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How to beat the original Dragons Lair Arcade Game (1983) - Step by Step walkthrough

Broken Arcade

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Dragons Lair has long been the holy grail in my arcade collection. That said it has also been one of the hardest games. I first played Dragons Lair in Check E Cheese back in the 80s and as a kid the game cost $0.50. It was and expensive game, yet so much fun to play. Until now, I was only able to get past a handful of scenes.

In this video I am playing the original Dragons Lair arcade, and do a step-by-step walkthrough of every scene in Dragons Lair shouting out every move as I go along.

I am playing the original NOT Dragons Lair enhanced as the enhanced version has some different combination of moves than the original even on the same scene.

I did die twice in the game and the walkthrough below is specific to my gameplay going scene by scene.

If you die, you will be forced to play the scene again at the very and before you will be able to play the final Dragons Lair scene.

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TIMESTAMPS
00:00 - Start
00:09 - My Commentary intro
1:34 - Dragons Lair Arcade intro
2:30 - Room, closing wall - Up
2:35 - Drink Me - Right
2:39 - Underground River - Left, Right, Left, Right
Ye Rapids - Right, Left, Right, Left
Ye Whirlpools - Right, Left, Right, Left, Right
3:24 - Crumbling room - Right, Right
3:32 - Electric room with door / lava geyser - Up, Left
3:41 - Lizard King - Left, Right, Right, Right, Right, Right, Up, Sword (5x)
4:14 - Windy room - Right
4:23 - Snake Room - Sword, Sword, Sword, Up
4:34 - Fire room - Right, Up, Down, Left
4:46 - Breaking wooden bridges - Up, Up, Sword, Right, Right
4:58 - Bat room - Sword, Left, Left, Sword
5:08 - Mud Men - Sword, Up (8x)
5:38 - Falling Wooden Disc - Third Ledge, Left
(This scene will also play reversed so the move would then be Right)

5:51 - Flaming Ropes - Right, Right, Right
(This scene will also play reversed so the moves would then be Left, Left, Left, Left)

6:03 - Flying Horse - Right, Left, Right, Right, Right, Right
(This scene will also play reversed so the moves would then be Left, Right, Left, Left, Left, Left)

6:22 - Scary Hallway - Up, Sword, Up, Sword, Left, Sword
(This scene will also play reversed so the moves would then be Up, Sword, Up, Sword, Right, Sword)

6:37 - 5:38 - Falling Wooden Disc - Third Ledge, Left
6:50 - Giant colored balls - Down (6x), Up
7:11 - Spinning Bats/Grim Reaper - Up Sword, Down, Up
(This scene will also play reversed so the moves would then be Up Sword, Up Up)

7:23 - Flying Weapons Room - Sword, Sword, Left, Sword, Sword
(This scene will also play reversed so the moves would then be Sword, Sword, Right, Sword, Sword)
7:44 - Green Tentacle Room - Sword, Up, Right, Down, Left, Up
8:00 - Disappearing Stairs (Grey Room) - Left, Sword, Left
8:11 - Yellow Brick Path - Left, Up Right, Up, Left, Up, Sword, Right, Up
*First move is always the side his sword hangs on his belt
(This scene will also play reversed so the moves would then be Right, Up Left, Up, Right, Up, Sword, Left, Up)

8:32 - Electric Knight Checkered Room - Right, Left, Up, Left Right, Left, Right, Sword
*First move is always opposite of where is sword hangs on his belt
(This scene will also play reversed so the moves would then be Left, Right, Up, Right Left, Right, Left, Sword )

8:52 - Throne Room - Right, Right, Right, Right
9:08 - Falling Wooden Disc - Third Ledge, Right
9:15 - Flaming Ropes - Left, Left, Left, Left
9:28 - Flying Horse (reversed) - Left, Right, Left, Left, Left, Left
9:46 - Scary Hallway (reversed) - Up, Sword, Up, Sword, Right, Sword
9:57 - Falling Wooden Disc - Third Ledge, Left
10:10 - Black Knight Horse Rider - Left, Left, Right
10:23 - Spinning Bats/Grim Reaper (reversed) - Up Sword, Down, Up
10:36 - Flying Weapons Room (reversed) - Sword, Sword, Right, Sword, Sword
10:57 - Cauldron Room / Slime Monster - Up, Sword, Down, Sword, Right
11:10 - Purple Monkey Monsters - Sword, Right, Sword
11:21 - Yellow Brick Path - Right, Up Left, Up, Right, Up, Sword, Left, Up
*First move is always the side his sword hangs on his belt

11:42 - Electric Knight Checkered Room (reversed) Left, Right, Up, Right Left, Right, Left, Sword
*First move is always opposite of where his sword hangs on his belt

12:02 - Tilting Room - Down, Up, Left

If you passed all those scenes CONGRATS, you will be at the Dragons lair!
I died on both scary hallway scenes so I have to re-do them before I can reach the Dragons Lair.
12:11 - Scary Hallway re-do 1 - Up, Sword, Up, Sword, Left, Sword
12:27 - Scary Hallway re-do 2 (reversed) - Up, Sword, Up, Sword, Right, Sword

12:44 - The Dragons Lair! - Left, Left, Left, Left, Left, Right, Up, Sword, Sword, Up, Sword

CONGRATS - YOU BEAT DRAGONS LAIR!

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This allows you to play Dragons Lair, Dragons Lair II & Space Ace in and original Dragons Lair arcade cabinet.
Dexter - https://www.rulecity.com/dexterorderweb/
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BrokenArcade on instagram (I post daily on Instagram)
Instagram: brokenarcade

20 Comments

@thebookwasbetter3650 1 year ago

I was never convinced the controls actually did anything.

@70burban 1 year ago

I used to play this game after school in 1983 when I was 12. I never saw anyone beat it until now. It only took 42 years, thank you sir.

@sliceserve234 1 year ago

who is watching for the nostalgia instead of the answers?

@ComdrStew 1 year ago

I was 14 years old in Cincinnati's Children's Hospital in 1986 for a little over a week for my ears, after my 7th operation. They actual had Dragon's Lair in the game room they had setup. The had a pool table, Dragon's Lair, and a bunch of board games. Best part, you did not need quarters. The had a bar stool in front of it and I was able to play it a lot. On the 6th day I finally beat it. I can say that Dragon's Lair helped me feel a lot better.

@chocolatetownforever7537 1 year ago

I know theres not enough action for some arcade enthusiasts, but this game was fascinating to me as a kid in the 80s. Absolutely GORGEOUS because of the use of the laser disc, to me its the prettiest arcade game of all time.

Never could get the hang of it and beat it with my measly pile of quarters lol.

@FlockinIcehole 1 year ago

It was revolutionary when it came out because of the animation! I was awe struck by it.

@jcaseyjones2829 4 years ago

The only game I was ever content to watch other people play in the arcade. First, the game was insanely difficult when you're 7-8 years old, and second, FIFTY CENTS A PLAY?! HIGHWAY ROBBERY!

@harrybrass007 1 year ago

I waited 42 years to finally see the ending... Ty so much for sharing...

@KimHenriksen. 1 year ago

After 40 years, I never saw anyone do this. The Dragon and the princess in the end was amazing. Thank you for this video.

@StageRight555 1 year ago

I've beaten Dragon's Lair on the SegaCD flawlessly without dying at all. It takes 11 minutes to beat the game from beginning to end without dying.

@Stumpy1973 4 years ago

As a kid this game took all my quarters in my quest to slay that darn dragon. I finally got smart and would just hand around the machine until somebody that knew how to win would play. I would watch carefully the moves and memorize them. Eventually I slayed the dragon, not bad for a 10 year old!! I might have turned 11 by the time I finally won. Then Space Ace came out and most of the dragon's Lair games disappeared. I think most of them got converted to Space Ace.

@TheSilvercue 1 year ago

Seeing this at the fair when I was young was incredible. Young people will not understand how mind blowing this was at the time.

@patientmental875 3 years ago

If you saw or made it to the dragon in the arcade back in the day it was legendary & nobody would believe you! It was a myth at every arcade!

@SkippyTarbuckle 1 year ago

Man, smoked alot of jazz cabbage playing this game. Miss those arcade days.

@kingneutron1 1 year ago

Respect to the animators, they created a game that still holds up decades later. That princess was CUTE

@Bubs0271 1 year ago

When i was a kid this game was light years ahead of anything else in the arcade. The visual style was epic. I still remember it as the stand alone game of all. The most epic game ever. It took decades for basic game play to look this good.

@lilithcal 1 year ago

I played this at a mall quite a bit. Eventually I got good at it. On one occasion I was getting ready to finish the game for the first time. I started to hyperventilate and had to walk away before I passed out.

@nsr60ster85 1 year ago

I saw a friend beat this game once. He played it dedicatedly for weeks and came close a few times. Then one day he waved his quarter in the air, saying "The dragon dies." And yes, he made it stand up.