Dig Dug II

Dig Dug II is a very strange sequel. It has enough elements from its predecessor to obviously be a Dig Dug game, but the look and feel are almost entirely restructured. I'm not against experimentation in sequels, but it was still a little startling to me that Dig Dug took the Zelda II approach rather than that of Ms. PAC-MAN. Thankfully, I think the strangeness paid off. It's definitely not better than its predecessor, but Dig Dug II is still a fun time.

Just like the original, your goal in each of the stages is to defeat all of the enemies. It's the same two varieties that you are familiar with from the first game, and you can still pump them full of air to pop them, but the game's new setting introduces a brand new option for achieving victory. Instead of taking place in intricate underground tunnels, Dig Dug II is entirely above-ground on various structurally unsound islands. Each island is marred by cracks and holes that you can use you damage the island even further. By digging in a hole or on the edge of a crack, quick-witted players can create or extend cracks to protect themselves from their pursuers, or even destroy a portion of the island and everything standing on it. When you form cracks that fully divide an island in two, the smaller portion will momentarily rumble, and then sink into the sea, shrinking the playing field, but also eliminating anything unlucky enough to be on it. It can take a lot of practice to get proficient at this mechanic, but it makes for a very powerful strategy when used correctly.

Now, on paper, this sounds like a pretty solid sequel to one of Namco's most popular releases, and frankly, it kind of is! Unfortunately, it just can't live up to the original in my mind. I'm not sure if it's the new mechanics or the lacking color palette, but Dig Dug II failed to grip me the same way its predecessor did. It was definitely still fun for a little bit, but I didn't have a lot of motivation to keep playing after my first "game over." I think Dig Dug diehards will probably appreciate this game the most, thanks to its strange degree of familiarity, but I don't expect anyone else will find much of a reason to play it.
The game is available for Steam here (as of 8/5/22): https://store.steampowered.com/app/1254620/NAMCO_MUSEUM_ARCHIVES_Vol_2/
The game is also available for Switch here (as of 8/5/22): https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/namco-museum-archives-vol-2-switch/
The game is available for Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S here (as of 8/5/22): https://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/store/namco-museum-archives-vol-2/9nql4th4b3dd
The game is available for PS4 and PS5 here (as of 8/5/22): https://store.playstation.com/en-us/product/UP0700-CUSA19277_00-NMARCHIVES000000

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