Inside the Arcade: “Dig Dug” (1982)
Let’s Pump It Up
It was marketed as a “strategic digging game”. It turns out that in 1982, digging was not just about making a hole. Not anymore!
Our guy’s name was “Dig Dug”. He was a modified-looking Smurf with a lot of moxie. He came equipped with tools to excavate the dirt and a pump to inflate enemies until they burst. He didn’t f@#k around.
Our job was to help Dig Dug clear out holes, loosen boulders to flatten bad guys, and inflate any of the red goggled dudes or fire breathing dragons in sight. The bad guys would sometimes attack us, and then out of the blue, they might just run for the exit. For them, it was fight or flight and you could get either one at any time. Racing these bad guys to the top left-hand corner of the screen and trying to catch them before they escaped is something I remember well.
The overall job of the player was to stay cool. And then, hurry up.
