Psycho with an bike pump and jackhammer destroys local island. More at 11.
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Year: 1985
Played on: Xbox 360 (Via Namco Museum: Virtual Arcade)
Also on: NES, Wii, PSP, DS
Developer: Namco
Publisher: Namco, Bandai (NES)
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He’s literally going to pump you up! Then destroy some islands I guess!
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Date posted: November 28, 2017
PREMISE
Dig Dug is an arcade classic about one man taking his fetish too far. Monsters, who are doing nothing and minding their own business, not harming anything, when this guy just breaks in and started inflating them until they explode, and crushing rocks on the innocent monsters. When all their friends are dead, one tries to escape, but he always get his guy- as soon as he thinks he’s free, Mr. Driller comes along, blows him up like the national deficit, and he explodes into a shower of gore. In remembrance, a flower blooms- but Mr. Driller is not done. He sees an island in the distance- the birthplace of the monsters. Taking his jackhammer, he arrives on the island. “Showtime!”
In all seriousness, Dig Dug was a classic arcade game where you went underground popping monsters and crushing them, making tunnels along the way. After Pac Man and Galaga, its easily on of Namco’s most recognizable games. The real question is how do you make a sequel- why you place Mr. Driller, the protagonist of Dig Dug, on a island and give him a jackhammer. What could possibly go wrong? Wait, why is Maui sinking into the ocean?
PROS
I have to say, destroying islands using your jackhammer is actually really fun, and a welcome addition! You can find these fault points around each island a create a crack in four different directions- make enough, and part of the island will fall into the ocean, killing anything on it. Be careful though- if your on the wrong side, you’ll fall into- look at the fault lines to get a good idea of what part of the island is going to fall.
Yes, you can still inflate enemies until they burst, but it has been changed a bit- there is somewhat of delay now. It’s still fun to do, and a great way to get rid of any pesky enemies.
Enemies behave just like they did in the original. Strangely enough, they cannot pass any cracks you make for whatever reason, however, they can still turn into those weird ghost forms and chase after you. Fygar’s flames can go though cracks however, meaning their still as dangerous as they were in the original game.
Each island is also different- some may have many points to create cracks, while others are a battle royale- trying to hit specific fault lines in order to drown the beasts into the water. This is a nice addition- the originals level were incredibly basic, so its good to get some variety.
CONS
My main problem with Dig Dug II was it somewhat stiff controls- it takes a while to get used to, especially after playing so much of the original.
Other then that, I can see why someone would not like this game, as if strays a bit from the original game. No more are you digging underground- your’re now on some island trying to destroy bits and pieces of it. Those looking for a traditional sequel to the arcade classic may be a bit disappointed in this regard.
FINAL VERDICT
All in all, Dig Dug II is a fun sequel that some may feel deviates to far from the original. I personally think the game is fine, and at the end of the day, a worthy sequel. It’s different, and that’s what I like about it- too many sequels play it safe even now, and I know that sometimes this is a bad thing (looking at you, Nutz and Boltz!) but in this case, I think it turned out just fine! Pick it up if you want to play something different.
Agree? Disagree? Good! Leave a comment about how terrible my taste is in the comments below!
Gamer's Edge 
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