"There isn't much digging, but you'll dig this game either way."

The black sheep sequel. The black sheepquel, if you will. It's rather prevalent in games these days; there seems to always be one video game in a series that gamers just don't want to mention. It's the one that's too different - the one that veers from the formula - the one that might just be plain bad. Game developers, no need to hang your head in disdain; evolutionary missteps in a game series are bound to happen now and then. Sonic the Hedgehog, Megaman, and Super Mario never threw in the towel after games in their series about typing, or soccer, or after games with simply abhorrent game mechanics.

Dig Dug II is not the black sheepquel. If you're talking strictly about games with "Dig" in the name that don't involve digging, then yes. Going by that criterion, Dig Dug II is a poor representation of the series, as it sorely lacks digging. Beyond that, there's an excellent arcade game here, brimming with opportunity and strategy.

Our subterranean subterfuge will not be taking place in Dig Dug II - it takes place entirely on land. The digger, named Taizo, is still tasked with taking down all the plump Pookas and fire-breathing Fygars he can find, but he's working on an island this time. With his pump and jackhammer, he can get rid of enemies in a few different ways. The conventional way is to blow them up, and some fall off the terrain if a player waits too long, but the most fun way to dispose of enemies in Dig Dug II is to dispose of the ground directly under them.

Each stage - each island, to be more specific - has small dots and lines peppered through the landscape. These represent fault lines, and Taizo can use these to his advantage. Taizo can remove chunks of the island by drilling through the fault lines connecting the smaller chunks to the rest of the island. If Taizo drills along a fault line, the smaller chunk of the island will sink into the ocean, leaving Taizo unharmed. The enemies that were on the smaller chunk sink into the ocean along with the chunk of land. Be sure to be standing on the part that won't be sinking, however, or you'll go down with the best of them!

This mechanic adds a great layer of strategy. Whether it would be easier or safer to blow up each enemy individually or sink them all in one fell swoop becomes an important part of the player's mindset. Players can still employ the classic Dig Dug tactic of blowing up an enemy almost to the point of explosion and then neglecting it, so they can focus on a more immediate threat.

It doesn't look as though the graphical or audio engines have been updated from the original Dig Dug. Dig Dug II looks just about the same as the original. I see the same green and yellow monsters, I see the same colors, and I hear very similar music and sound effects. The game is still aesthetically and aurally pleasing to a fault: it's disappointing that, for an NES game released in 1989, I can't see a game whose graphics even closely rival other games of the time (Super Mario Bros. 3 was released in '88 in Japan, after all). Dig Dug II is an arcade port, though, based on a game from 1985, but I'm still surprised that no effort was made to update it from a graphical standpoint. The same goes for the music and sound effects.

This is still a solid NES game, though, a great port, and a fun title. It does not share the notoriety of its supposedly superior forerunner, Dig Dug, but Dig Dug II is just as enjoyable. If anything, it's more worth a look than Dig Dug Deeper or Digging Strike on the DS.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 12/10/10

Game Release: Dig Dug II: Trouble In Paradise (US, December 1989)