give any real depth of emotion or any real meaningful experience. Not so on DL, where each section evoked some sort of emotional response. From dirks expressions, the environment, the baddies, the sound effects, various visual camera pans... etc.. all created a real emotional experience/ride.
Just watch the entire DL video, and right after it, watch Time Traveler, and see how each made you feel. Even compare scene by scene. There is no comparison whatsoever. DL blows TT out of the water in every way shape and form.
As for games that tell you which way to go... thats plain stupid. If it tells you, then there is no challenge at all, and you could play till the end easily.
(DL had a lot of 'clues' to help out, but didnt go so far as to give away everything)
DLs gamplay was 'Quarter Muncher". Much like any sidescroller beatem-up... where it would be impossible to play to the end on a single credit. Its a game which you earn your ability to see and experience more of the animation/sounds by figuring out what button to press at the right times.
The problem with the LDs were cost. It cost a boatload of cash to make custom hand drawn animation... especially stuff on DLs level. (Don Quixhote does not even come close to DLs awesome hand painted backgrounds, or the animation realism/fluidity. Its a snorefest too) And next was playtime. Once someone figured out all the moves... either by quarters, or by buying a cheat book... they could play a very long time on a machine. Hence DL2s increased decision inputs.
DL still continues to sell, generation after generation on multiple platforms, because its a true masterpiece. That cant be said for a game like Time Traveler. And cant be said for a lot of other games which have more controlability.
It certainly isnt perfect, but Im sure glad it was made. Even though I only know a certain level of rooms (I prefer not to cheat, and figure them out on my own), I still loved the experience as a kid, and even the occasional try at it now and then.
As for the Going out of Business comment... Umm, most all game companies Bit the dust in the supposed crash of the 80s. There were too many games made for Ops to purchase, some of them being low-earners.
In the arcades here locally.. ALL had a Space Ace, & Dragons Lair. Some even had Mach 3, Galaxy Ranger, and Cliff Hanger. (Galaxy Ranger being made by Sega, and Sega not falling in the arcades till more recent years)
--- End quote ---
Gray_Area:
--- Quote from: saint on November 07, 2010, 03:10:36 pm ---+1 from my personal experience and point of view as a child of the 80's.
--- Quote from: Xiaou2 on November 07, 2010, 12:44:01 pm ---Come on.
Dragons Lair was EPIC.
...Time Traveler SUCKED big time. The main character as a yokel cowboy was pathetic.
...In the arcades here locally.. ALL had a Space Ace, & Dragons Lair. Some even had Mach 3, Galaxy Ranger, and Cliff Hanger. (Galaxy Ranger being made by Sega, and Sega not falling in the arcades till more recent years)
--- End quote ---
--- End quote ---
I second that. The only difference was that not all the major arcades here had a DL, Space Ace was few and far between. I think because they were 50 cents. (The heat issue that caused them to freeze probably didn't help things.) Too rich for my blood. Conversely, Galaxy Ranger and Cobra Command were a quarter.
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