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"Ah-ha! Have at ye, scoundrels! I am Dirk the Daring and I'm back from a short holiday after my escapades in Software Project's Dragon's Lair I in, you guessed it, Dragon's Lair II.

Now, admittedly I wasn't very good in the first game. I couldn't run about much, and sometimes I simply refused to move when or here you told me. I've since realised how annoying that was and am doing my best to mend my ways.

At the end of the last game, I rescued the lovely Daphne, from the clutches of Singe the Dragon and returned her to her father, King Aethelred. Now I'm going back for the treasure. You'll have to guide me through more caverns and rooms while I do my best to fling myself onto spiky rocks and under enormous boulders

In fact I'm still pretty tiresome although I'm quite well drawn.

Right. On with the gauntlet and on with the game. Ah, these waterfalls look a bit trick don't they? Ay, but it's deceptively easy. All you have to do is guide me left and right through the jutty-out rocks. You'll have to make sure that I don't get caught int he under-currents and swept off in an unexpected direction... And, there are lots and lots of waterfalls. They go on for ages. Some have bridges over them that my little boat might hit, some don't.

Oh-ho! Well done! We cleared the water-falls but watch out for these whirlpools! Each whirlpool moves unconvincingly left and right across the screen and contact with one will throw me out of the boat. Try to avoid this is quickly. That's it, pull down on the joystick and I'll do my best to run away from the oncoming rock. I'm not very good at running, I'm afraid. I look a bit stupid and I can only just manage to jump over the holes in the floor that crop up every now and again.

After a few seconds a big rolling thing will bole down from the side of the tunnel and knock me down and I lose my quota of lives, you'll have to go all the way back to the beginning and do everything again.

We'll also have to work hard to guide me through lots of other sections of the castle like the Throne Room and Doom Dungeon where I get struck by lightning unless you yank the joystick and move me to a safe location.

Despite the fact that things get a bit predictable, and you have to load my game in in sections. And despite the fact you have to go all the way back to the beginning every time I lose all my lives. Despite all this I'm actually enjoying being in this game much more than in my first outing".

Certainly getting better. More multi-load irritation is lessened by improved gameplay and a variety of sections.