Okay, I suck at giving subtle hints. The original Super Smash Bros. for the Nintendo 64 is the 500th downloadable game for the Nintendo Wii. 1,000 Wii points scores you the grandfather of one of the biggest games released on the Wii, or the father of one of the best things going on the GameCube. Between that and the original arcade version of Ninja Gaiden (600 points), which takes place before TECMO mastered breast physics, the Virtual Console could be your best bet in this week's Nintendo Download.

That's not to say there aren't plenty of titles coming on the WiiWare front this week. You've got Nintendo's first-person shooter Eco-Shooter: Plant 530 (1,000 points), which pits you as a recycling plant worker fighting against an evil alien race that has brought Earth's empty cans to life. It's a message about recycling that even lets you recycle a useless piece of plastic - the Wii Zapper. Eco-Shooter is joined by Gameloft's TV Game-Show King 2 (800 points), Playstos' action platformer Pallurikio (1,000 points), and Happy Holidays Christmas from 505 Games (500 points), an application that lets you create Christmas cards and send them to your Wii friends. Aww.

Finally we have DSiWare, with Dragon's Lair making it's downloadable debut (800 DSi points), High Stakes: Texas Hold'Em (500 points) and Hot and Cold: A 3D Hidden Object Adventure (800 points) filling in the H category, and My Notebook Green (200 points) adding green to the colors that My Notebook comes in.

As always, check out the official descriptions below, and be sure to log into the Wii Shop Channel to wish it a happy 500th game.

Virtual Console

Super Smash Bros.
Original platform: Nintendo 64™
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) - Cartoon Violence
Price: 1,000 Wii Points
Description: Choose from an all-star cast of Nintendo characters in a frantic melee to prove who will be the ultimate brawler. Utilize the easy-to-learn but hard-to-master controls and battle it out in the single-player mode, earning point bonuses and unlocking hidden characters along the way. Enter VS Mode to take on up to three other players simultaneously. Inflict damage using each character's unique set of special moves, familiar items and power-ups, eventually winning by knocking your opponents off the screen in one of the interactive stages, each with a Nintendo theme. Need a moment to catch your breath? Polish your skills in Training Mode or destroy targets in Bonus Stages specific to each character. Are you ready to test your mettle against all comers, including the powerful Master Hand?

NINJA GAIDEN™
Original platform: Arcade
Publisher: TECMO
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) - Alcohol Reference, Suggestive Themes, Violence
Price: 600 Wii Points
Description: Take control of a ninja, master of the Five Ninja Fighting Arts of assassination passed down since the chaotic times of feudal Japan, and enter "Jungle," a terrifying American city, to crush waves of foes who are part of an assassination syndicate. Use three buttons to execute exciting moves like the Flying Neck Throw, the Hang Kick and the Triple Blow Combination. Each stage is based around popular Western misconceptions about ninja and Japan, making the game world a fantastic mix of ninja and American pop culture. Game settings such as the starting number of player characters and the difficulty level can also be adjusted.

WiiWare

Eco Shooter: Plant 530
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) - Fantasy Violence
Price: 1,000 Wii Points™
Description: Earth's empty cans have been brought to life by the Cannoids, an alien race determined to destroy the planet. Only Mack, a technician from the recycling facility Plant 530, stands in their way as Earth's last line of defense. Step into Mack's shoes in this guided first-person shooter as he takes on the invading aliens with only his trusty recycle cannon and a can-do attitude. Blast and vacuum (yes, vacuum) your way to victory, keeping in mind that every shot counts. Your ammo also doubles as your health, and every enemy you destroy leaves behind Can Energy that you can vacuum up and use as ammo. Uncomplicated controls (including optional use of the Wii Zapper™ accessory) give everyone the chance to save the planet, while advanced tactics like consecutive hit combos and the tough Challenge mode give even the best players a run for their money. Are you ready to step up and put a dent in their cans?

TV Show King 2
Publisher: Gameloft
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) - Drug Reference
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: TV Show King is back for a second round. There are 8,000 questions sorted into 12 categories on the program, including general knowledge, sports, movies, music and more. And that's without counting the questions that you can create yourself. Here's everything you need to compete with your friends, or with players all over the world thanks to Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection.

Pallurikio™
Publisher: Playstos Entertainment
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 1,000 Wii Points
Description: Jump and roll with Pallurikio, a fast-paced action platformer that's easy to pick up yet challenging to master. While playing a mysterious board game he found with his friends, Rusty is sucked into a dimensional vortex and finds himself in a mystical and wondrous world where he assumes the aspect of the round and bouncing Pallurikio. Using the Wii Remote™ controller, make Pallurikio jump and roll and help him find his way through more than 50 enticing levels while surviving all kinds of pitfalls and trickeries in Bakumbala Jungle, the far reaches of Palluro Prime and many other weird settings. Featuring physics simulation, Time Attack mode, collectible cards and space rockets to boot, Pallurikio is a game you won't want to miss.

Happy Holidays Christmas
Publisher: 505 Games
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Planning a Christmas party and want to grab guests' attention? Or want to send greeting cards without the hassle of licking stamps? Here's the solution: Create and send fun Christmas cards with this unique WiiWare application. Happy Holidays Christmas lets you make fun Christmas-themed e-cards and send them straight to friends' Wii™ consoles. Add a tree and decorations; choose frames, stickers and music; then write a message to friends you've registered in your Wii Address Book. It might not snow this Christmas, but with this fun new software your holiday is guaranteed to be a happy one.

Nintendo DSiWare

UNO
Publisher: Gameloft
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points™
Description: Get ready to call out "UNO!" on your Nintendo DSi™ system. The world-famous card game has been faithfully reproduced for the Nintendo DSi system and features exciting new rules. With a multiplayer mode that can be accessed by local wireless play or with broadband Internet access and Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, playing UNO has never been so fun and easy, so be the first to get rid of all your cards.

Dragon's Lair
Publisher: Digital Leisure Inc.
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) - Animated Blood, Fantasy Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: You play the heroic Dirk the Daring, a valiant knight on a quest to rescue the fair princess from the clutches of an evil dragon. Control the actions of the daring adventurer and find your way through the castle of a dark wizard who has enchanted it with treacherous monsters and obstacles. In the mysterious caverns below the castle, your odyssey continues against the awesome forces that oppose your journey to the dragon's lair. Dragon's Lair is a fully animated classic arcade game from legendary animator Don Bluth.

Hot and Cold: A 3D Hidden Object Adventure
Publisher: Majesco Entertainment
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: You're getting warm...warmer...hot! You've found Hot and Cold: A 3D Hidden Object Adventure, the new game that puts you on the job of finding people's missing stuff. A voice in your head tells you whether you're Hot or Cold when searching for things. Investigate cases all over town using your unique ability, and discover the secret behind the mysterious voice in your head. Throw objects out of your way, maneuver your way through a 3-D world, follow your Hot and Cold meter and more in this unparalleled hidden-object adventure.

High Stakes: Texas Hold'Em
Publisher: Hudson Entertainment
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) - Simulated Gambling
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Hudson proudly presents the definitive Texas Hold'Em game for Nintendo DSiWare with High Stakes Texas Hold'Em. High Stakes allows players of any level to enjoy Texas Hold'Em game play. The popular No-Limit rule set used in many tournaments is included, so anyone can play with the big boys. With the added functionality of DS Wireless Communications, players can compete with others and test their skills. It's the core Texas Hold'Em experience on your Nintendo DSi system - anytime, anywhere.

myNotebook: Green™
Publisher: Nnooo
Players: 1
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: myNotebook allows you to take notes wherever you are. Just pop open your Nintendo DSi system and jot down your thoughts. Make a list and cross it off, or even play your favorite pen-and-paper games (games not included). You can even personalize your notebook by drawing on the cover and changing the paper type with 18 unlockable squared and lined paper styles. Use the pen or pencil to make your notes or doodles, then erase the bits you don't like. With five ink colors, you'll always be able to make your notes and doodles look stylish.

With Dragon's Lair's port to the iPhone and iPod Touch, EA Mobile and Digital Leisure are banking that the game's nostalgia and its basic simplicity have found the perfect medium - an impulse buy on a mobile platform. But does Dragon's Lair still feel the same on the small screen?

Loved
Bona Fide Dragon's Lair: This is a scene for scene port of the 1983 classic, which started the short-lived but much beloved craze of laserdisc games. You can dial up your nostalgia however you want it. Arcade mode will present you the game and will randomize its scenes the same way you played them in the cabinet 25 years ago. "Home mode" includes additional scenes that were cut from the arcade version, allows you to immediately replay levels you fail, and will be most familiar to those who played ports of this on the PC or Mac in the past. You can give yourself three, five or unlimited lives in both modes, the latter being most useful if you're trying to finally make it all the way through. Just know that you will not record a high score with unlimited lives unless you actually do finish the game. Finally, the correct-move beep can be enabled, both as a gameplay assist, and also to complete the full arcade experience.

Hated
The Move Guide: You have a movement assist feature in this game that will light up the correct direction (or sword button) to press to advance the scene, if you just want to see the game all the way through. On some levels, the sequence of moves you must make is faster than what the guide can display. The level with the black knight on the electrified floor is a perfect example, and very frustrating to die repeatedly when you think you're doing what you're told. But when the guide does work, you're just watching the controls, and not the scenes as they play out, which are the point of the game in the first place. You can't enable or disable the guide mid-game, in case you run into a tough spot and need help for just one section. Even playing without the guide, Dragon's Lair was and always will be a very difficult game of pinpoint reactions with a small window of opportunity to execute them. Unlike its cousin Space Ace, which was a breeze to play on the iPhone, Dragon's Lair's trial-and-error process includes finding not only the correct move, but the correct millisecond to make it - even when you think you know when to do it. For example, I remembered that making it past the swinging "socker-boppers" was pegged to pressing forward when they both lined up - Dirk's grunting was a second cue. But the screen is small and the speaker can be blocked by how you hold the device, making picking up such things very difficult. The game still works, but you're going to die a ton of times before you get the hang of how to move through a level, even if you know the correct moves or have them presented to you by the guide.

The Pause that Doesn't Refresh: You'd better really want to finish Dragon's Lair because you will be playing it all the way through in one shot if you're trying to beat it. Which, once you get the hang of this game, won't take long. But getting the hang of it will. If you pause anywhere in the middle of a level, you return to the beginning of that level. OK, fine, I can plan my bathroom breaks accordingly. What I forgot to do was put the phone in airplane mode, because any incoming call ends the game where you are and reboots it. Incoming text? You're back to the title screen. Whether because no effort was made, or it was a limitation with no workaround, players have no way to preserve their state in this game.

If it's your first encounter with Dragon's Lair, this version is not ideal. Find a playable DVD or PC port instead. If it were any other game, honestly, I would have given up. But I just had to see Dirk get all bug-eyed and shriek "Wow!" the first time he spies Daphne, who really knows how to sex up the protips. ("To slay the Dragon, use the magic sword...!" she purrs.)

Then again, I don't know a soul who ever beat Dragon's Lair in the arcade, and my friends and I fired stacks of quarters down it, often without ever successfully passing a level. So I have been conditioned to the abuse and have paid lots more than $4.99 for it. If Dragon's Lair has a problem, aside from the pause/interruption issue, it's one very common to iPhone/iPod Touch games, and I've complained about it relentlessly. You must obscure what you're looking at to control the action. And it's on a small enough screen to begin with. So it's telling that I got through a lot of these levels with no recollection of what it looked like doing so, and that's half the fun - and point - of the vintage laserdisc games.

Dragon's Lair was developed by Digital Leisure and published by Electronic Arts for the iPhone and Ipod Touch on Dec. 7. Retails for $4.99 USD. A copy of the game was given to us by the publisher for reviewing purposes. Played all game types; completed Home mode. Died, like, a billion times, though.

Confused by our reviews? Read our review FAQ.

t's hard to say how many platforms exactly the game has been ported to already, with some computer platforms receiving multiple versions of the game on multiple media types. The most recent release was for the iPhone, and now the Nintendo DSi gets its game on with a DSiWare version of the game, due out Monday the 22nd in North America and January 1st in Europe.

The DSiWare version of the game, unlike previous versions released on Nintendo's handhelds, features the fully animated scenes from the laserdisc original instead of sprites. When we first heard word of the release we were somewhat skeptical, thanks in part to cancelled releases for the original DS and PSP, but now we're 99% sure Digital Leisure is going to follow through.

Maybe 98%.

After giving you Lucille Bliss, also the voice of Smurfette, as one of the voices for Princess Daphne in the game, we asked for the second. The correct answer was Vera Pacheco, also known as Vera Lanpher, Vera Lanpher-Pacheco, or Vera Day. We accepted any of those four as correct responses.

Pacheco was actually the head of assistant animators for the project, which until it brought in Bliss, used only one other professional voice: the narrator of the title sequence. Sound engineer Dan Molina supplied the voice of Dirk the Daring.

Thanks to EA Mobile for supplying the prize, and thanks to all who entered!

Here's the lowdown on the swag up for grabs: It's a Blu-Ray version of the game, which you'll remember was a series of animated sequences that you successfully advanced by joystick or button. So that means not only is this playable on a PS3, it's playable on anything with Blu-Ray capability. It also features full 1080p bonus material. You can see all the info here.

The pot sweetener: the case is signed by Dragon's Lair creators: Don Bluth, Gary Goldman, John Pomeroy and Rick Dyer. Bluth was the lead animator, with artists Goldman and Pomeroy helping to create the game's signature visuals. Dyer was the president of Advanced Microcomputer Systems, and is credited with the concept that became the game, an eye-popping hit in the arcade days of 1983.

Now. Here's how we're gonna give this away. We'll ask a trivia question, and you must email its correct answer to kotakucontestATgmailDOTcom within the next 24 hours. DO NOT POST THE ANSWER IN THE COMMENTS. We will choose a winner at random from all the correct guesses.

Here's how to play.

1) Send your answer to kotakucontestATgmailDOTcom
2) The subject header of your message must include the words Dragon's Lair Contest. You should probably cut and paste those words to the subject header now.
3) Your answer must be received by 4 p.m. US Mountain time tomorrow, Sunday Dec. 12. 2009.
4) Your answer must be spelled correctly to be eligible.
5) Do not post the answer in the comments. Comment submissions are not eligible.

We'll pick a winner from the correct answers and, if it's you, we'll have to ask for your full name, address and phone number to have it shipped.

Alright here's the question:

Princess Daphne was in fact voiced by two women in the original Dragon's Lair. Lucille Bliss, the voice of Smurfette, was one. Who was the other?

Remember, correct answer, correct spelling, correct subject header. Thanks!

The beautifully animated game of memorization, reflex and Princess Daphne rescue is available for a paltry sum, just $4.99 USD. That's a guarantee that I'll, once again, invest in another copy of Dragon's Lair, realize how terrible I am at such things and put it aside.

But the early reviews on iTunes appear to be mostly positive. Maybe another crack at Dragon's Lair is worth the download?

The game will feature an arcade mode, faithful to the content of the original cabinet game, and a home mode that includes extra scenes. Space Ace, the other Don Bluth animated game on the iPhone/iPod Touch, was $4.99. No word on price point here, and delivery is listed as just "December 2009."

Man, I remember this thing cost 50 CENTS. You whippersnappers probably have no idea what balls it took for an arcade game to charge that in 1983. I never beat it in the arcades but I did 15 years later on a port to the Mac - after dying about 80 times. On the first board.

Lead on, adventurer ... your quest awaits!

Given previous portable announcements, consider our enthusiasm for yet another port of Don Bluth's beautifully animated Dragon's Lair measured. A Nintendo DS version of the game was announced a few years ago—along with a PSP version—resulting in little more than a press release and pair of posts on Kotaku. Maybe this time Digital Leisure's porting hopes and dreams will become reality?

You shouldn't really be lacking in platforms on which to play the thing, but if you have a long-running Dragon's Lair streak and Nintendo Points to spare, watch for it.

USK via GamerBytes

Keith Elwin, number one pinball player in the world, walked away from the modern and solid state tournaments with a couple of trophies and $1,290 in prizes. Local player Neil Inn scored the top spot in the electromechanical tournament (conducted with games from the 60s and 70s), winning $550. Finally, 14-year-old Los Angeles teenager Alec Castillo ranked highest in the Guitar Hero Arcade tournament, winning the Wii and Guitar Hero World Tour package plus four other Guitar Hero games.

"Overall, the tournaments at California Extreme gave away over $7,500 in cash and prizes, even more than we had hoped," says tournament organizer Bowen Kerins. "It was our largest show ever, both in terms of attendance and number of games on the floor, and we can't wait for the next one."

Weirdly enough, I hear that Castillo appears for a few seconds in the Video Games episode of Penn & Teller: Bullshit! that aired earlier this month.

And I'm not just saying that because the Saw video game is based on the Saw movie franchise. Many of the major elements in the game – the setting, hunting down and killing other people – are also the major elements of other survival horror games like Condemned or Manhunt.

But the insta-death? I haven't seen something that harsh since the first level of arcade classic Dragon's Lair – where if you didn't duck in the first five seconds, you could kiss all the quarters in your pocket goodbye.

What Is It?
Saw is the game that Brash Entertainment was going to publish before they went belly up. It's coming out on PC, PS3, and Xbox 360; and will supposedly fill in a lot of the plot gaps between the two films.

What We Saw
Konami's Gamers Night included a massive screening of three minutes' worth of a demo made from pre-alpha code that may not actually be a real level in the final game. Following the presentation, I got to play the full demo on the PS3 which clocked in at six minutes, counting both times I died during the get-the-bear-trap-off-your-head sequence.

How Far Along Is It?
The demo build was pre-alpha. The game is slated for an October 2009 release.

What Needs Improvement?
Visual Cues: Like the movie, all the "clues" you need to solve a death puzzle are in the room with you. But thanks to pre-alpha code, not all the necessary visual cues were in place. For example, during the opening bear-trap challenge, there is an icon onscreen that tells the user to rotate the left stick to wind part of the trap. But other other part of the puzzle is subtler – there's a red light on the device that supposedly looks like the B button the 360. But because I was playing on PS3, not only did I not immediately notice the visual cue, but when I did the second time, I pressed X and not Circle, because really – how the hell was I supposed to know which button they meant?

Flashbacks: Currently, there is no explanation whatsoever for the parts of the game where you see something like a torture chair and suddenly experience a flashback to someone else getting tortured. Is the main character psychic? Did he actually witness the act and have legitimate memories to flashback to? Right now, it just looks like they desperately want to freak you out and they don't care about continuity to pull it off.

Visual Fatigue: I know the game is supposed to be scary, I know the movies are incredibly gory – but if I'm going to slog through 8-10 hours or more of a linear game, I'm going to need a visual break from the visceral horror once in a while or else it will all get stale and headache-inducing.

What Should Stay The Same?
Think Fast!: If they nail the visual cues thing, I don't actually have a problem with the insta-death. For example, part of the demo involves going through a booby-trapped door. You've already been warned about it (because they want you to finish the demo, not fling cans of soda at it), but not explicitly told how to deal with it. Because I'm a natural pansy, I got it on the first go by opening the door and not immediately mashing forward on the analog stick. By just standing there, I had plenty of time to watch the pulley part of the trap go upwards – spotting the big Triangle button in time to actually press the button and avert the shotgun blast to the head.

The Element of Surprise: I don't know that a game couldn't really stay scary if you had to go through the same insta-death puzzles over and over again; but a developer John Williams told me in an interview that many of the puzzles in the game are randomly generated at each encounter and that some of death traps actually won't be instant. For example, the shotgun-rigged door won't always kill you – just royally mess you up once in a while. Little uncertainties like these make the game that much more interesting than your average movie licensed game.

Final Thoughts
I'm on the fence about the other people in the asylum with your character. Over and over again during the demo, the developer (and villain Jigsaw) stress that you shouldn't trust anyone and that there will be characters throughout the game that are either trying to kill you, manipulate you or beg you for help to kill someone else. This dynamic could be interesting – if there were someone you really want to help. If not and you should trust no one, it'll get a little boring when the next horribly maimed person runs away from you in a darkened, blood-stained corridor.

But, if we see more movie games striving to be more like other games such as Condemned or Manhunt instead of trying to be entirely faithful to the movie, I call that a win and salute Saw.

It's not like we're lacking in DVD and Blu-ray ports of Dragon's Lair, so if you really want to give it a go and use the guide, now's your chance.

Dragon's Lair Complete Strategy Guide - With Annotations [YouTube via Waxy]

Mario's been dying that way for years, so, here's a video in which he tries on some new demises in search of a better good death. They missed Defender, where he explodes in a fireworks burst and burns white-hot thermite particles through anything on the screen. That would be funny. Certainly funnier than what happened between Luigi and the Koopas.

Deaths That Just Don't Work for Mario [YouTube]

Some may see the development as just another version of the classic Dragon's Lair in your pocket. Others will realize that a PSP version is but one inevitable step in the game competing with Doom as the most ported title in the history of mankind.

DRAGON'S LAIR® UP FOR GRABS ON SONY PSP! [gamingnexus]

"Don Bluth's animation just pops in Space Ace HD" says David Foster, President of Digital Leisure. "It's fantastic that today's computers allow gamers to enjoy full high definition products. There are details in the animation that I didn't know existed before seeing the game in such high definition. The colors are incredibly vivid and the surround sound mix will have you looking over your shoulder!"

Digital Leisure announces release of Space Ace in HD

GORMLEY, Ontario, Canada (October 4, 2007) — For the first time ever you can experience the stunning classical animation of Space Ace in true High Definition. This release of Don Bluth's legendary animated arcade game features video transferred directly from the original film source, delivering the sharpest images and most vibrant colors ever - even better than the original laser disc release.

The follow-up to last year's release of Dragon's Lair PC HD, Space Ace PC HD also comes with a completely new five channel surround sound audio mix. The original audio has been cleaned and remastered to eliminate any impure background audio then analyzed to determine the best placement to immerse the players in the action. With the striking visuals and remarkable 5.1 surround sound audio, Space Ace HD offers fans an experience well beyond the arcade.

In Space Ace you play the heroic Ace who must stop the evil Commander Borf from taking over the Earth! Borf plans to reduce all of humankind to infants and take over the planet. Only two people have the courage and strength to stop Borf and save Earth: the beautiful Kimberly and the heroic Ace. But as they approach Borf's stronghold, Ace is hit by the Infanto Ray, changing him into a child, and Kimberly is kidnapped by the evil madman! The fate of Earth is in your hands!

Space Ace HD PC will be available this fall at many fine game retailers as well as at www.digitalleisure.com. Look for Blu-ray and HD DVD releases of Space Ace in 2008.

Digital Leisure is a leading publisher of interactive video based titles. The company acquires and re-masters existing video-intensive titles that would benefit from the superior video and audio quality of DVD and HD.

So yes, Dragon's Lair is now on HD DVD. And somewhere, if you listen closely enough, a child is weeping...softly.

Product Page [digitalleisure]

Wow, an animated interactive game you can actually play! While 1980's saw a couple of interactive titles, namely Dragon's Lair and Space Age, the genre proved to be visually stunning but frustrating play-wise.

Fast-forward to the 21st century. A couple ex-Disney animators help create The Act. The game's been in development for something like six years and has been play testing in the New England area. Instead of using the clunky joystick Dragon's Lair employed, The Act uses a knob. For example, when trying to charm a women into going on a date, the player must use the knob to control the amount of charm they emit. Turn too much, and you'll come off as over eager. Turn too little, and you'll come off as not interested.

Screw animated interactive titles, I'm so glad to see someone making a knob-based arcade game! Brian Ashcraft

The Act [Arcade Heaven]

As I was making my weekly perusal of The Arcade Flyer Archive (TAFA) I ran across these amazing rub-off game cards posted on the front page. TAFA owner, Dan's new girlfriend apparently has quite the little retro game collection herself including these awesome cards. The games came in trading card packs with one of those horrible pieces of rock hard gum and worked along the same principle as rub-off lottery tickets. You would rub off the silver covering on the dots as you made your way across the playing field and hoped you would make it all the way through without "dying." Of course, if you were like me, you just ended up rubbing off all the circles anyway just so you could see what they all were.

Pretty cool little piece of game nostalgia for your Sunday morning! Flynn De Marco

Donkey Kong Rub-Off Game Cards [TAFA]
Dragon's Lair Rub-Off Game Cards [TAFA]

Digital Leisure just sent me this swanky personalized postcard to remind me that Dragon's Lair has made its way to the Blu-ray, and yes the Playstation 3.

The classic, but increasingly dated, $50 game will run at 1080p and will include "exciting special features."

-Spectacular new transfer directly from the original film. -Digitally remastered in High Definition - Full HD 1080p Video and Extras -For the first time in dramatic 5.1 surround sound that immerses you in the action -Arcade Authentic with a watch feature to view Don Bluth's stunning animation -Frame by frame digital restoration -Full length visual commentary from the creators! -All new interviews with creators: Don Bluth, Gary Goldman and Rick Dyer

Maybe for $30, but no way would I pay $50 for that. Though these Blu-ray screen do give me a hankering to play the game again. Brian Crecente

Dick McVengance over at Destructoid has written a great article lamenting the decline of the old school arcade. With the rise of home consoles, the existence of actual arcades have become fewer and fewer. More often than not, arcades are now relegated to Chuck E. Cheeses, Mini-Golf courses and the occasional movie theater lobby. I remember the arcade I used to frequent near my house and how much I used to love it. It was the place I first discovered my favorite guilty pleasure, Crystal Castles and where I dropped an endless amount of quarters playing Dragon's Lair, never quite being able to get past the first few screens.

Back when I was living in New Orleans, before the hurricane, there was a terrifying arcade filled with thugs and gang members on upper Bourbon Street, one at Celebration Station, and two out in Metarie that were actual dedicated arcades where games were still a quarter. In the five years I lived, I watched the two main arcades close and eventually, Celebration Station as well. The last time I was there, the Bourbon Street one had closed as well, but I think that was more due to Katrina than anything else.

Dick makes an impassioned plea at the end of his article to send him your stories of any arcades that are still running that you know about so he can eventually compile a list of them all. And while age now prevents me from going to them without looking like a perv, I will always remember those heady days of the eighties, standing around the arcade in my Sir Issac Lime t-shirt, watching in amazement as some kid saved Princess Daphne to much cheering and applause. Flynn De Marco

Weekend Reading: Arcades, where have you gone? [Destructoid]

It looks like someone is in the process of porting Dragon's Lair to the Nintendo DS.

Yes, I nearly passed out too. DSLair version 0.1.4 preview includes just the first four levels of the game and has been tested successfully with NeoFlash. The question, and I do mean the only question, is if this game uses the touchscreen. Sure, you could just play it with the D-Pad, but where's the fun in that? Brian Crecente

Dragon's Lair DS [DS Video]