Dragon's Lair

I will never forget the first time I saw a Dragon's Lair arcade machine. It was 1983, Showbiz Pizza in Birmingham, AL. I was there with a church group and from the moment I saw that game, I knew that it was not just the next big thing, but it was something special, very special.

There was a huge crowd surrounding the machine. It was like it was the only game in the entire arcade. There were rows of quarters stacked on the machine, people marking their place to get their turn at the game. I was astonished at what I was seeing. This was like no video game I had ever seen.

The game has a very simple plot. You become Dirk the Daring, a klutzy knight on a quest to rescue the beautiful Princess Daphne from the clutches of an evil dragon named Singe. The game takes place inside the Castle of an evil wizard Mordroc. It is filled with dangers, enemies, traps, and puzzles to deter any would-be adventurers.

What made this game so different was every frame was hand drawn animation by the amazing Don Bluth. There were moments in the game where decisions would have to be made. Move through a door, use your sword, grab a chain etc. then it would load another animation for whatever action you chose. If you chose the correct actions, you would progress through the scene and move on to the next, if you didn't, you died a horrible death.

This game had such a huge impact on me as a kid. I was 13 when it hit the arcades and it has always been enjoyable. I've never stopped loving this game, it will always have a special place in my heart for more reasons than I'm even aware of. If I had to write a top 10 list of video games, this one would be very high up in that list. This game had something magical about it and it will stand the test of time.

I never really played Dragon's Lair 2 much, or Space Ace for that matter. Both were games made by the same company, with animation from Don Bluth. I'm sure they're both great, but there is no way they can touch this game as far as nostalgia and pure magic goes.

Heroes in a Half Shell.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles first appeared in a comic book in 1984, it was later developed into an animated cartoon series in 1987. The series was wildly successful and spawned a wide variety of toys, action figures, video games, clothing, glasses, lunch boxes etc. The first animated series had a wildly successful 9 year run, and is still on the air in syndication. It also spawned a series of movies.

At its core, TMNT was an action/buddy cartoon about a group of sewer dwellers that became mutants due to a toxic spill. It often focused on each character's strengths and weaknesses, and tried to establish morals when it could.

Leonardo - The leader of the group wields two katana. He is the oldest of the brothers, and he was named after Leonardo da Vinci. Leonardo wears a blue mask.

Michelangelo - Was the easy-going surfer dude. He wields a pair of nunchaku, and he provided most of the comic relief as he was more light hearted than the others. Michelangelo was names for the famous painter of the same name. Mikey wore an orange mask.

Donatello - Was the genius of the group, and he used a Bo staff.  He was great at solving conflicts between the brothers. Donnie wore a purple mask.

Raphael - Was the hot-headed go to guy when you needed violence. He often let his temper get the best of him, but he was a very gifted martial artist. He is equipped with a pair of sai. Raph wears the red mask.

Their master was a talking Rat named Splinter that often taught the boys more about life than martial arts. The main enemy of the ninja turtles was the Foot Clan and their evil leader Shredder.

Ninja turtles favorite food was pizza. They loved it. pizza was like Scooby Snacks to these guys. 

 

I remember watching this show often, and it was always fun. I also enjoyed the video games, and even had an action figure. There were a lot of great after-school cartoons during this time. and this was one of my favorites. The first movie wasn't bad at all, and there have been many more films made, at least 2 more cartoon series, and at least one more movie on the way, but for me, it will always be about the cartoon from the 80's.

Welcome to Time Warp!

This site is devoted to the old days. Not just any old days, but the 70's 80's and 90's.
We're going to discuss everything from music videos to movies, toys to television, da-glow socks to 80's hair. If you're looking for a site to remind you of yesteryear, you've come to the right place.

So sit back, relax, put on your Micheal Jackson glove, and kick off those Air Jordan's and let's reminisce about days gone by.