Then - Dragon's Lair

Now - Zombie Slayer

Dragon's Lair used what is called the attract mode. This system played out a bunch of full motion video (FMV) sequences, and if the player didn't hit the correct key at the correct moment in time, it branched off to the incorrect FMV sequence. This FMV sequence caused the player to lose a life and start over again.

The Flaw

Dragon's Lair was a game that was made to take quarters:
First, it cost $.50 for 3 lives.
Second, if the player failed any key press, he or she would have to start all over again. How frustrating!
Eventually, these types of games fell off the radar. Who could guess why?

The latest draw has been with what reviewers cite as Quicktime sequences (QT) in games.

These events occur at random times in gameplay, often during cinematics. No memorization is required; instead, players are required to know when the reflex sequence occurs and to hit the button(s) that flashes on the screen at precisely the right moment. Again, fail one time, and you are toast, and you must start the level/cinematic sequence all over again.
While the "attract thought" is there, it is still archaic in form and frustrating to the player.

One part Dragon's Lair and one part modernized, Zombie Slayer captures the essence of the old and the new.
Zombie Slayer addresses several problems that have plagued reflexed-based cinematic games in the following ways:
1: It has a Health System
Instead of the traditional QT and attract gameplay where you die and have to start over again after one wrong move, Zombie Slayer transitions into a failure animation and continues forward without a hitch. Fail three times, and you're dead.
2: It is Consistent
Fail to press a key a prior time? Don't worry -- it will be the same key the next time around.
3: It has a Story
This is a feature new to any QT or attract games. Zombie Slayer will feature moments where the player can rest and watch the story unfold.