《龍穴歷險記》（Dragon's Lair）是於1983年由Cinematronics發行的街機遊戲。由動畫師唐·布魯斯（Don Bluth）負責設計動畫，以其獨特的動畫風格和激動人心的劇情贏得大量粉絲。在早期的街機時代是革命性產品，因為採用當時創新的激光影碟（LaserDisc）技術，使得畫面達到電影般的質感。

玩家將扮演的是勇士德克（Dirk the Daring），必須穿越危機四伏的龍穴，最終救出被邪惡龍辛格（Singh）囚禁的公主黛芬妮（Princess Daphne）。共有30個寬卡，整個遊戲的故事情節以動畫電影的形式展現，需要在關鍵時刻輸入正確的方向鍵或按下劍擊按鈕，以引導德克進行正確的行動，躲避陷阱或打敗敵人。如果反應不及或選擇錯誤，德克就會面臨失敗，並可能會有一個幽默或悲慘的動畫死亡場景。

因為並非傳統的街機遊戲，主要操作方式是基於「快速反應事件」機制。在動畫播映過程中及時按下指定的方向鍵或攻擊按鈕，以控制德克的行動。整體的難度相當高，要熟記每個場景的動作順序，才能順利通關。隨著劇情的進展，場景越來越難，要在緊張的時刻快速做出正確的反應，這使得遊戲具有極大的挑戰性。

由於其獨特的玩法和精美的動畫，迅速吸引大量玩家，並且成為當時街機廳中的熱門遊戲。然而，遊戲也有明顯的缺點。首先，操作方式過於單一，只需要在正確的時刻輸入正確的按鍵，缺乏傳統街機遊戲中更深度的操作感。其次，由於關卡的進程完全依賴於預設的動畫序列，一旦玩家熟悉所有的動作步驟，重玩價值大大降低。再者，儘管激光影碟技術帶來絢麗的畫面，但這種技術成本高昂且容易損壞，這使得街機的維護成為一個難題。

《龍穴歷險記》的沒落可以歸因於多方面的原因。隨著市場對更具互動性和深度的遊戲的需求增加，像這樣依賴於預設動畫的遊戲逐漸失去吸引力。此外，激光影碟技術本身的局限性也阻礙它的長期發展，使得街機廳主和遊戲開發者對其熱情逐漸減退。隨著更加先進和互動性更強的作品出現，如《街頭快打》系列和《快打旋風》系列，這類單一反應式的遊戲逐漸被市場淘汰。

雖然在推出的第一年爆紅，但是很快就被淘汰，儘管如此開發商的獲利驚人，之後還有推出動畫，在1991年推出續作遊戲。這是具有歷史意義的作品。它展示早期電子遊戲與動畫技術結合的潛力，至今仍然是許多遊戲愛好者和歷史學家津津樂道的經典之作。隨著技術的進步，開始在多個平台上被重新移植，讓新一代玩家也能體驗到這個曾經風靡一時的經典街機遊戲。

Dragon's Lair is an arcade game released in 1983 by Cinematronics, with animation designed by Don Bluth. The game gained a massive fan following due to its unique animation style and thrilling storyline. In the early days of arcades, Dragon's Lair was a revolutionary product because it utilized the then-innovative LaserDisc technology, which allowed the game to feature visuals with a cinematic quality.

In the game, players take on the role of Dirk the Daring, a valiant knight who must navigate a treacherous dragon's lair to rescue Princess Daphne, who is imprisoned by the evil dragon Singh. The game consists of 30 stages, and the storyline is presented in the form of an animated movie. Players are required to input the correct directional commands or press the sword button at key moments to guide Dirk through obstacles and defeat enemies. If players fail to react in time or make the wrong choice, Dirk faces defeat, often depicted in a humorous or tragic animated death sequence.

Unlike traditional arcade games, Dragon's Lair primarily relies on a "quick-time event" mechanic. During the animated sequences, players must promptly press the specified direction or attack buttons to control Dirk's actions. The overall difficulty of the game is quite high, as players need to memorize the sequence of moves for each scene to successfully progress. As the story advances, the scenes become increasingly challenging, requiring quick reflexes and precise timing, adding to the game's intense difficulty.

Due to its unique gameplay and stunning animation, Dragon's Lair quickly attracted a large number of players and became a popular title in arcades at the time. However, the game also had some noticeable drawbacks. Firstly, the gameplay was relatively simplistic, requiring players only to press the correct buttons at the right time, which lacked the depth found in traditional arcade games. Secondly, since the progression relied entirely on pre-set animated sequences, once players mastered the required actions, the game's replay value diminished significantly. Additionally, despite the beautiful visuals offered by the LaserDisc technology, the system was expensive and prone to damage, making arcade cabinet maintenance a significant challenge.

The decline of Dragon's Lair can be attributed to several factors. As the market's demand for more interactive and in-depth games grew, titles like Dragon's Lair, which relied on pre-set animations, gradually lost their appeal. Furthermore, the limitations of LaserDisc technology hindered its long-term development, causing arcade operators and game developers to lose interest. With the emergence of more advanced and interactive games like the Street Fighter series and the Mortal Kombat series, these single-reaction-based games were eventually phased out of the market.

Although Dragon's Lair experienced a surge of popularity during its first year, it quickly faded into obscurity. Nevertheless, the game generated significant profits for its developers, leading to the release of an animated series and a sequel game in 1991. Dragon's Lair remains a historically significant title, showcasing the potential of combining early video game and animation technologies. To this day, it is celebrated as a classic by many gaming enthusiasts and historians. With advances in technology, Dragon's Lair has been re-released on various platforms, allowing new generations of players to experience this once-popular arcade classic.