Dig Dug - Review
Added November 22nd, 2006 by Dakota Grabowski
Namco Bandai has jumped on the train for support of the Xbox Live Arcade. With every passing month, it seems Microsoft gains another publisher or developer to dedicate their time in delivering titles to the service. Whether it be a game straight out of the plethora of video games in a publisher’s library or maybe even a new IP, Microsoft has developed the Xbox Live Arcade service into one of the premiere online services to take advantage of.
Namco Bandai this time has brought forth Dig Dug – a classic title that many will embrace with open arms. If you have never played Dig Dug, the premise is simple – dig holes and tunnels through the ground to eradicate enemies. If you remember Dig Dug from yesteryear, it hasn’t changed one bit.
For me, this was the first time I experienced Dig Dug for more than a mere ten-minute session. I never gave Dig Dug a chance due to the simple fact it wasn’t a role-playing title or even an action game. Surprisingly, I came away impressed with Dig Dug – it still has some fuel in its engine, making it not simply another nostalgic release on the Xbox Live Arcade.
Namco Bandai this time has brought forth Dig Dug – a classic title that many will embrace with open arms. If you have never played Dig Dug, the premise is simple – dig holes and tunnels through the ground to eradicate enemies. If you remember Dig Dug from yesteryear, it hasn’t changed one bit.
For me, this was the first time I experienced Dig Dug for more than a mere ten-minute session. I never gave Dig Dug a chance due to the simple fact it wasn’t a role-playing title or even an action game. Surprisingly, I came away impressed with Dig Dug – it still has some fuel in its engine, making it not simply another nostalgic release on the Xbox Live Arcade.
Running away from Pookas and Fygars, the enemies of Dig Dug, I was ignorant of how to play the game. Often times, I found myself questioning the motive of why I even continued to play. I didn’t realize how simple it really was. Here are a few guidelines to remember about Dig Dug. I think if everyone follows these, they could become a decent Dig Dug player.
- Avoid getting too close to an enemy as a single touch or its attack will kill you.
- Avoid falling rocks; they too will kill you.
- Plan ahead, plan way ahead! The enemies are faster than you and can even float through the ground at particular times.
There are two methods of disposing of the enemies. One is through your trusty harpoon. The harpoon will latch onto the enemy and then you must pump the enemy full of air until they go ‘kaboom’. The other method is to use the falling rocks to your own advantage by timing the fall and luring the enemy underneath.
Playing Dig Dug on the Xbox 360 leaves a lot to be desired. The Xbox 360 controller is not the best arcade based controller on the market. The D-Pad does not do the game justice in the control portion of the game. You may want to look into buying the DOA4 Arcade Stick for better maneuverability. Buying the arcade stick will assist you in another Namco Bandai game as well, Pac-Man.
If you happen to like old vintage feel, well you’re in luck. The graphics and sound have both received poor treatment in their conversion to the Xbox Live Arcade. Disappointing as many other classic releases, Dig Dug continues this horrible trend of not keeping up with current times and updating the title.
What value does Dig Dug initially hold to gamers? It will leap out in everybody’s thoughts of a quick way to earn those ‘hard-earned’ Achievement points. Dig Dug’s achievements are a cinch to pick up and earn, so if you are looking for a quick fix to surpass your friends with a higher gamerscore, Dig Dug should be right down your alley. The last noteworthy mention is the Leaderboards to compare against your friend’s high scores to figure out who is the “master” at Dig Dug. Only problem is that you’ll have trouble finding any friends that truly enjoy the game in its entirety.
Summary:
The biggest misstep that Namco Bandai made was to not include multiplayer. That addition alone could have made the game a worthy purchase. But alas, Dig Dug is an iffy prospective Xbox Live Arcade title. You should only buy it if you have that nostalgic feeling or need to boost your GamerScore in a hurry.
