'Dragon's Lair' Ranked Among 'Worst NES Games of All Time'

1990's Dragon's Lair was recently listed among the worst NES games of all time according to a ranking collated by Den of Geek-and the game still stands tall as one of the console's most frustratingly difficult titles.

The NES game was inspired by the 1983 LaserDisc game of the same name, which had been a massive hit for the previous generation. The original game was renowned for its innovative graphics and bold new controls, which pushed the boundaries of video gaming for that era.

This updated version for the NES, however, was much less forward-thinking. In addition to being seven years old by the time it reached the NES, the controls infamously didn't port that well to the new console, leaving gamers frustrated by how difficult it was to control the characters.

While the two games have identical plots, the NES version adopted a two-dimensional gameplay style that felt much clunkier and less smooth compared to the original.

Dragon's Lair presents players with a brave protagonist, Dirk the Daring, who must travel through a dangerous castle and defeat Singe the Dragon to reclaim the helpless Princess Daphne from her imprisonment. It's a traditional knight-in-shining-armor story, but the levels feel very indistinct from one another-generally leaving players confused about how far they've progressed.

As a result, the 1990 NES port of Dragon's Lair was unanimously panned by critics upon its release. Most agreed that the sluggish movement controls and ridiculous difficulty level were too much for players to get their heads around, resulting in a game that most will never be able to finish.

One of the biggest problems with the game, and a clear reason why it's far too difficult for average players, is that Dirk the Daring would instantly die upon touching any obstacle in the game-even the doors. It's a ruthless playing experience, and one that quickly loses its sense of fun.

Den of Geek writes: "I don't know if there's ever been another game that inflicts so much pain on its first screen. I'm willing to bet that 90% of Dragon's Lair players never figured out how to cross that first bridge and actually enter the castle."

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Apr 23, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published April 23, 2026 at 6:20 AM.