Dig Dug

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Dig Dug
Studio Namco
Publisher Namco
Atari Corporation
Erstveröffent-
lichung		 1982
genre Maze
Game mode Up to 2 players, alternating
control Joystick ; 1 button
casing Standard and Cocktail
Arcade system Namco Galaga Hardware
CPU : 3 × Z80 3.072 MHz
monitor Raster , resolution 224 × 288 (vertical) Color palette: 32
information The sixth most popular game of all time according to KLOV .

Dig Dug ˈdi̯g daːg ( Eng . Grabe !, grub) was published as an arcade game by Namco in 1982 . The popular game with a fairly simple concept soon emerged as clones like Mr. Do! which, like the original, havebeen portedto many consoles and home computers (e.g. C64 ).

Game objective

Dig Dug s aim is to destroy cave-dwelling monsters . This can be achieved on the one hand by inflating them until they burst or by dropping stones on them.

There are two opponents :

  • Pooka is a round red and yellow monster that is reminiscent of a tomato with a diving mask .
  • Fygar is a green, fire-breathing dragon .

The player controls a tunnel digging miner who dies if he

  1. caught by a monster
  2. burned by Fygar's fire or
  3. is killed by a falling stone.

You have to pump the fire button four times to pop a monster. Half-inflated monsters recover after a few seconds, but are paralyzed until then. By cleverly exploiting this property, you can take on two monsters at the same time, or a monster can be held under a falling stone (which earns more points). Advanced players try to kill several monsters with one stone. This is achieved, for example, by running against an exposed stone from below, holding it, as it were, in order to then step aside and let it fall directly onto the opponent.

In general, the opponents run through the tunnels , occasionally they turn into "eyes" and slowly haunt through the earth .

In deeper layers of the earth there are more points. Attacking Fygar horizontally is also rewarded higher as he cannot breathe fire vertically.

" Fruits " and other bonuses appear in the center after two stones have been dropped. You have to collect them before they disappear again after 15 seconds.

The game loops. The last enemy on the earth's surface tries to run out of the picture on the left. The level is represented by flowers in the top right corner. In each subsequent level, the number and speed of opponents increase.

Succession

The sequel title, Dig Dug II , was less successful and it was less popular in arcades.

Source code

The source code of Dig Dug in the Atari 7800 version was available in physical form together with Ms. Pac-Man , Centipede , Robotron: 2084 and eight games when the Atari Corporation was closed in 1996, reconstructed by the Atari Museum and later published.

Trivia

  • The protagonist's name in Japan is "Taizo Hori" ; this is a pun based on the phrase "Horitai zo" , or "I want to dig!"
  • "Taizo Hori" is the father of "Susumu Hori" , the main character in the series Mr. Driller .
  • Dig Dug was the first game Namco licensed to Atari after the projection racing game F-1 .
  • "Dig Dug" was also mentioned in the Matrix Reloaded spoof of the 2003 MTV Movie Awards.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Kevin Parrish: Atari 7800 Source Code Rescued - Atari released the source code for the 7800 console and games . tomsguide.com. July 7, 2009. Retrieved January 9, 2012.
  2. ↑ 7800 Games & Development . atari-museum.com. 2009. Retrieved January 9, 2012: “ These games were rescued from Atari ST format diskettes that were thrown out behind 1196 Borregas when Atari closed up in 1996. The Atari Museum rescued these important treasures and recovered them from the diskettes. "