Dig Dug - Software MAME

Mattel Intellivision cart. published 37 years ago:

Dig Dug © 1987 INTV Corp.

Based on the Namco arcade game.

At the beginning of the game, Dig Dug burrows his way to the center of the earth. Once he's there, you control him with the hand controller Disc. Dig your own tunnels, or break into existing ones. Stun or explode monsters with your air gun, or drop rocks on them. When no monsters are left on screen, the game continues at the next level, harder than before!

TECHNICAL
Model 9005

TRIVIA
The Intellivision version of Dig Dug had been programmed at Atari by former Mattel Electronics programmer Mark Kennedy. The game had not been fully debugged, though, when Atari closed up their Intellivision division in 1984. INTV Corp. negotiated the rights three years later to release the cartridge for the first time.

The source code no longer existed, but Producer Dave Warhol uploaded the code from a prototype of the game still in Mark's possession. Working with the disassembled code, Mark fixed the game's remaining bugs and removed the Atari title screen.

SCORING
Your score is shown in the upper left corner. Your high score so far (since pressing RESET) is shown at the top center. You earn points in the following ways:

• Burrowing: Each chunk of dirt you dig is worth 5 points.
• Popping Monsters: How many points you earn for blowing up Pooka and Fygar depends on how deep in the earth you are. On the surface or top layer you earn 200 points. In the middle layer you earn 300 points. In the bottom layer, you earn 500 points.
• Popping Fygar from the Side: Since this is much more dangerous (Fygar breathes fire left and right!), you earn DOUBLE the points listed above.
• Dropping Rocks: The more monsters you hit with one rock, the more points you get! 1,000 for 1 monster, 2,500 for 2 monsters, 4,000 for 3 monsters, and 2,000 points for each one after that!
• Picking up Vegetables: The carrot in Round 1 is worth 400 points, the turnip in Round 2 is worth 600, and the mushroom in Round 3 is worth 800. In higher rounds, you will find zucchinis, tomatoes, and other vegetables. How much are they worth? Gobble 'em and find out!

TIPS AND TRICKS
Easter Egg: While debugging the cross assembler and disassembler he had written to develop the new INTV games, Dave Warhol tested the software on one of his favorite Mattel Electronics game, TRON Deadly Discs. He substituted the men in the game with the hot dogs from the Burger Time cartridge, creating a new game: Deadly Dogs! Later, while preparing Dig Dug for release, Dave found there was enough space on the cartridge to slip in his new game. To play it: Press 47 (four and seven simultaneously) on both hand controllers and press reset.

STAFF
Music: Yuriko Keino
Programmer: Mark Kennedy

CONTRIBUTE
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