Dirk the Daring and Me

Yes, I'm one of those nerds who remembers the old Laser Disc arcade chestnut that is Dragon's Lair. You think you know all about it, but then you stumble into Electronics Boutique and find the 20th anniversary edition discs on sale for the ridiculous price of $3.99. Nostalgia most definitely set in, so what am I left to do, but purchase that bad boy and pop it into the PS2 as soon as I get home.

Granted, my first experience with this game was at the very young age of 10 in the Las Vegas arcade of Circus Circus. I spent an innumerable number of hours popping quarters into both Dragon's Lair II and Space Ace. Probably wasting money, but nevertheless, having fun. It wasn't so much the simple gameplay of the game, but the animation that I loved the most. Does the video look familiar? Well it should.

The man behind all three arcade games - Dragon's Lair, Space Ace, and Dragon's Lair II - is none other than the erstwhile Disney animator, Don Bluth. You can recognize his naturally emotive work in the Disney films Robin Hood and The Rescuers, but many probably know him better for his independent work for other studios, which includes An American Tail, The Land Before Time, All Dogs Go to Heaven, and Anastasia. Funny thing is, I probably remember him most for the three preceding video games more than anything. Maybe because it was my first exposure to his work, but definitely because there's something contagious about the distinctive line of his animation. I think it's the inherent personality each of the character designs has, the attention to detail, and especially the individuality of the character animations. Catching up with these games on DVD is enough inspiration to make me want to watch some of his movies over again. I hope he can find funding for a new movie somewhere soon, such a shame that not many studios have faith in traditional hand-drawn animation.

But, that's a post for another day...