Dig Dug
Dig Dug hit Xbox Live Marketplace on October 11th and I couldn't be more thrilled. Having grown up in the Coin-Op era (That's coin operated for you younglings), every time a classic game is released onto Xbox Live Arcade I'm drawn in. Dig Dug happens to be one I really enjoyed and was pretty good at. Much like Pac Man and Galaga, Namco-Bandai made a rendition true to the original 1982 arcade classic.
The visuals and audio for Dig Dug are a perfect match to the original, with Namco-Bandai having followed the winning formula they used on Pac Man. They outfitted Dig Dug with the previously seen updates to Xbox Live Arcade titles including leaderboards for all XBLA members and your friends, as well as the ability to start at any level that has been previously completed (also seen on Galaga and Pac Man). The resize feature is there as well, but after testing it this time, my larger screen TV doesn't really require this option to enjoy the game.
The gameplay on Dig Dug appears to work seamlessly with the analog stick on the wireless controller. Unlike Pac Man and Frogger, I had little trouble using the stick to maneuver through the area and take out the Fygar's or monsters. The only issue I really had was trying to inflate a monster hot on my tail because the analog stick just didn't give me the ability to hammer it into the opposite direction and start pumping. Maybe its the layout for Dig Dug being more of an open format, or Namco worked on the control response. Whichever, it makes me a more happy gamer.
The game AI is in its original form. I don't remember if there were set patterns for the Monsters and Fygar's (like Pac Man's ghosts) to follow, but they sure are good at converging on your location. The lone exception is when there is only one monster remaining and they are making a hasty exit off the top left of the board. Sometimes they take a stupid route and you can hunt them down pretty quick, but this also occurred in the original coin-op. I ran into a few issues with Dig Dug hooking into the wrong monster or not responding (when to close) to pressing the button, but I seem to recall having those problems 20 years ago as well.
Eleven of the 12 achievements in Dig Dug are easily obtained by playing through the levels. The lone exception is 'Dig'. This requires you to clear an entire game board of dirt. While it seems easy enough, if you kill either of the last two monsters, the other will boogie off the screen ending the level. Also, after a certain amount of time on a level, the music AND monsters speed up and are much faster, compounding your problems. The other 11 achievements are all tied to dropping rocks. Two and four enemies are pretty easy to get just by leading the monsters and Fygar's down a path to their doom. The veggies all appear after you drop the second rock on various levels. The addition of starting on any level previously completed makes attaining these only a matter of time and a little skill.
The bottom line is that this is yet another excellent remake of a classic game by Namco-Bandai. The entire experience (sans the standing, quarters lined up and arcade environment) of Dig Dug is bottled into a neat little package for 400 Marketplace points. While many may become bored with these 1980's era games, the nostalgia and classic gameplay keep me going. The only recommendation I have to make this experience better would be to pipe in some classic arcade sounds into the surround speakers to emulate an old-school arcade.
Twenty-four years after its debut, old school never looked so good.
Dig Dug continues the impressive line of classic arcade titles to hit Xbox Live Arcade with another seamless transition from 80's style into next-gen play.
Rating: 9 Excellent
* The product in this article was sent to us by the developer/company.
About Author
Like many gamers in their 40's, I developed my love of gaming from my Commodore 64 after we wore out our Intellivision. I spent countless hours wandering around the streets of Skara Brae, as my life was immersed in The Bard's Tale series on the C-64, D&D Titles and any/all Epyx titles (California Summer and Winter Games) and sports titles. After taking the early 90's off from gaming (college years) minus the occasional Bill Walsh College Football on Sega, I was re-introduced to PC games in the mid 1990's with a couple of little games called DOOM II and Diablo. I went all-in with the last generation of consoles, getting an Xbox 360 on launch weekend as well as adding a PS3 and Wii in subsequent years. I now am into the current-generation (latest?) of consoles with the WiiU and Xbox One. Recently, I was able to get back into PC gaming and have enjoyed it very much, spending most of my time going solo or playing with my fellow GamingNexus staffers in controlled multiplayer action.
While my byline is on many reviews, articles and countless news stories, I have a passion for and spent the last several years at GamingNexus focusing on audio & video and accessories as they relate to gaming. Having over 20 years of Home Theater consulting and sales under my belt, it is quite enjoyable to spend some of my time viewing gaming through the A/V perspective. While I haven't yet made it to one of the major gaming conventions (PAX or E3), I have represented GamingNexus at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas in nine of the last ten years.
Personally, I have been a staff member at GamingNexus since 2006 and am in my third tour of duty after taking off the last year and a half.
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