Ok, I know this is going to be vague as all get out. I can just hope that some doper someplace has knowledge that they’re willing to share.
When I was a teenager, and playing arcade games fairly regularly, I once played this arcade game that was complex, yet interesting. All I can remember of it is that the graphics were in the same cartoony style of the Dragon’s Lair game. It had a keyboard, and an instruction book that you had to read to understand enough to play. (which is why I’m not surprised it wasn’t very popular, or around for a long time) They keyboard was a molded plastic one, inserted into the console front. I think it also had a joystick, but not certain. About the only thing I remember of the game play was that at the beginning, you had a magic scroll that you put in a pouch, and used a few moments later. (game was too complicated for me, always died).
That’s all I remember, I think the time frame would have been from about 1983 to 1987 or so. It may have been a little earlier, but no later than that. Any help would be appreciated.
I remember that one. Definitely the sort of game that would have been fun to have at home, but it would take way too many quarters to get anywhere with it in an arcade.
Thanks Saltire…all the threads about old arcade games stired that memory, and it’s been driving me crazy all week. I tried google, but not much you can get from “old arcade game like Dragon’s Lair, but with a keyboard”
This has a frighteningly comprehensive list of laserdisc arcade games. God–I never even knew that there were more than the Don Bluth ones (Dragon’s Lair I/II and Space Ace)!
Yeah, and there don’t seem to be many of the home systems available for purchase anywhere. At least I haven’t found them. Oh well, at least I know the name now, so I can look back with fondness at various web sites. Thanks again for all the help.
I’ve only seen one copy of this game – they used to have it in one of the two video arcades at Crossroads Plaza in Salt Lake City. Hardly anyone ever played it (it ate lots of quarters, and the rules were complex), so it ended up getting moved into a back corner and forgotten. I suspect the touchpad keyboards broke down often, too – never put anything in a public place that you wouldn’t put in the middle of a war.
Well, I’ll be damned, toadspittle. That answers one of the nagging questions I’ve always had–I played Cobra Command once as a kid and it’s been bugging me for the longest time. Now I know the graphics really were as I remembered (and the title of the game, to boot). Neat. Wonder if they’ll ever get around to rereleasing it for another system…