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Description official descriptions

Dig Dug is a 1-2 player arcade game in which you have to use your shovel to dig your way through the earth. Stopping you from doing this are two monsters, called Pooka and Fygar, who will continually chase you around. The only weapon that you carry is an air pump, which you can use to inflate the monsters to the point where they explode (if you start to inflate them but stop doing so, the monsters will get turned back to their normal selves). Furthermore, rocks are scattered throughout the earth, and you can use these rocks to squash them. If the monsters do not find you for several seconds, they will eventually get turned into ghosts, which can walk through the earth. They are invincible and cannot be killed. From time to time, vegetables will appear in the center, and you can get these for points.

Spellings

  • アーケードアーカイブス ディグダグ - Japanese PS4 / Switch spelling
  • ディグダグ - Japanese spelling

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Credits (Arcade version)

5 People

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Reviews

Critics

Average score: 73% (based on 40 ratings)

Players

Average score: 3.7 out of 5 (based on 292 ratings with 6 reviews)

A true classic, One of my favorites

The Good
I liked it because when I had my Nintendo, I always played this game, and it was a game I really enjoyed, The graphics for that time was really good and I enjoyed the game very much.

The Bad
To me there is nothing wrong with the game, I think that everything was perfect for the game. The graphics were good. The music and sound were perfect, and the gameplay was fun and challenging.

The Bottom Line
You play a character who goes around destroying other enemies that breath fire at you, and you can also crush them with rocks that you dig under. Dig Dug is a true classic, and has been something that I will always remember playing, and it will always be a classic.

NES · by AaronGamer (29) · 2007

Arcade goodness for nostalgic kids who never saw the coin-op version.

The Good
Simplistic. Fun. And what is cooler then a guy wearing a helmet with a vacuum pump and a pick-axe? The anwser in nothing. Nothing can possibly be.

The Bad
In the age of 3d accellerated graphics, millions of Pollygons, Million color depth, and ultra hi res I must moan about the graphics.

The Bottom Line
Get this. Now.

PC Booter · by Yeah No (23) · 2000

Arcade Like Audio?!

The Good
How did they manage to make the 2600 sound like the arcade?! The 2600 normally sounds out of tune. The gameplay is terrific with loads of arcade elements. Love the opening attract screen.

The Bad
Once the game starts, there are some visual warts. For instance, the boulder is just a square. And the gameplay is a tad easy and doesn’t have as many levels.

The Bottom Line
Actually, a really fun game if you don’t mind the visuals. And there’s even a children’s mode.

Atari 2600 · by BigM · 2025

[ View all 6 player reviews ]

Trivia

1001 Video Games

The Arcade version of Dig Dug appears in the book 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die by General Editor Tony Mott.

Arcade version

In the coin-operated version the game ends on round 256 (shown as round 0) since this board is unplayable. At the start of the level, a Pooka is placed directly on top of where the player starts, with no way to kill it. This is a famous example of a kill screen (a area of a game that is impossible to play, usually caused by the oversight of developers.)

Release

Dig Dug was one of the "Fabulous Eleven" launch games for the Atari 7800.

Information also contributed by PCGamer77, Nélio and FatherJack

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Contributors to this Entry

Game added by Trixter.

Sharp MZ-80K/700/800/1500 added by Diskyboy. Casio PV-1000 added by Rola. TI-99/4A added by Corn Popper. Atari 2600, Intellivision, NES, Game Boy, Commodore 64 added by PCGamer77. Wii U added by Michael Cassidy. Nintendo 3DS added by CrankyStorming. Nintendo Switch added by Rik Hideto. Sharp X1, FM-7, PC-8000 added by Infernos. BlackBerry added by firefang9212. Windows added by Evolyzer. Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, Xbox One added by Sciere. PC-6001 added by Andrew Foldi. J2ME, BREW added by Kabushi. MSX added by Martin Smith. Atari 8-bit added by ZZip. Game Boy Advance added by Freeman. Wii added by gamewarrior. Antstream added by lights out party. PC-88 added by Terok Nor. Arcade added by The cranky hermit. Atari 7800, VIC-20, Atari 5200, Apple II added by Servo. Palm OS, Sord M5, Windows Mobile added by Игги Друге.

Additional contributors: Satoshi Kunsai, Katakis | カタキス, monkeyislandgirl, Nélio, formercontrib, Cantillon, Patrick Bregger, Starbuck the Third, Rik Hideto, FatherJack, Evolyzer, Andrew Foldi.

Game added May 26, 1999. Last modified May 30, 2025.