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> Results: Dig Dug: Digging Strike
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Susumu Hori, the hero of the Mr. Driller games, gets all the fame and glory for his heroic drilling endeavors. Everyone forgets that his father, Taizo Hori, was the original hero in the Dig Dug games. So when the president of a country made up of small islands calls upon Susumu for help, Taizo intercepts the call and journeys there in Susumu's stead. Can Taizo use his digging prowess to stop the monsters invading the islands and show everyone that he's not too old and washed out to be the hero?
Dig Dug: Digging Strike is a clever mix of the gameplay ideas found in Dig Dug and Dig Dug 2. Most people well versed in classic arcade games are probably familiar with Dig Dug. Burrow beneath the earth, dropping rocks and inflating pesky Pookas and fire-breathing Fygars. Dig Dug 2 isn't quite as well known, although you can play it on the PSP Namco Museum Battle Collection. In the sequel, Dig Dug pumps up Pookas and Fygars on a series of islands in an overhead view. You used a new jackhammer to drill down stakes in the earth, which created fault lines in the ground sending bits of the island, and whoever was standing on it, into the deep blue sea.  In the DS version, the top screen is similar to Dig Dug 2. You walk around the island in an overhead perspective. There is a giant boss roaming around, and the only way to defeat it is to sink it into the water. But the stakes are too high up for you to pound them down, so you must pull them down from underneath. Find holes in the island that will send you down to the bottom screen. Here on the bottom the gameplay is more like the first game. Dig around the earth, popping and squashing Pookas, Fygars, and new baddies. Down here you must dig under the stakes to make them fall and create cracks up on the island above. Time your digging so that you can sink the boss and not get submerged yourself! While digging, you can unearth secret fossils and special items to help you beat the nasties. Taizo can also call for help from Susumu (rather reluctantly, probably). Depending on what items you've collected, Susumu will come to his dad's aid in a helicopter to drop bombs on the bosses to stun them, or he can change the direction of where the stakes' fault lines will go. Sometimes, Susumu will distract the boss monsters by riding in vehicles that pay homage to other classic Namco titles, like Rally-X and Xevious. You can also compete wirelessly with a second player (player two is Ataru, Taizo's other son), in a race to collect the most coins. The 2D graphics don't look too much better than the arcade, but the catchy music gets you in the mood for digging around in the dirt. Gameplay and control are spot on and Digging Strike keeps that Dig Dug feel right down to the last detail. The music pauses when you cease digging, for instance, just like the old arcade game. The only problems are that it's a bit short and easy, and some of the items aren't so useful. You can replay stages to beat your score and find hidden fossils, and unlock harder stages after you beat the game! Fans of classic arcade gameplay will really ﾑdig' Dig Dug: Digging Strike. I'd like to nominate Taizo Hori as an honorary GamerDad. You don't see too many video game heroes who are dads, nowadays. 
Dig Dug: Digging Strike is great for kids who appreciate classic arcade gameplay. Violence is only depicted in a cartoonish fashion, whether you're pumping up and popping Pookas or squishing them under falling rocks. Plentiful extra lives, easy levels and short game length mean that even the youngest gamers can enjoy this game, and the timeless classic gameplay is fun for young and old!
This review edited by Dave Long Comments? Chat about it in our forums! Format For Printing | Tell A Friend | Digg | Slashdot | del.icio.us | Buy This Game Browse Amazon.com's selection of "Dig Dug" themed games Home > Review Archive > Video Games > Results: Dig Dug: Digging Strike |
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