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Thread: Dig Dug II .... why is this one so obscure?

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    ServBot (Level 11) Edmond Dantes's Avatar
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    Default Dig Dug II .... why is this one so obscure?

    Okay, sometimes I don't get the "first installment wins" mentality.

    Case in point, Dig Dug.

    I'm gonna be honest... I don't see why anyone would've been entertained by the original Dig Dug, even back in its own time. The game is freaking boring, there's no panache to killing the monsters, the only gimmick is dropping rocks but you can only do that a few times per level and its kinda awkward to pull off... the game just gets dull very early in.

    On a more practical note, growing up I actually never played Dig Dug I because it wasn't on the NES in America. You know what was, though?

    Dig Dug II (subtitled "Trouble in Paradise" on the NES).

    Now this... THIS game is awesome.

    It's overhead now, and instead of just digging tunnels, you have a jackhammer that can MAKE LANDMASSES COLLAPSE.

    Seriously, that alone is more entertaining than anything the first game did. Drop a rock? Pshaw, you can dump those monsters into the ocean with one well-placed dig!

    That said, I'll admit it actually takes some people awhile to figure out this is even a mechanic--I see so many people thinking the inflation pump is their only weapon for whatever reason.

    Unfortunately it seems like whenever Dig Dug is discussed, its only the original, people don't even know there's a sequel... and it doesn't help that said sequel doesn't get re-released as often (just checking Wikipedia, its on the Wii, DS, possibly the X-Box One or 360 I couldn't tell... and the Switch, tho the Switch has the NES version--fortunately this is one case where the home port isn't all that different and may arguably be slightly better. There was also some sort of mini arcade machine that had it, and a cartridge for something called the Evercade).

    So.... what are ya'lls thoughts on this? Why do you think Dig Dug II gets so overlooked? Which game do you think is the superior entry?

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    Alex (Level 15) Custom rank graphic
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    I like Dig Dug II on NES quite a bit, though it's not exactly one of the first NES games I'll go to. I'm not sure why it's overlooked compared to the first game, maybe this style of game was already unpopular at the time of its release. I like the first Dig Dug too so I won't say which one is better, though I've probably played the second one more. It depends on what I'm in the mood for. Dig Dug is basically Mr Do! anyway.

    I've been wanting to find Dig Dug: Digging Strike for the DS to see what it's like, from the videos I've seen it looks like it's the first and second game merged together.

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    I'm the opposite-I enjoyed Dig Dug as it got a bit frenzied as you went along. I played it mainly in the arcade and I played it on the 2600 (which wasn't all that grand to me) but that's about it. Dig Dug II I played on a NES emulator because I never saw the game on store shelves. I saw the ads and found it a bit odd and then playing it I just didn't "get"it. I didn't play it until maybe two years ago when my third eldest step son got sour when I beat his high score in Galaga on the Namco Museum cart on DS. He's a bad winner (if he played Halo, he'd be the tea-bagging-on-a-defeated-player type of person) and an even worse loser. So instead of trying to get better at Galaga, he just moved onto another game and that was Dig Dug II.

    This time around I got the hang of it and had fun but it wasn't anything that kept drawing me back. Since then he stopped playing it as well and we haven't gotten back into competition since.

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    Dig Dug II was a commercial flop in the arcades in Japan, though it followed Namco's tradition of overhauling a game for its sequel. Often that hasn't worked out for them. 1985 was a terrible year for arcades though, the NES release in 1986 went totally unseen. I don't remember a single person having this game back then.
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    Dig Dug is awesome. Ive only played in via the numerous Namco Museum iterations. never seen the arcade version before

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    ServBot (Level 11) Edmond Dantes's Avatar
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    Aren't the various Namco Museum compilations (with a few specific exceptions) based on the arcade version? Or do you mean you've never seen a physical arcade cabinet?

    I once saw one at a skating rink... at least, it had Dig Dug art decals, but the game was actually Galaga. Fine by me, I loves me some Galaga.

    Recently, I've also been getting into Tower of Druaga... lord help me.

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    Dig Dug is pretty much in every "classic arcade" I've ever been to. Dig Dug II maybe he's referring to, which was never released over here.
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    I can say one thing for certain about part 1; after playing Mr. Do! I just can't get into it.

    Mr. Do! has a much faster pace along with enough varying objectives that you could go about each stage in a different way. Dig Dug seems slow as molasses and rudimentary by comparison.

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    I know of DDII but have never played it ,I may have to take a look now after reading this thread.
    The original Dig Dug is terribly overrated as an arcade game ,I find it dull but admit it is arcade iconic in appearance. It might be a US thing having fond memories of the original as here in the UK it was Mr Do! that was found in many places and to me was a superior game in every possible way, I only ever encounted Dig Dug a few times in my arcade gaming and really only sat down with it when I picked up NAMCO Museum 3 on PS1

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    When judging Dig Dug, you need to keep in mind that it was released in 1982. When it was fresh in the arcades, it was truly excellent. I played the game a ton in the 80's at various arcades, as did everyone else. That's why it's iconic.

    However, is it my first choice when I visit a modern day barcade/retrocade? No. However I will still play a game or two, and it's still quite fun. It's just overshadowed by lots of other options. As for Dig Dug 2, I remember it being OK.. But I haven't played it since I was a kid. Because of this post, I'll probably now play the NES version next time I'm playing NES games.

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