If you're unfamiliar with Dragon's Lair, it's an old-school game that people used to crowd around in awe at the arcades when I was a kid. It was the first game ever to use laser disc technology, at a time when even CD's had never been heard of and it was basically an interactive cartoon. It looked (and still does look) amazing; you progressed through the game by timing a nudge of the joystick or hit of the attack button to skip to the next track on the disk and continue the cartoon. It was rock hard, frustrating and really lacking in the gameplay department - but because it looked so cool nobody cared. What do you get if you take one Eighties phenomenon, look at what it did well and look at what it did poorly, then try to do the best you can to iron out the creases? The answer is Dragon's Lair 3D.

I'm a fan of the Dragon's Lair series and I always have been, so when this came out I had my fingers crossed that the developers wouldn't let me down. I'm pleased to report that, for the most part, they didn't. The game follows the original storyline of Evil Wizard Mordroc kidnapping the very tasty Princess Daphne and you take control (yes, you actually get to control him this time) of Dirk the Daring, a clumsy knight who's out to rescue Daphne and, who knows, maybe even get some love action at the end of it all.

The graphics in this game had so much to live up to and they were obviously never going to match the visual splendour of the original but on the whole the developers have done a pretty good job. They've opted for cel-shading and while the environments are a little drab and samey, the lead character and the enemies are all wonderfully realised, fantastically drawn and expertly animated. You're even treated to a brand new bit of Don Bluth animation to introduce and conclude the game [Don being the cartoonist behind the original. Ed].

Anyone familiar with the original games will instantly recognise the sounds; some might consider it a bit lazy to just lift what they already had from previous games but I liked it, as it gives the game some familiarity and reminds me of being a kid in the arcades at the seaside. Sentimental, I know, but a large number of gamers that look at this will be doing so for sentimental reasons. These sound effects are complemented with a new and original musical score, which is well produced and suits the game perfectly.

I was curious to see what kind of approach the developers would take to the gameplay and I'm pleased to say that they've crammed in plenty of variety. The closest thing I can compare it to is Prince Of Persia; there is a really nice mix of puzzles, action and jumping around. However, in a face off between the two of them, the Prince would kick Dirk's comical ass all over town. And back again. In slow motion.

Dirk's range of moves are pretty limited; he can only move, jump and roll and he's a bit glitchy - it's often difficult to line him up for a jump, because you never quite know where he might end up. The switch between action and fighting mode is a little cumbersome too. Picture this: you've just finished a lengthy, difficult fight and you're ready to escape by jumping a massive gap. You run up to it but because you've forgotten to put your sword away, Dirk doesn't jump - he just takes a swipe at the air, then falls into the abyss, sending you to the beginning of the fight again. This is really frustrating. He does have a nice selection of weapons at his disposal though and after licking his wounds he could always have the last laugh in his fight with the Prince Of Persia by getting out his crossbow and shooting him in the back of the head with a flaming arrow, before going home to his much fitter chick.

The game itself though isn't bad at all; it's tough but not control pad destroyingly tough. As you progress through the castle, each room poses a new set of challenges and they remain fresh throughout. What this game lacks in attainment it certainly makes up for in effort and you only need to see the boss battles to realise this. Admittedly they are a lot better to look at than to play but impressive nonetheless.

I clocked Dragon's Lair 3D in about twelve hours, which is maybe a touch on the short side but at least throughout it never felt artificially long like Warrior Within or Half-Life 2. I did actually want to play it until the end and never got bored. Plus, once it's finished you can enjoy a documentary and some artwork

If you liked the original Dragon's Lair, then you should definitely give Dragon's Lair 3D: Return To The Lair a go. It's never going to win any awards for best game but it's fun while it lasts and you can't put a price tag on those nostalgic twinges you get whilst playing it. The rest of you give it a rent first; if you can get past the clunky controls there's a really nice game here trying to break free.

Reviewed by Mark Hayhurst for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).