Dragon's Lair

Dragon’s Lair - the 1986 interactive arcade adventure for Commodore 64
from Software Projects.

Guide Dirk the Daring through the perilous halls of Singe’s castle to
rescue Princess Daphne, timing every move precisely to survive traps and
monsters.

Core loop
- watch short animated scenes and respond with the correct input
- dodge, jump, or strike enemies based on on-screen cues
- memorize each sequence to advance deeper into the castle
- reach the dragon’s lair and defeat Singe to save Daphne

Systems and items
- limited lives - one wrong move restarts the scene
- sword attacks - only effective in certain frames
- visual prompts - brief flashes hint at safe actions
- continue system - restarts near later stages after progress

Level design and feel
Static scene-by-scene progression modeled on the laserdisc arcade
original. Animation is simplified but colorful, with fluid movement and
cinematic tension preserved through tight input windows.

Why it is notable
- adaptation of Don Bluth’s groundbreaking 1983 laserdisc game
- ambitious attempt to bring film-like animation to 8-bit systems
- infamous for high difficulty and strict timing on the C64

Tips
- memorize each trap’s pattern before reacting—instinct won’t save you
- small joystick taps register faster than full throws
- conserve lives by practicing early screens until mastered

At a glance
Year - 1986
Developer - Software Projects
Design and programming - David Collier - Paul Murray
Graphics - Software Projects team
Music - David Whittaker
Publisher - Software Projects
Genre - Interactive action adventure
Players - 1
Controls - Joystick in port 2