Dig Dug is back, and he's
still got a hoarde of Pookas and Fygars to exterminate - or else they'll
ruin his new island garden. Blowing the beasties up with Dig's trusty pump will
still work, but as a last resort, he can also drill into his island's irrigation
pipes and actually sink a part of the land into the sea, taking any enemies with
it (and Dig too, if you're not careful!).
(Namco, 1985)
This sequel to one of the most beloved titles from the brief Namco/Atari
licensing alliance is virtually unknown, primarily because Dig Dug 2 hit
the arcades after the great video game industry crash of 1983. Honestly,
I hadn't even heard of it until MAME came along.
Dig Dug 2 is actually a very worthy successor to the extremely
addictive (and almost painfully cute) Dig
Dug, with one minor setback - the viewpoint is a pseudo-overhead view
with shadows, unlike the original game's purely 2-D graphics. Sometimes, when
one is desperately trying to sink part of the island before it's too late, this
perspective problem can get your protagonist killed while you sit there
helplessly thumping the drill button.
The islands change shape, sometimes at random, and sometimes spelling out
N-A-M-C-O, the manufacturer.
Rating:
Three quarters - worth repeat play, but with some annoying features that
might alienate less patient arcade veterans.
Reviewed by Earl Green
theLogBook.com editor/webmaster
Three quarters - worth repeat play, but with some annoying features that
might alienate less patient arcade veterans.
