is a maze arcade game developed by

Namco was a Japanese multinational video game and entertainment company, headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo. It held several international branches, including Namco America in Santa Clara, California, Namco Europe in London, Namco Taiwan in Kaohsiung, ...

in 1981 and released in 1982, distributed in North America by

Atari, Inc. Atari, Inc. was an American video game developer and home computer company founded in 1972 by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney. Atari was a key player in the formation of the video arcade and video game industry. Based primarily around the Sunny ...

The player controls Dig Dug to defeat all enemies per stage, by either inflating them to bursting or crushing them underneath rocks. ''Dig Dug'' was planned and designed by Masahisa Ikegami, with help from ''

Galaga is a 1981 fixed shooter arcade video game developed and published by Namco. In North America, it was released by Midway Manufacturing. It is the sequel to '' Galaxian'' (1979), Namco's first major video game hit in arcades. Controlling a star ...

'' creator Shigeru Yokoyama. It was programmed for the

Namco Galaga Namco was a video game developer and publisher, originally from Japan. Bandai Namco Entertainment is the successor to Namco and continues manufacturing and distributing video games worldwide. For Namco games released following the 2006 merger wit ...

arcade board by Shouichi Fukatani, who worked on many of Namco's earlier arcade games, along with Toshio Sakai. Music was composed by Yuriko Keino, including the character movement jingle at executives' request, as her first Namco game. Namco heavily marketed it as a "strategic digging game". Upon release, ''Dig Dug'' was well received by critics for its addictive gameplay, cute characters, and strategy. During the

golden age of arcade video games The golden age of arcade video games was the period of rapid growth, technological development and cultural influence of arcade video games, from the late 1970s to the early 1980s. The period began with the release of ''Space Invaders'' in 1978, ...

, it was globally successful, including as the second highest-grossing arcade game of 1982 in Japan. It prompted a long series of sequels and spin-offs, including the '' Mr. Driller'' series, for several platforms. It is in many Namco video game compilations for many systems.

Gameplay

''Dig Dug'' is a maze video game. The player controls protagonist Dig Dug (Taizo Hori) to eliminate each screen's enemies: Pookas, red creatures with comically large goggles, and Fygars, fire-breathing green dragons. Dig Dug can use an air pump to inflate them to bursting, or crush them under large falling rocks. Bonus points are awarded for squashing multiple enemies with a single rock, and dropping two rocks in a stage yields a bonus item, which can be eaten for points. Once all the enemies have been defeated, Dig Dug progresses to the next stage. Enemies chase Dig Dug through dirt in the form of ghostly eyes, only becoming solid in the air where his pump can stun or destroy them. Enemies eventually become faster and more aggressive and the last one then attempts escape. Later stages vary in dirt color, while increasing the number and speed of enemies.

Development

In 1981, ''Dig Dug'' was planned and designed by Masahisa Ikegami, with help from Shigeru Yokoyama, the creator of ''

''. The game was programmed for the

arcade system board by Shigeichi Ishimura, a Namco hardware engineer, and the late Shouichi Fukatani, along with Toshio Sakai. Other staff members were primarily colleagues of Shigeru Yokoyama. Yuriko Keino composed the soundtrack, as her first video game project. Tasked with making Dig Dug's movement sound, she couldn't make a realistic stepping sound, so she instead made a short melody. Hiroshi "Mr. Dotman" Ono, a Namco graphic artist, designed the sprites. The team hoped to allow player-designed mazes which could prompt unique gameplay mechanics, contrasting with the pre-set maze exploration in '' Pac-Man'' (1980). Namco's marketing materials heavily call it a "strategic digging game".

Release

''Dig Dug'' was released in Japan on February 20, 1982. It was released in North America in April 1982 by Atari, as part of the licensing deal with Namco. Namco released it in Europe on April 19, 1982. The first home conversion of ''Dig Dug'' was released for the

Atari 2600 The Atari 2600, initially branded as the Atari Video Computer System (Atari VCS) from its release until November 1982, is a home video game console developed and produced by Atari, Inc. Released in September 1977, it popularized microprocesso ...

in 1983, developed and published by Atari, which was followed by versions for the

Atari 5200 The Atari 5200 SuperSystem or simply Atari 5200 is a home video game console introduced in 1982 by Atari, Inc. as a higher-end complement for the popular Atari Video Computer System. The VCS was renamed to the Atari 2600 at the time of the 520 ...

, Atari 8-bit family, Commodore 64, and Apple II. In Japan, it was ported to the

Casio PV-1000 The is a third-generation home video game console manufactured by Casio and released in Japan in 1983. It was discontinued less than a year after release. History The PV-1000 was released in October 1983. It was only released in Japan wher ...

in 1983, the MSX in 1984, and the

Famicom The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit Third generation of video game consoles, third-generation home video game console produced by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan in 1983 as the commonly known as the The NES, a redes ...

in 1985. Gakken produced a handheld LCD tabletop game in 1983, which replaced Dig Dug's air pump with a flamethrower to accommodate hardware limitations. Namco released a

Game Boy The is an 8-bit fourth generation handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on April 21, 1989, in North America later the same year, and in Europe in late 1990. It was designed by the same t ...

conversion in North America only in 1992, with an all-new game called "New Dig Dug" where the player must collect keys to open an exit door; this version was later included in the 1996 Japan-only compilation ''Namco Gallery Vol. 2'', which also includes ''

Galaxian is a 1979 fixed shooter arcade video game developed and published by Namco. The player assumes control of the Galaxip starfighter in its mission to protect Earth from waves of aliens. Gameplay involves destroying each formation of aliens, wh ...

'', ''

The Tower of Druaga is a 1984 arcade action role-playing maze game developed and published in Japan by Namco. Controlling the golden-armored knight Gilgamesh, the player is tasked with scaling 60 floors of the titular tower in an effort to rescue the maiden Ki f ...

'', and ''Famista 4''. A Japanese

Sharp X68000 The is a home computer created by Sharp Corporation. It was first released in 1987 and sold only in Japan. The initial model has a 10 MHz Motorola 68000 CPU, 1 MB of RAM, and lacks a hard drive. The final model was released in 1993 wit ...

version was developed by Dempa and released in 1995, bundled with ''

Dig Dug II is an action arcade video game developed and published in Japan by Namco in 1985. It is a sequel to 1982's ''Dig Dug''. Pookas and fire-breathing Fygars return as the enemies, but the side view tunneling of the original is replaced with an overhe ...

''. The Famicom version was re-released in Japan for the

Game Boy Advance The (GBA) is a 32-bit handheld game console developed, manufactured and marketed by Nintendo as the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001, in North America on June 11, 2001, in the PAL region on June 22, ...

in 2004 as part of the '' Famicom Mini'' series. ''Dig Dug'' is a mainstay in Namco video game compilations, including ''Namco Museum Vol. 3'' (1996), ''Namco History Vol. 3'' (1998), ''Namco Museum 64'' (1999), ''Namco Museum 50th Anniversary'' (2005), ''

Namco Museum Remix ''Namco Museum Remix'' is a 2007 Product bundling, video game compilation developed and published for the Wii by Namco Bandai Games. The compilation includes nine Namco arcade games and five "remix" games made specifically for this compilation. A r ...

'' (2007), '' Namco Museum Essentials'' (2009), and ''Namco Museum Switch'' (2017). The game was released online on

Xbox Live Arcade Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA) is a digital video game download service available through the Xbox Games Store, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360. It focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent ...

in 2006, supporting online leaderboards and achievements. It is part of ''

Namco Museum Virtual Arcade is a video game compilation developed and published by Namco Bandai Games for the Xbox 360. It was released in North America in 2008 and in Europe and Japan in 2009. Part of its ''Namco Museum'' series, ''Virtual Arcade'' includes 34 titles; nine ...

'', and was added to the

Xbox One The Xbox One is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. Announced in May 2013, it is the successor to Xbox 360 and the third base console in the Xbox series of video game consoles. It was first released in North America, parts of ...

's backward compatibility lineup in 2016. A version for the Japanese

Wii Virtual Console A virtual console (VC) – also known as a virtual terminal (VT) – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some Unix-like operating systems such as Linux, BSD, illumos, Un ...

was released in 2009. ''Dig Dug'' is a bonus game in '' Pac-Man Party'', alongside the arcade versions of '' Pac-Man'' and ''Galaga''.

Reception

''Dig Dug'' was a critical and commercial success upon release, and was praised for its gameplay and layered strategy. In Japan, it was the second highest-grossing arcade game of 1982, just below Namco's '' Pole Position''. In North America, Atari sold 22,228 ''Dig Dug'' arcade cabinets by the end of 1982, earning in cabinet sales. Around July 1983, it was one of the six top-grossing games. It was popular during the

. The 2004 '' Famicom Mini'' release had 58,572 copies sold, and the

version had 222,240 copies by 2011. American publication ''

Blip Magazine ''New World Writing'' (formerly ''Blip Magazine'') is the reinvention of Mississippi Review Online, a personal website put online in 1995 by the editor of ''Mississippi Review'', Frederick Barthelme. It is the online heir of ''Mississippi Review'' ...

'' favorably compared it to games such as '' Pac-Man'' for its simple controls and fun gameplay. ''Allgame'' called it "an arcade and NES classic", praising its characters, gameplay, and unique premise, and for its easy home platform conversion. In 1998, Japanese magazine ''

Gamest was a Japanese video game magazine that specialized in covering arcade games. Published by Shinseisha, it first began in May 1986 and originally published bi-monthly, later changed to be a monthly-issued magazine in the late 1980s. The magazine a ...

'' called it one of the greatest arcade games of all time for its addictiveness and for breaking the traditional "dot-eater" gameplay used in games such as '' Pac-Man'' and ''

Rally-X is a maze chase arcade video game developed Namco and released in 1980. Players drive a blue Formula One race car through a multidirectional scrolling maze to collect yellow flags. Boulders block some paths and must be avoided. Red enemy cars ...

''. In a 2007 retrospective, ''

Eurogamer ''Eurogamer'' is a British video game journalism website launched in 1999 and owned by alongside formed company Gamer Network. Its editor-in-chief is Martin Robinson. Since 2008, it is known for the formerly eponymous games trade fair EG ...

'' praised its "perfect" gameplay and strategy, saying it is one of "the most memorable and legendary videogame releases of the past 30 years". The

Killer List of Videogames Killer List of Videogames (KLOV) is a website featuring an online encyclopedia devoted to cataloging arcade games past and present. It is the video game department of the International Arcade Museum, and has been referred to as "the IMDb for pl ...

rated it the sixth most popular coin-op game of all time. ''

Electronic Fun with Computers & Games ''Electronic Fun with Computers & Games'' was a video game magazine published in the United States from November 1982 to May 1984. For the last two issues it was renamed ''ComputerFun''. Content The magazine was split up into the following sec ...

'' praised the Atari 8-bit version for retaining the arcade's entertaining gameplay and for its simple controls. Some home versions were criticized for quality and lack of exclusive content. Readers of ''Softline'' magazine ranked ''Dig Dug'' the tenth-worst Apple II and fourth-worst Atari 8-bit video game of 1983 for its subpar quality and failure of consumer expectations. Reviewing the

digital re-release, ''IGN'' liked its presentation, leaderboards, and addictive gameplay, recommending it for old and new fans alike. A similar response was echoed by ''

GameSpot ''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. In addition ...

'' for its colorful artwork and faithful arcade gameplay, and by ''Eurogamer'' for addictiveness and longevity. ''Eurogamer'', ''IGN'', and ''GameSpot'' all criticized its lack of online multiplayer and for achievements being too easy to unlock, with ''Eurogamer'' in particular criticizing the game's controls for sometimes being unresponsive.

Legacy

''Dig Dug'' prompted a fad of "digging games". Clones include the arcade game ''Zig Zag'' (1982), the

Atari 800 The Atari 8-bit family is a series of 8-bit home computers introduced by Atari, Inc. in 1979 as the Atari 400 and Atari 800. The series was successively upgraded to Atari 1200XL , Atari 600XL, Atari 800XL, Atari 65XE, Atari 130XE, Atari 800XE ...

game ''Anteater'' (1982) by Romox, Merlin's ''Pixie Pete'', Victory's ''Cave Kooks'' (1983) for the Commodore 64, and Saguaro's ''Pumpman'' (1984) for the

TRS-80 Color Computer The RadioShack TRS-80 Color Computer, later marketed as the Tandy Color Computer and sometimes nicknamed the CoCo, is a line of home computers developed and sold by Tandy Corporation. Despite sharing a name with the earlier TRS-80, the Color Com ...

. The most successful is

Universal Entertainment formerly known as and Universal, is a Japanese manufacturer of pachinko, slot machines, arcade games and other gaming products, and a publisher of video games. Aruze possesses licenses to both manufacture and distribute casino machines in the ...

's arcade game ''

Mr. Do! is a 1982 maze game developed by Universal. It is the first arcade video game to be released as a conversion kit for other arcade machines; Taito published the conversion kit in Japan. The game was inspired by Namco's ''Dig Dug'' released earl ...

'' (1982), released about six months later and surpassing clone status. Sega's '' Borderline'' (1981), when it was ported to the

as ''Thunderground'' in 1983, was mistaken as a "semi-clone" of ''Dig Dug'' and ''Mr. Do!''. ''

Boulder Dash ''Boulder Dash'' is a 2D maze-puzzle video game released in 1984 by First Star Software for Atari 8-bit computers. It was created by Canadian developers Peter Liepa and Chris Gray. The player controls Rockford, who collects treasures while e ...

'' (1984) also drew comparisons to ''Dig Dug''. Numerous

mobile games A mobile game, or smartphone game, is a video game that is typically played on a mobile phone. The term also refers to all games that are played on any portable device, including from mobile phone ( feature phone or smartphone), tablet, PDA to ...

are clones or variations of ''Dig Dug'', such as ''Diggerman'', ''Dig Deep'', ''Digby Forever'', ''Dig Out'', ''Puzzle to the Center of Earth'', ''Mine Blitz'', ''I Dig It'', ''Doug Dug'', ''Minesweeper'', ''Dig a Way'', and ''Dig Dog''.

Sequels

''Dig Dug'' prompted a long series of sequels for several platforms. The first of these, ''

'', was released in Japan in 1985 to less success, opting for an overhead perspective; instead of digging through earth, Dig Dug drills along fault lines to sink pieces of an island into the ocean. A second sequel, '' Dig Dug Arrangement'', was released for arcades in 1996 as part of the '' Namco Classic Collection Vol. 2'' arcade collection, with new enemies, music, power-ups, boss fights, and two-player co-operative play. A 3D remake of the original, '' Dig Dug Deeper'', was published by

Infogrames Atari SA (formerly Infogrames Entertainment SA) is a French video game holding company headquartered in Paris. Its subsidiaries include Atari Interactive and Atari, Inc. It is the current owner of the Atari brand through Atari Interactive. ...

in 2001 for Windows. A Nintendo DS sequel, '' Dig Dug: Digging Strike'', was released in 2005, combining elements from the first two games and adding a narrative link to the ''Mr. Driller'' series. A massively-multiplayer online game, ''

Dig Dug Island was a massively multiplayer online (MMO) video game developed by VerX and published by Namco Bandai Games exclusively for Japan. Beta testing began on December 21, 2007, followed by a public release on May 8, 2008. Based on Namco's ''Dig Dug'' v ...

'', was released in 2008, and was an online version of ''Dig Dug II''; servers lasted for less than a year, discontinued on April 21, 2009.

Related media

Two ''Dig Dug''-themed slot machines were produced by Japanese company Oizumi in 2003, both with small LCD monitors for animated characters. A webcomic adaptation was produced in 2012 by ShiftyLook, a subsidiary of Bandai Namco focused on reviving older Namco franchises, with nearly 200 issues by several different artists, concluding in 2014 following the closure of ShiftyLook. Dig Dug is a main character in the ShiftyLook webseries '' Mappy: The Beat''. A remix of the ''Dig Dug'' soundtrack appears in the PlayStation 2 game ''

Technic Beat is an arcade music video game developed by Arika. It is a sequel to the PlayStation 2 game Technictix. The PlayStation 2 version of ''Technic Beat'' was published in North America by Mastiff. It was released in Japan in 2002 and the United ...

''. The character Dig Dug was renamed to Taizo Hori, a play on the Japanese phrase "horitai zo", meaning "I want to dig". He became a prominent character in Namco's own '' Mr. Driller'' series, where he is revealed to be the father of Susumu Hori and being married to '' Baraduke'' protagonist Masuyo Tobi, who would divorce for unknown reasons. Taizo appears as a playable character in '' Namco Super Wars'' for the

WonderSwan Color The (ワンダースワン) is a handheld game console released in Japan by Bandai. It was developed by Gunpei Yokoi's company Koto Laboratory and Bandai, and was the last piece of hardware Yokoi developed before his death in 1997. Released ...

and ''

Namco × Capcom (pronounced as "Namco Cross Capcom") is a tactical role-playing (RPG) crossover video game developed by Monolith Soft for the PlayStation 2 and published by Namco in 2005. The gameplay combines tactical RPG and action sequences during battles, ...

'' for the PlayStation 2, only in Japan. Taizo appears in the now-defunct web browser game ''Namco High'' as the principal of the high school, simply known as "President Dig Dug". Pookas appear in several Namco games, including ''

Sky Kid is a horizontally scrolling shooter arcade video game released by Namco in 1985. It runs on Namco Pac-Land hardware but with a video system like that used in ''Dragon Buster''. It is also the first game from Namco to allow two players to play si ...

'' (1985), '' R4: Ridge Racer Type 4'' (1998), ''

Pac-Man World is a 1999 3D platform video game developed and published for the PlayStation by Namco. Controlling Pac-Man, the player must complete each of the game's six worlds by collecting a certain amount of pellets to open up an exit door. The plot follows ...

'' (1999), ''Pro Baseball: Famista DS 2011'' (2011), and in Nintendo's ''Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS'' and ''Wii U'' (2014). ''Dig Dug'' characters briefly appear in the film ''

Wreck-It Ralph ''Wreck-It Ralph'' is a 2012 American computer-animated comedy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The 52nd Disney animated feature film, it was directed by Rich Moore (in his feature director ...

'' (2012).

Notes

References

External links

* * {{Authority control 1982 video games Arcade video games Apple II games Atari arcade games Atari 2600 games Atari 5200 games Atari 7800 games Atari 8-bit family games Bandai Namco Entertainment franchises ColecoVision games Commodore 64 games VIC-20 games Famicom Disk System games Game Boy games Intellivision games IOS games Namco arcade games Nintendo Entertainment System games Nintendo Switch games Mobile games MSX games PlayStation 4 games Sharp X68000 games TI-99/4A games Video games developed in Japan Video games scored by Yuriko Keino Virtual Console games Virtual Console games for Wii U Xbox 360 Live Arcade games Multiplayer and single-player video games Hamster Corporation games