Dig Dug II (c) 1985 Namco.
For this sequel to the 1982 classic, 'Dig Dug', Namco changed the game's perspective from a sideways viewpoint, to an overhead one. Action now takes place on a series of small islands.
The gameplay itself retains much from its predecessor, with players still armed with a pump that allows them to inflate and burst the enemies. For this sequel, however, Namco also introduced ground-based charges. Players can activate the charges in order to join them up with other charges, represented on screen by the appearance of trenches. Once a line of charges is linked to two of the island's edges, the charges will detonate and destroy a piece of the island, killing any enemies that happen to be standing on the piece when it's destroyed. Players must be careful not to be standing on a piece that is destroyed, or they themselves will be killed.

>>> TECHNICAL DETAILS
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Game ID : D2
Main CPU : M6809 (@ 1.536 Mhz)
Sound CPU : M6809 (@ 1.536 Mhz)
Sound Chips : Namco 8-channel WSG
Screen orientation : Vertical
Video resolution : 224 x 288 pixels
Screen refresh : 60.61 Hz
Palette colors : 32
Players : 2
Control : 4-way joystick
Buttons : 2
=> [A] PUMP, [B] DRILL

>>> TRIVIA
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Released in March 1985.
The main character of Dig Dug has a name in Japan, 'Taizo Hori', a pun based on the phrase 'Horitai zo', or 'I want to dig!'.

>>> TRICKS AND TIPS
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* Easter Egg (works on the new version only, old version doesn't have it) :
1) Enter service mode.
2) Select sound 1B.
3) Press the service switch to display the grid and enter the following sequence : Down(x2), Right, Left(x2), Down(x2), Left(x3), Up(x2).
4)Press the service switch again. Some music will play and 'DIGDUGII (c) 1985 NAMCO LTD.' will be slowly drawn on the screen.
* Pause/Resume : When the 'freeze' dip switch is on, at the beginning of the game select starting level with joystick Up/Down, then press button2. During the game, press Start to pause/resume.

>>> GAME SERIES
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1. Dig Dug (1982)
2. Dig Dug II (1985)
3. Dig Dug Deeper (2001, PC CD-ROM)
4. Dig Dug - Digging Strike (2005, Nintendo DS)

>>> DESIGNERS / PROGRAMMERS / STAFF
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Music by : Junko Ozawa

>>> GAME PORTS TO OTHER SYSTEMS
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* Consoles :
Nintendo Famicom (1989)
Nintendo Famicom Disk (1990)
Sony PSP (2005, 'Namco Museum Battle Collection')
Nintendo DS (2007, 'Namco Museum DS')
* Computers :
Sharp X68000

>>> OTHER GAME RESOURCES
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Game's rom.