Gaming has come a long way since the arcade classics of the 80’s. Single button controls with pixelated graphics have paved the way for today’s gaming age of 16 button controllers and high definition gaming. However, one of the biggest differences between gaming today and games of the past is the storyline/score gaming goal. Earlier video games all were designed around how high of a score the player could achieve. Nowadays, games are objective or story based. While achieving a high score or obtaining a fast time in today games can play an important role, it is usually not the main objective.
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Dig Dug Digging Strike looks back to its past. Although there is a story line, beating each level with the highest score is really the main goal. Therefore, if you are a fan of old school arcade games, you will love Digging Strike.
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Like looking into a pet ant farm, the original game had players burrowing around underground stages while exploding enemies with a magic harpoon and pump. This same arcade style of play takes place on the DS’s bottom screen while the top screen displays what is happening on the surface of the earth. The goal in Digging Strike is to break off pieces of the stage and send it adrift in the ocean by digging from the bottom screen. However, the catch is that the player must break away the part of the island while the stage’s boss is resting upon it.
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Players jump into the underground (the bottom screen) via holes on the surface (the top screen). Once underground, the player must dig underneath giant colored stakes, that once they reach the bottom the screen, crack the surface of the island. Once these cracks are connected that part of the island will be sent adrift into the unforgiving sea. To help with this process items, powerups, and even Mr. Driller (the son of the playable character) will lend a helping hand.
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Enemies and other hazards will try and prevent the player from achieving the goal. Just like in the original game, the player can pump up and explode enemies with his magic harpoon. But new traps like floods, lava, and rolling rocks can also hinder the player’s progress. However, many of the game’s hazards, like falling rocks and rising water, can be used to the player’s advantage to kill enemies. Hidden machine parts can also be found at random by digging through the earth. Once enough of these hidden parts have been collected, the player is rewarded with upgrades such as the ability to dig faster or extended harpoon length.
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When each level is beaten, a score is presented to the player and saved for future reference. Once completed, the player has the option to go back and play any previously visited level to achieve a higher score. While this adds replay value, replaying old stages is kind of lame, but it does allow players to find those missing machine parts. All in all, the game will probably take most players about 6-8 hours to fully complete. It is a bit on the shorter side, but that is the essence of an arcade styled game.
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The graphics are pretty plain and simple. In fact, this game could have been produced on the SNES. Yes, the bosses are polygon 3D models, but the rest of the game is made up of simple sprites, reminiscent of the arcade original. Unlike every other video game on the planet, music only plays when you move underground. This means whenever the player stops moving the playable character, so does the music. When he continues walking, the music boots back up. While this retains that arcadey theme, it actually becomes more annoying that nostalgic.
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The game does feature a two-player multi-card link mode, but it won’t hold anyone’s attention for very long. Two players square off to find coins sprinkled throughout the level. Hit your opponent to drop a coin, collect the most coins to be the winner, use items against your opponent, blah-blah-blah we have all done this before. It is nice that this function was added to the game, but why couldn’t it be supported through single card link with four-player support? Then it would have been a hell of a lot more entertaining.
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Dig Dug Digging Strike is not a bad game. It contains a nice blend of classic gameplay with a new twist for the modern age. However, I think that only older gamers who grew up playing the classic will enjoy this title. The game’s pacing, gameplay goals, and presentation might be a little too slow for today’s younger gaming age. For fans of the old school arcade games, you will definitely enjoy your time spent with this game, even if it won’t be for very long.
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