Nintendo DS NintendoSpin.com / Reviews / Dig Dug: Digging Strike

Posted on August 28th, 2006 - 2884 Reads

Rated Everyone Dig Dug: Digging Strike Nintendo DS Review

-- Written by Clark Kent Nielsen



 When I was younger, one of my personal goals was to dig the biggest hole possible. Thanks to some pretty tough soil in my backyard, however, I never made it past three feet. But I'm not about to say that video games were able to replace this childhood need to dig, dig, dig-- though I do recall having some fun with the original Dig Dug and its many spin-offs. However, when all is said and done, I think you'll find a real shovel to be more exciting than this piece of software.

Dig Dug: Digging Strike starts out on good-footing with some clean and colorful menus and cutscenes, but things quickly turn for the worse once you get into the levels. First, the bottom screen features a too-nostalgic recreation of the original Dig Dug, 8-bit graphics and all. It's obviously a throwback to the golden years, but it just looks really poor as a DS remake/sequel. I'm not sure which is more offending, though: what's on the bottom screen or the top. Since the bottom screen is the underground world, the top screen shows what's on the surface. The problem is that it's done with incredibly cheap 3D models, so the monsters roaming around look like they were conceptualized by a five-year old.

However, I do give some props to the dual screen use. It makes a lot of sense to display what's under the ground and what's on the surface at the same time. Not only is it a natural visualization, it really lends to more gameplay options by combining elements from Dig Dug and Dig Dug II.

You see, the point of each level is to collapse a section of the island and drown whatever boss monster happens to be frequenting that area. On the surface, there are several pillars stuck in the earth. These have already started to crack the surface in vertical and horizontal directions, but you have to finish the job by jumping into a hole and going underground. A la the classic Dig Dug, you're supposed to dig the dirt out from underneath the pillars and drop them all the way to the bottom. Easier said than done, of course, with monsters and obstacles strewn throughout. To dispose of these, you can shoot a harpoon into enemies and pump them until they explode (uh... what?) or collect power-ups. Invincibility. Bombs. You know, all the basics.

The most valuable power-up calls on none other than Mr. Driller to drop out of the sky and twist as many pillars as the time limit will allow to shift which direction the cracks are going. Remember, your goal is to section off a piece of the island and drop it into the water. The cracks aren't always perfectly lined up to do so, however, so there's some forethought and thinking involved to get it right. The boss isn't always going to sit still, either, and you have to stay on the move and anticipate his moves if you want to win.

But keeping up with the boss can be a challenge when you move so slow. There are no quick-reflexes required here, because Dig Dug walks around with one of the most leisurely paces I've seen in a video game. This sluggishness makes the whole process wear thin very quickly. The fact that the world is set up as a grid only makes moving more aggravating. If you need to turn, Dig Dug will continue to move forward until he has exited that particular block of the map. There is no free movement, and you will often run into a monster trying to avoid it.

I think the thing that makes me the most irritated with this game, however, is that every level is nearly identical. Digging Strike just repeats the same idea over and over: dig out the pillars and sink the boss. Yes, this was fun maybe the first two times but not the twelfth or fifteenth time. The bosses get faster or smarter, and the underground areas get more cluttered with enemies, but there is no real variety. By the time you get to the end, this starts to feel more like a job than it does a game you play for enjoyment.

As such, there's not much personal incentive to keep playing once you've beaten the last boss. Getting to that point only takes about an hour, anyway. You are encouraged to play on a harder difficulty, collect fossils to open new power-ups, and earn gold medals on each level, but... honestly... there's no point replaying this game anymore than you have to. With so many great DS games coming out now, don't waste your time trying to complete Dig Dug's fossil collection.

Final Comments:
If anything, Dig Dug: Digging Strike is one of the better examples I've seen of good dual screen use. Unfortunately, that's not reason enough to buy this repetitive and clunky cash-in of one of Namco's past shining franchises. It starts out with an interesting concept but tries to be content with just that and never goes anywhere else. Dig Dug fan or not, I think you can do better with your money and time.

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