Dragon’s Lair Strategy Guide
Preface:
The rooms are grouped by level. When all lives are lost and the continue option is chosen, the game restarts at the first room on the level that was previously reached. The order of the rooms will be randomly chosen within a level. Levels 3, 4, 5 and 6 can also be randomly chosen. Certain rooms may appear as a mirror image, with all left and right moves reversed. Many the moves are different from the arcade version. Some scenes that appear in the arcade have been omitted. If a move does not seem to be working, try different timing. Some moves have very exact timing requirements.
Level 1
Drawbridge
Dirk falls through the hole in the bridge. Press Action , then Up to climb out.
End of Corridor
Dirk is facing three doors. Suddenly, the room starts to crumble and fall apart. Dirk covers his eyes and starts to sway towards the crevasse on the left. Move him in the opposite direction by pressing Right when the door to the right flashes open.
Level 2
Tentacles from Ceiling
A green tentacle appears from the hole in the ceiling. Chop it off by pressing Action . Dirk automatically jumps forward into the room. Press Right to move toward the door, but do not exit yet. Investigate the staircase by pressing Down . When the tentacles appear from the top of the stairs, jump to the table by pressing Left . Almost immediately, the door in front of Dirk opens. Press Up and he exits the room.
Snake Room
Dirk is in a room full of mist. A snake appears. Press Action . Another snake appears. Press Action . After killing both snakes pull the cord by pressing Right . Wait for a rope to drop down from the hole in the room, and press Up to narrowly escape a third snake.
Drink Me
Dirk stands in front of a table with a bottle. A sign reads “drink me”. Press Right to avoid the bottle and the flames.
Cauldron Pot
Dirk is in a laboratory. A huge cauldron pot bubbles over with yellow goo. Press Up to jump away from it and towards a table. Dirk examines a potion bottle. Suddenly, a monster jumps out of the bottle. Kill it by pressing Action . Dirk automatically jumps back toward the cauldron pot. A ghost appears from the pot. Kill it by pressing Action . More yellow goo flows towards Dirk’s feet. Escape through the door by pressing Right .
Level 3, 4, 5 or 6
Checkerboard Floor Knight
This room is reversed 50% of the time. The Black Knight sends electric charges through the floor towards Dirk. Dirk must move to the other side of the room safely and kill the Knight. Look at the hand in which the Knight is holding his sword at the beginning of this scene. Dirk should start moving in the opposite direction of that sword hand. Press Right , Left , Up , Left , Right , Left , Right to move to the Knight. Press Action , Action to kill the Knight with a few sword thrusts. Press Left , Right , Up , Right , Left , Right , Left , Action , Action for the reverse pattern.
The Goons
Dirk comes up through a trapdoor at the bottom of a stairwell. Purple Goons appear through a door. Kill them by pressing Action . Press Right , Up when more Goons come through the door to start Dirk up the stairway. Goons appear at the top of the stairs and come down towards Dirk. Chop them by pressing Action . Goons are still coming up the stairs after Dirk. Press Up to escape through the door.
Rolling Balls
Dirk is in a hallway with rolling colored balls. A larger black ball appears behind him. Wait for the yellow ball to cross in front of Dirk’s body and press Down . Repeat the move with each successive ball: red Down , blue Down , green Down , orange Down and purple ball Down . Press Up to jump over the deep hole.
Closing Wall
A wall in front of Dirk starts filling with bricks. Press Up immediately to make it through in time.
Bats
A flock of bats attacks Dirk. Defend Dirk by pressing Action . Press Action when more bats arrive, then immediately press Left to move away when the floor crumbles, and jump over the gap in the collapsed staircase by pressing Left . A giant vampire bat appears in front of the exit. Kill it by pressing Action . Press Left to go through the door. The pursuing bats collide with the closed door and fall to the ground.
Level 3, 4, 5 or 6
Large Wooden Platforms
The catwalk Dirk is walking on starts to collapse. Press Up , Up . A flock of bats attacks Dirk. Duck by pressing Down when their flapping wings are heard, and quickly press Action to use the sword to scare them away. The timing is crucial. Press Right to move to a broken section and climb a rope to safety.
Sliding Stairs
Press Left when the staircase turns into a slide. Dirk walks down the stairs. A purple-tentacle comes out of the pit at the bottom of the stairs. Press Action to send it back into the pit. Continue up the stairs and press Left to reach the other side of the room. Do not pull the chain; instead go through the round opening on the wall by pressing Left .
Metallic Flying Horse
This room may appear reversed. Dirk sits on a metal horse, which suddenly activates and takes him on a flying ride towards a wall of fire. In one version of this room, the fire appears on the left side of the pillar. Move away by pressing Right . Move away from more pillars by pressing Left , Right , Left and a stone wall by pressing Left . The horse crashes to safety back into the castle floor and Dirk gets up and walks through a door. Do not worry about the fireball that appears behind Dirk. Press Left , Right , Left , Right , Right in the reversed version of this room.
Metallic Ball
Dirk is in a throne room. A magnetic ball steals Dirk’s sword and helmet. The round carpet becomes electric and a top view of the room appears. Press Right , Up and then Right , to place Dirk on the throne. His helmet and sword are returned to him. The throne revolves into another room. Press Right to start Dirk running away from the electricity that appears behind him. Press Right to exit out the door.
Level 3, 4, 5 or 6
The Lizard King
Dirk is chased by the Lizard King. His sword is stolen away from him by a pot of gold, and he must chase after it. At various hallway intersections, Dirk has to choose the proper direction to continue. Dirk must move just as the sword and pot of gold turns, and before the Lizard King hits him on the head with his scepter. Press Left , Right , Right , Right , Right , Right to follow the pot of gold. Dirk is at a dead end. The pot of gold and his sword have come to a halt. Press Up to get the sword. Swing the sword at the Lizard King by pressing Action . Dirk loses his sword again. Press Left and then Right to evade the Lizard King. Press Down to get the sword again, and then press Action to kill the Lizard King. Dirk takes the gold and leaves through the door.
Giant Spinning Batons
This room may also be reversed, but since there are no left or right moves, the patterns will be the same. Dirk must cross a bridge over a chasm of thorns. Batons are spinning to either side of the bridge. Listen carefully to the sounds Dirk makes. After hearing his third sound, press Up . Now safely on the other side, Dirk confronts a red-cloaked specter with a glowing rod. Kill the specter by pressing Action . When thorns rise up in front of Dirk, press Down to jump back. More thorns appear. Press Up to allow Dirk to escape through the door.
The Smithy
This room may be reversed. Dirk is surrounded by a wall of fire, and enchanted weapons. Ready Dirk’s sword by immediately pressing Action . A magic sword flies toward Dirk. Press Action . An enchanted mace flies toward Dirk. Press Action . An anvil flies at Dirk. Depending on the version of the room, press either Right or Left to move away from the flaming wall. A spear flies off a weapon rack at Dirk. Press Action . Dirk jumps up on a ledge and an axe bearing statue comes to life. Press Action to kill it. Dirk leaves the room.
Haunted Hallway
This room may be reversed. Dirk is at the beginning of a long hallway with many doors. Clattering skulls fall out at Dirk’s feet and try to bite him. Press Up to jump away. A large skeletal hand tries to grab Dirk from a doorway. Press Action to smash it with Dirk’s sword. Black tar pours out of the doorway at Dirk’s feet. Jump forward in the hallway by pressing Up . Another skeletal hand appears. Press Action to smash it. More black tar pours out of a door on either side at the end of the hall. Move away from it and go through the door by pressing Right or Left . Dirk is attacked by Crypt Creeps. Press Action to kill them with a sword swing and escape out the secret passage.
Level 3, 4, 5 or 6
Checkerboard Corridor
The floor tilts and then vanishes beneath Dirk’s feet. Jump back by pressing Down . Dirk makes a commotion and tries to stand on the only available squares. Press Up to move to safety. Once Dirk jumps up to the far end of the room, press Left to move him out the door.
Pool of Water
This room may be reversed. If Dirk’s sword is hanging on his right side, and the floor crumbles to the left, press Right . Darts shoot from the wall at Dirk. Press Up to avoid being hit. The stone floor crumbles. Press Left . Dirk is standing at the edge of the pool. More floor crumbles. Press Up to jump into the water. Panels open and snakes swim into the pool with Dirk. Quickly press Right to get out of the pool. More floor crumbles. Press Up . Dirk is in the corner of the room. A spider frightens Dirk. Press Action . The floor collapses more. Press Up to go through the door between two converging stone blocks. Press Left , Up , Right , Up , Left , Up , Action , Up in the reversed version of this room.
Phantom Knight
A ghostly horseman charges towards Dirk. Press Left to move away from the thorns. The knight makes another charge. Once again, move away from the thorns by pressing Left . The knight returns a third time. Press Right to avoid the thorns. Dirk jumps into a cave after almost getting hit by the knight’s sword.
Room of Fire
Dirk is in a room in flames. A bench drops down and covers a hole to the left. Lightning shoots out of a hole in the ceiling towards Dirk. Press Right . When Dirk is on the right side of the room, press Down . When fire appears in front of Dirk, press Up . The room is brightly lit with flames. Keep moving Dirk by pressing Left , Left , Left until he pulls the bench from the wall and crawls through the low opening.
Level 7
The Round Cage
A round grill drops down over Dirk and becomes electrified. An electric field appears on the ground and begins to move towards Dirk’s feet. Press Up , Up to avoid the electricity and Up to get through the crashing doors. Dirk is at a bridge over a gushing geyser. When a side view of the bridge appears and Dirk looks back at the electricity behind him, immediately press Left to cross the bridge to safety.
Lava Field of the Mudmen
Dirk is in a large cave and is attacked by mudmen. Press Action to have Dirk use the sword. The sword bounces right off the mudmen. They move in on Dirk. Press Up . Press Up seven more times whenever Dirk pauses.
Rapids/Whirlpools
Dirk falls into a boat on a raging underground river. At the rapids, move up each time Dirk’s boat enters the lighter and calmer current by pressing Up , Up , Up , Up . At the whirlpools, move Dirk away from the whirlpool by pressing Right , Left , Right , Left . Dirk’s boat hits a wall, sending him flying up in the air towards a chain. When the dinging sound is heard, grab the chain by pressing Right .
Level 8: The Dragon’s Lair
Dirk has finally made it to the Dragon’s Lair! Princess Daphne is inside a crystal ball, and the Singe the Dragon appears to be asleep. A stack of objects is about to topple over, which will awaken Singe. Press Up after Dirk says “wow” and “umhum!” to catch the objects. Dirk hops on a box of treasure. Press Left to slide down a pile of coins. Singe hears this and wakes up, blowing flames in Dirk’s direction. Press Left to escape. Press Down to have Dirk catch more noisy objects that are about to fall. Singe goes back to sleep. Dirk moves closer to Daphne, who tells him how to kill Singe: “Get the key, find the Magic Sword.” After this speech, Singe awakens. Dirk hides behind a pillar, but Singe tries to grab Dirk with his claws. Press Down , Down to have Dirk duck, then press Left to have him run off to the side. Daphne exclaims “ooh!” Singe pursues Dirk. Press Up to let Dirk jump over a high pile of gold coins. Dirk hides behind another pillar. Singe tries to grab Dirk. Press Down . The pillar crashes on top of Singe’s head. Press Right to have Dirk run and duck behind another column, where he sees the Magic Sword! Press Action to have Dirk grab for the sword when Singe pokes his head into scene. The Dragon blows some flames at Dirk. Press Action to have Dirk use the magic sword as a shield. Daphne claps proudly. Singe swings his huge tail at Dirk. Press Left and Dirk jumps out of the way. Press Action to have Dirk kill Singe by throwing the Magic Sword into his gut. Dirk and Daphne live happily ever after…