HARD DIFFICULTY - [JUMP TO EASY DIFFICULTY] - [JUMP TO VERY HARD DIFFICULTY]
Here is our complete walkthru for the 1983 arcade version of Dragon's Lair by Cinematronics, set at hard difficulty.
LEGEND
U - | Up |
D - | Down |
L - | Left |
R - | Right |
S - | Sword |
N - | No move - Letter "N" in the "correct move" row means that making no move at all is a correct play (with score). |
Moves colored red require particular timing and are
only correct when performed at the right time, as explained in their comments. They
will cause death if performed too early (or too late). Moves colored purple will cause a subsequent software error or glitch. Diagonals: When two joystick directions are listed as correct (such as U L), diagonal movement in these directions is also correct, unless otherwise noted. (Yes, this has always been an 8-way joystick game, with the software processing diagonal input separately and distinctly.) Timing: All moves listed in the chart will cause their indicated results during the time frame when the correct move is acceptable. Before this time frame begins (and after the previous move), some correct moves and "death moves" may instead cause a buzz, and some "buzz moves" may instead cause death. NOTE: All scenes begin with an automatic award of 49 points. |
41. Move when Dirk nears the end of his swing. TOTAL SCORE: 2,089 |
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43. Move after the fire has appeared. 44. Move after Dirk has passed the pillar on his side and it is out of view. TOTAL SCORE: 3,850 |
as a correct move. TOTAL SCORE: 5,303 |
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TOTAL SCORE: 3,859 |
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48. Move to the Left before Dirk reaches the light orange strip, or else if Dirk is within the strip, move Up. (Diagonal movement is not correct.) 49. This first whirlpool will not appear when the difficulty is hard; however, the game will still award 251 points after it skips over the video. 50. A diagonal Up/Left is also recognized and accepted as a correct move. 51. A diagonal Up/Right is also recognized and accepted as a correct move. TOTAL SCORE: 4,673 |
with a catwalk. (3 chances) This scene appears twice in one complete game. TOTAL SCORE: 3,304 |
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54. Move when the gap in the floor appears. TOTAL SCORE: 2,574 |
56. Move when the geyser is at zero height. (3 chances) TOTAL SCORE: 4,481 |
and will cause a buzz. TOTAL SCORE: 6,981 |
the center path together at the same time. (3 chances) (This is the official timing criteria as per the game software.) TOTAL SCORE: 8,507 |
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60. Move when Dirk stops running. 61. A diagonal Down/Left is also recognized and accepted as a correct move. TOTAL SCORE: 12,738 |
on the floor during the middle of its descent. 63. Move after the anvil begins to rise off the floor. 64. Press the Sword button when the camera shot begins to pan towards Dirk. TOTAL SCORE: 6,470 |
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TOTAL SCORE: 428 |
67. Move when the bench flashes. 68. After Dirk has landed on the bench, move when the door opens for the first or second time. (2 chances) A diagonal Up/Right is also recognized and accepted as a correct move. TOTAL SCORE: 5,152 |
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TOTAL SCORE: 12,267 |
as a correct move. (This comment appears under the 4th move intentionally, while for the easy difficulty chart, it appears under the 3rd move.) TOTAL SCORE: 4,724 |
as a correct move. 72. Press the Sword button when the giddy goons appear at the top of the stairs. TOTAL SCORE: 5,009 |
TOTAL SCORE: 4,531 |
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and then the timing for all further moves in the scene will be shifted, requiring them to be performed late. (Diagonal Up/Left succeeds as Up does, without error.) 75. A diagonal Up/Right is also recognized and accepted as a correct move. TOTAL SCORE: 9,020 |
TOTAL SCORE: 18,152 |
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78. A diagonal Up/Right is also recognized and accepted as a correct move. TOTAL SCORE: 9,244 |
TOTAL SCORE: 6,602 |
81. A diagonal Up/Left is also recognized and accepted as a correct move. 82. Move when the ground flashes. 83. If you move Up, you will receive 495 points and continue on to the next move. If you move Right, you will receive 1,326 points, and the scene will end without any further moves accepted or points awarded, and the video will cut off prematurely when Dirk first exits through the cave. A diagonal Up/Right is not correct in this instance and will cause a buzz. TOTAL SCORE AVAILABLE: 14,692 |
a catwalk. (3 chances to move Left, then 3 chances to move Right, then 3 more chances to move Left) BONUS SCORE: 49 points for not jumping at the first 3 stops. Another 1,939 points for also not jumping at the middle 3 stops. TOTAL SCORE AVAILABLE: 5,292 |
a catwalk. (3 chances to move Right, then 3 chances to move Left, then 3 more chances to move Right) BONUS SCORE: 124 points for not jumping at the first 3 stops. Another 2,191 points for also not jumping at the middle 3 stops. TOTAL SCORE AVAILABLE: 5,619 |
body hits the ground, at which time the software will recover by resetting to the attract mode. However, this error does not occur (and N is fatal) with ROM revision F2. The correction of this error is the only difference that exists between ROM revisions F and F2. 87. If you move Down, the software will fail to search for the death scene, and the laserdisc will continue playing from where it is for the duration of the proper death scene. Normal operation will then resume with the content that should follow the death scene. TOTAL SCORE: 37,251 |
MAXIMUM SCORES (hard difficulty)
Total possible score using 1 life | 326,248 |
Total possible score using 3 lives | 390,750 |
Total possible score using 5 lives | 455,252 |
These scores are obtained by allowing both 9-level elevator floors to drop 7 or more levels,
and also by moving 'Up' near the end of the Mudmen scene instead of 'Right'.
The 3-life and 5-life scores are obtained by losing all lives but one at the last sword move of the game.
However, these maximum scores can still be exceeded
quick reference
easy difficulty
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very hard difficulty
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ALL SCENES RANKED BY TOTAL SCORE (both hard & very hard difficulty)
1) Dragon's Lair | 37,251 |
2) Yellow Brick Road (pool of water / spider) (reversed) | 31,462 |
3) Yellow Brick Road (pool of water / spider) | 28,762 |
4) Chapel (Robot Knight / checkered floor) (reversed) | 21,104 |
5) Chapel (Robot Knight / checkered floor) | 18,152 |
6) Mudmen | 14,692 |
7) Pot of Gold (Lizard King) | 12,738 |
8) Wizard's Chamber (Acid Creature / Cauldron Wizard) | 12,267 |
9) Throne Room | 9,244 |
10) Socker Boppers (Grim Reaper) (reversed) | 9,231 |
11) Catwalk (bats) | 9,020 |
12) Socker Boppers (Grim Reaper) | 8,507 |
13) Giant Bat | 8,492 |
14) Forge (Smithee) (reversed) | 7,133 |
15) Knight & Light (Black Knight / horse) | 6,981 |
16) Tilting Room | 6,602 |
17) Forge (Smithee) | 6,470 |
18) Mausoleum (Crypt Creeps) (reversed) | 6,411 |
19) Elevator Floor (9 levels) (reversed) | 5,619 |
20) Flying Barding (reversed) | 5,303 |
21) Elevator Floor (9 levels) | 5,292 |
22) Mist Room (snakes) | 5,207 |
23) Tentacles & Halberd | 5,152 |
24) Spiral Staircase (Giddy Goons) | 5,009 |
25) YMCA Room (flattening stairs) | 4,724 |
26) Pirates Of The Caribbean (underground river) | 4,673 |
27) Fire Room (lightning / bench over exit) | 4,531 |
28) Three Caves (jagged door / geyser) | 4,481 |
29) Mausoleum (Crypt Creeps) | 3,859 |
30) Flying Barding | 3,850 |
31) Elevator Floor (3 levels) (appears twice) | 3,304 |
32) Boulder Trench (colored balls) | 2,574 |
33) Fire Pit (ropes) | 2,089 |
34) Fire Pit (ropes) (reversed) | 923 |
35) Vestibule (small crumbling room) | 551 |
36) Bower (bedroom / closing wall) | 428 |
37) Wizard's Kitchen ("Drink Me") | 428 |
38) Breathing Door (wind room) | 428 |
EASY DIFFICULTY
VERY HARD DIFFICULTY
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