Play Dig Dug II Online

Namco released Dig Dug II in arcades in 1985, a direct sequel that felt very much of its time. It was a clear attempt to evolve the formula of the original, trading the subterranean dirt for an overhead view of a series of small islands. The shift in perspective was immediately noticeable, signaling a different kind of puzzle.

You control Taizo Hori, the same digger from the first game, but your tools have changed. Instead of inflating enemies underground, your goal is to destroy the island itself to defeat the Pookas and Fygars. You do this by moving across the surface and using a pump to create fissures along the dotted grid lines that crisscross the land. A successful crack will cause a section of the island to break off and sink into the ocean, taking any enemies standing on it down with them. The risk is that you can also fall in if you're not careful, and the enemies are more aggressive, often herding you into corners. The pacing is tense, a constant calculation of which crack will cause the most damage without trapping you. It feels like a precarious game of causing controlled demolitions while being hunted.