Page 53 - OSG Presents Classic Gamer Magazine #5

of your remote control, and even with a tratingly, both games feature more or less on my el cheapo Panasonic DVD player.
better player, you have to keep in mind the same clips - there isn't much history Digital Leisure has also released PC-
that DVD players were meant to spin that's unique to either title.) Dragon's Lair II compatible DVD-ROM versions of all
movies, not play games. The lag time is features pencil-drawn rough animations of three games in a "PC bundle," but not
an absolute killer with these games - you the entire game on a separate track - sort of having a DVD-ROM drive or those ver-
can expect a wait of two to three seconds an animator's non-verbal commentary track. sions of the game, I can't give a review
to find out if you've led Dirk or Dexter to You've probably noticed that I haven't on those products.
the next scene, or to the aforementioned said much about the harder-to-find Dragon's Is it worth it? Whew…barely. I'd only
hideous and painful death. It's a pretty Lair II. If you missed it in the arcades… recommend these DVD games for the
embarrassing blow to the otherwise com- count your blessings. It had much more of most diehard of classic gamers, or per-
pelling technology of DVD when a laser- a storyline than its simpler ancestor, but that haps rabid Dragon's Lair or Space Ace
disc player from 1983 had less response storyline was steeped in elements plagia- fans. For my own tastes, these games
lag time. rized from such sources as Alice In Won- barely cut it as games even when they
Fortunately, given that Bluth's laser derland and Disney's Jungle Book. That were in the arcades…and these playable
games were almost unplayable at times, game's obscurity is probably all that pre- DVD versions, though beautifully re-
each game has a "watch" mode, which vented it from drawing a look-and-feel law- mastered, hardly make the cut as home
takes you through every scene of the suit from Walt Disney Studios. video games. They look great…but do
game, sans lags, as if you were peering There are also compatibility problems you really want to spend $30 or more per
over the shoulder of someone who was with Digital Leisure's laserdisc-games-on- game when the most compelling feature
playing a perfect game. There are some DVD. To put it simply, if you have one of a is the "watch" mode? If there was a good
nice pre-requisite DVD extras as well. few certain specific models of Toshiba DVD player back in the days when these
Dragon's Lair and Space Ace both fea- player, or an Aiwa or Samsung brand games were new, you could look over his
ture video histories of the games in the player, you're not going to be swashing your shoulder at the arcade and
form of news clips, circa 1983, many from buckle with Dirk the Daring any time soon. watch for free.
TV stations in and around Starcom's I'm not sure what the compatibility issues
home base in Denver. (But rather frus- with those models are…but they work okay

Classic Gamer Magazine December 2000 53