Dig Dug II

Famicom Disk System

Famicom Disk System

Unlike the first game, Dig Dug II takes place on an island with an overhead view. The goal is simple: to kill all the enemies on the round. There are two types of enemies; Pookas (the round red monsters with goggles) only have the power to kill a player by touching him, but Fygars (the dragons) h...

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Developer
Namco

Released on
1990

Size
1–2 Players

Version
Famicom Disk System

Requirements
Nintendo Famicom Disk System

Downloads
Action

ESRB Rating
Not Rated

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Description

Unlike the first game, Dig Dug II takes place on an island with an overhead view. The goal is simple: to kill all the enemies on the round. There are two types of enemies; Pookas (the round red monsters with goggles) only have the power to kill a player by touching him, but Fygars (the dragons) have the power to kill a player either by touching him or horizontally breathing fire to burn him.

In this game, Taizo Hori (the player’s character) is armed with two weapons. One is the pump from the original Dig Dug, which is used to inflate enemies until they bust. The other is a jackhammer, which can be used at “fault lines” on the map to create faults in the ground. If both ends of a system of faults reach the water, the ground surrounded by them will sink into the ocean, killing all creatures on it, including Taizo himself. The points earned from this depend on how many enemies are killed at once. Once three pieces of land have been cut off an island, a bonus vegetable will appear somewhere on what remains of the island, which can be eaten for extra points. After the thirty-first round, the rounds will be identical to the first sixteen rounds before it. When only one, two or (on later rounds) three enemies remain on the island, the enemies will eventually head for the edge of the island and jump into the water, killing themselves and the player points are lost.

Dig Dug II

Overview & History

Released in 1986 exclusively for the Famicom Disk System (FDS) in Japan, Dig Dug II (subtitled Trouble in Paradise) boldly departs from the subterranean underground corridors of Namco’s original arcade classic. Instead of tunneling through dirt to inflate monsters, hero Taizo Hori finds himself on a series of small, floating island formations, tasked with a surprisingly geological mission. Leveraging the rewritable magnetic media of the FDS, this port brought the sequel directly to Japanese living rooms with crisp audio and seamless disk-loading mechanics. While it initially confused arcade purists expecting the same vertical maze-running, this island-clearing puzzle-action game has since earned a cult following for its unique strategic depth and satisfying physics engine.

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

The core objective in Dig Dug II is clearing each stage of classic enemies like Pooka and Fygar by isolating sections of land and sending them plunging into the ocean. Armed with a pneumatic pump and a pneumatic jackhammer rather than a drill, Taizo Hori traverses the perimeter of vibrant green islands. Players must carve fault lines across the terrain by aligning the jackhammer horizontally or vertically from edge to edge. Once a fault line is successfully drawn, cutting off a chunk of land occupied by monsters, that specific piece of the island detaches and sinks into the sea, instantly eliminating any unfortunate creatures standing upon it. Alternatively, players can still rely on the trusty pump to inflate enemies until they pop, though timing becomes crucial as monsters speed up and breathe fire. This dual approach creates a tense puzzle-like environment where spatial awareness and directional planning dictate survival across increasingly complex, crumbling archipelago layouts.

Keyboard Controls

Arrow Keys / D-Pad: Move Taizo Hori around the island edges and position the jackhammer
Action Keys: Use the Jackhammer / Fire the Pump
Enter: Start / Pause