You may not know it by looking at it today, but Dragon's Lair was an influential game when it was originally released. At a time where mono-colored ghosts and space invaders were the next big thing in graphics, Dragon's Lair came in with visuals that rivaled most animated features and a gameplay mechanic that was, for the time, innovative and fresh. With the release of next-generation video formats, Digital Leisure has re-release a cleaned up, high-definition version of Dragon's Lair that can be played on either the PS3 or a standard Blu-ray player.

Dragon's Lair HD is a re-mastered version of the same game that has appeared on nearly every digital video format available. Although the game's art style and animation sequences may seem dated to some people, they stand out as a true testament to classic animation practices. Don Bluth's signature style still looks great and manages to convey a sense of personality that many animated characters lack these days.

The transition to HD is okay, though it isn't mind-blowing. Watching the side-by-side comparison of the raw video dump and cleaned-up HD, the difference between the two is not that drastic. The only noticeable difference is that the colors are a little more defined in the HD version. Still, it is enough to make this the very best version of the game, especially when compared to other systems (which can also be viewed in the Features section).

Dragon's Lair HD's sound is limited, though the game requires such concentration that anything more would probably be too distracting.

The concept behind Dragon's Lair is simple. Playing as the brave knight, Dirk the Daring, it is your job to navigate the many dangers of a castle as you attempt to rescue the beautiful Princess Daphne. Rather than controlling Dirk, you watch his actions and make split-second decisions for him as action prompts quickly pop onto the screen. These sequences are similar to God of War's button-pressing sequences, only they are not as obvious and make up all of the gameplay. Though this is entertaining for a couple of minutes, the enjoyment is fleeting - especially since the commands are pre-scripted, so all you are really doing is memorizing a sequence (or a mirrored version of the experience).

Dragon's Lair HD offers a few extras that are a little more entertaining than the actual game. An "uncut" version is available that shows all of the sequences in order, first showing the right choice then the death sequence. It is choppy and not something you can sit and watch like a movie, but it is still fun to watch and gives you an idea about how sequences should be completed. Besides, the death sequences are funny to watch and are probably one of the game's more memorable aspects.

Also available is a Picture-in-Picture commentary by the game's creators, Gary Goldman, Rick Dyer and Don Bluth. For anyone interested in the development side of either games or movies, the commentary is fun to listen to. The commentary on the technology behind the game and history of Dragon's Lair is interesting. Although the trio does a bit of head scratching trying to remember what was going on during development, their comments are still interesting. It was also fun to see their different takes on the game. While Dyer and Goldman focus more on the gameplay and technology behind the game, Bluth spends a great deal of time critiquing the artwork and animation.

In total, Dragon's Lair HD lasts about 17 minutes if you get everything right. However, unless you've already mastered the game, there is a steep learning curve involved. Again, gameplay comes down to simple memorization, both of the moves and timing. Some sequences, like the rafting trip and flying horse, are easy while others, like the rotating orbs or chess sequence, are tough. Sequences also pop up in a random order, there is always a short "shock" period at the start of each as you try and remember what to do. This can get frustrating, especially for younger gamers or some members of the post-PlayStation generation, who are used to certain safety nets being in place.

Both Easy and Hard Modes are available. Easy lets you replay failed sequences while Hard doesn't. You can also decide between 5 lives and Infinite as well as toggling the visual indicators.

Dragon's Lair HD is the pure definition of trial-and-error gameplay. The game is broken up into a number of short sequences that you need to navigate by reading on-screen cues. One of the more confusing aspects is that the manual doesn't agree with what actually happens in the game. According to the manual, a small gold diamond is supposed to appear in the corner as a prompt. After spending a couple of hours with the game, I never saw the gold diamond, only a dot that would flash red or green based on if I got the right move.

The movement cues are a little easier to see. During each sequence, a part of the environment flashes, indicating that you need to move in that direction. Playing with the Sixaxis felt comfortable, though I preferred my Blu-ray remote because of the layout; it was easier to quickly jump between the four arrow keys and (ENTER) button than the D-pad and (X) button. The difference was not drastic though and the game is playable either way.

Dragon's Lair HD is a great example of what arcade gaming is about - quick, fun gameplay experiences that last only a couple of minutes. Though this worked in the arcades, it doesn't translate well to home consoles. As a result, Dragon's Lair HD is more for nostalgic gamers than anyone else.