Space Ace, Dragon's Lair II set to singe DS

Conspiracy Entertainment Europe to cram more Laserdisc-based arcade games into a cartridge, sets early 2008 release for first Dragon's Lair on DS.

While full-motion video games are best remembered now as an ill-fated gameplay concept from the days of the Sega CD, the idea didn't always seem so doomed. When Dragon's Lair first burst into the arcades in 1983, the game's Don Bluth animation blew other games' graphics out of the water.

Dirk the Daring in a DS screenshot.

The game quickly grew in popularity, and spun off a sequel in Dragon's Lair II: Time Warp, as well as a sci-fi counterpart in Space Ace. Now Conspiracy Entertainment Europe has announced its plans to bring all three games to the Nintendo DS. The DS port of the original Dragon's Lair was originally announced earlier this year, but Conspiracy today narrowed its release window to the first quarter of 2008. All three games are being developed by United Coders.

When it is released, Dragon's Lair will include two play modes for players: a 1983 arcade mode faithful to the original game, and a Director's Cut promising "new and unique gameplay options," as well as support for the DS touch screen and Rumble Pak, and also voice recognition through the system's microphone.

Conspiracy is promising that the first arcade-accurate handheld version of the game will include all the game's levels and death scenes, but it is not the first time the arcade's full-motion video style of play has been attempted on a handheld. A mobile version was released in 2005, and the Game Boy Color played host to a solid port of the game back in 2001.

32 Comments

  • BloodMist

    Posted Dec 28, 2007 1:35 pm PT

    I was a big fan of those games back when they came out, especially of the wonderful Don Bluth animation.These games are practically screaming for portable ports, and touch screen, AND microphone support, AND new content?Hell yeah!

  • insinuendo

    Posted Sep 16, 2007 4:03 pm PT

    I've got fond memories of those games. They're very limited as well as dated now'a days. I wouldn't buy them again for the DS, I don't think.

  • GonzoGuy

    Posted Sep 14, 2007 9:29 am PT

    These games were great.
    The gameplay was a little transparent and cheesy but it was really fun to watch in the arcade. They were all pretty hard but that didn't stop everyone at TimeOut from plunken quarters and memorizing the sequences. I never got to the end but I would often watch other kids beat the game.

    Those were the days. I'm definitely getting this, if anything, to spoil my inner child. Hopefully the 2p options are fun and not just taking turns on the levels.

  • DiscGuru101

    Posted Sep 14, 2007 2:19 am PT

    @123625: It could be beaten, but the dragon was tricky. Playing the whole game in reverse was tough to get use to at first.

  • Sunrie

    Posted Sep 13, 2007 9:39 pm PT

    I've never really been much of a fan of either, but it'll make for interesting gaming on the DS

  • 123625

    Posted Sep 13, 2007 8:58 pm PT

    wasnt the first one like impossible to beat.

  • MrMartinLee

    Posted Sep 13, 2007 5:35 pm PT

    Played it in the arcade, then on the Coleco ADAM (cassette tapes, anyone?) and have been eyeing the Digital Leisure DVDs for a long time... but I'll wait a little longer for this...

  • Rockman_00X

    Posted Sep 13, 2007 3:38 pm PT

    @DiscGuru and Shifty Pete

    I don't think the DS port would make for a bad transition. I mean, look at FFIII and the opening FMV. Granted it didn't look like what it would look like on the PS2, It did darn good job of putting a rendered FMV on the DS. The DS, much like the Wii, has some power that has yet to be tapped into to display it's full potential. @Bonzanimal

    I couldn't agree with you more.

  • Shifty_Pete

    Posted Sep 13, 2007 9:40 am PT

    Wait, now that we have DVD and Blu-Ray available, they're putting Dragon's lair on... a cart? Do they understand Dragon's Lair at ALL?

  • Bozanimal

    Posted Sep 13, 2007 8:07 am PT

    They're right about one thing: when I saw it in arcades it "blew other games' graphics out of the water."

    There's been nothing else like it since, in my opinion.

  • Rect_Pola

    Posted Sep 13, 2007 6:37 am PT

    Like Mush_Mouth said, the games aren't that long overall. I'd say they should be a collection but there is a lot a high-grade animation to take into account. I guess for DS they'd have to be separate. I hope they make good use of the rumble and voice recognition.

  • FallenOneX

    Posted Sep 12, 2007 11:56 pm PT

    I spent about $30 on that game back in the day. Not much now, but it was like a grand to a 6 year old back then. Automatically bought.

  • DiscGuru101

    Posted Sep 12, 2007 11:00 pm PT

    Wow. I never would have thought Dragons Lair would go hand held one day. -I hope the compression doesn't totally screw up the wonderful animation.

  • joeymew

    Posted Sep 12, 2007 10:35 pm PT

    YES YES YES YES YES. I can't wait for these!

  • STEALTHGAMER22

    Posted Sep 12, 2007 10:20 pm PT

    Yeah, I hope it lives up like the orginal and controls even better. Also looks better!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • Mush_Mouth

    Posted Sep 12, 2007 7:29 pm PT

    Fun game while it lasts. Too bad you can beat it in 15 minutes when you memorize everything, but it's huge fun to show off to someone who's watching.

  • retrofraction12

    Posted Sep 12, 2007 6:46 pm PT

    cool!

  • RaiKageRyu

    Posted Sep 12, 2007 6:38 pm PT

    It would be nice if all three were in.

  • Nostradennis

    Posted Sep 12, 2007 6:07 pm PT

    I played Dragon's Lair 3D on the Xbox about a year ago. It supported Resolutions: 480p, 720p, 1080i, Widescreen and Dolby Digital 5.1 and was fun to play. Not bad for a 2002 video game.

  • HardBUCKSHOT

    Posted Sep 12, 2007 5:38 pm PT

    I'VE played dragon's lair 2 and space ace back in the 90's.

  • PacoL250

    Posted Sep 12, 2007 5:28 pm PT

    @lamprey263: Well I would have been normally too young as well, but this place specialized in super old stuff.

    Stinks the arcade community in the USA is pretty much gone; at least there's XBLA for all my "I gots next" tendencies.

  • lamprey263

    Posted Sep 12, 2007 4:50 pm PT

    @PacoL250 - I was too young to play it in the arcade without dying too much, but I did get through it when it did come out for SEGA CD; though, I never did get to try Space Ace or Dragon's Lair 2

  • Lilac_Benjie

    Posted Sep 12, 2007 4:36 pm PT

    I love old games, but Dragon's Lair sucks.

  • Pete5506

    Posted Sep 12, 2007 4:32 pm PT

    I don't know about this

  • Rockman_00X

    Posted Sep 12, 2007 4:23 pm PT

    @spinoff

    DL, much like the Wii, was like a new way to play video games in a sense. However, I don't know what "Wow" factor your talking about? It was pretty much a fully animated video game. It didn't have HD graphics or needed super expensive chip to play on. But it was a fun and new way to play a game. Games like this are rare. As corny as it was, it was impressive in the sense that it was fun and new, not needing super expensive technology to play.

  • Jaysonguy

    Posted Sep 12, 2007 4:20 pm PT

    This is great.

    It's not meant to be a huge system seller. It's fan service made to please DS owners and maybe push a few people who are on the fence to the other side.

    Not all games have to have an earth shattering impact for everyone but this one is sure going to be felt by lots of fans.

  • sirpyke29

    Posted Sep 12, 2007 4:07 pm PT

    I cant wait to play this...ya its a trip down memory lane and it is trial and error but that was the best about these games! Thank god I dont have to plunk down quarters for this game LOL

  • jsnbase

    Posted Sep 12, 2007 4:03 pm PT

    @spinoff

    You think? What's your point?

    And 'overtly' doesn't mean what you think it means.

  • spinoff

    Posted Sep 12, 2007 2:36 pm PT

    I see this as being nothing more than a nostalgia trip for older gamers or an impulse buy by the overtly curious. DL and its related games relied extensively on the "wow" factor of their presentation to make up for what was largely simple trial-and-error game play that won't stack up to the demands of most modern gamers.

  • PacoL250

    Posted Sep 12, 2007 2:34 pm PT

    @lamprey263: Way to make me feel old

    In all seriousness, I remember playing Space Ace at a local arcade and just loving it.

  • lamprey263

    Posted Sep 12, 2007 2:26 pm PT

    I want em!!! Jeez, I even remember when they had the arcade game at Chuck E Cheese many many years ago.

  • devilgunman

    Posted Sep 12, 2007 2:25 pm PT

    It's been a long time...

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