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2009 · Remaster · Creat Studios · Strategy · Arcade

Digger HD

PlayStation exclusiveRemaster

Digger HD updates the 1980’s PC classic with a next-generation, 21st Century facelift while maintaining classic gameplay. Control the feisty little construction vehicle and burrow its way through the perils of an underground world. Players dig through the dirt horizontally and vertically to create paths, collect jewels and coins, avoid monsters and falling bags of gold in in single and multiplayer modes. Return to Eighties’ arcade roots with the Vintage mode that replicates the original Digger’s old-school vibe. Detailed, high-end graphics and a playful, cutting-edge techno score make Digger HD a retro gaming experience unlike any other.

Released: 1 October 2009
Platforms: PlayStation 3
Genres: Strategy Arcade
Developers: Creat Studios
Publishers: Windmill Software
Modes: Single-player
Perspective: Side view
Themes: Action

About

Digger is a maze game released by Canadian developer Windmill Software as a self-booting disk for IBM PC compatibles. It is similar to the 1982 arcade game Mr. Do! Digger was developed by Rob Sleath, the primary developer of Windmill games. In 1984, Digger was converted to run on IBM PCjr and IBM JX.

Keywords

playstation plus

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

Features of Digger are similar to those in the arcade games Mr. Do! and Dig Dug. The player is placed in an underground maze and can dig horizontal and vertical tunnels through it.

At least one tunnel already exists at the start of play. At various points on the board are emeralds (usually in clusters) and bags of gold. Monsters (initially in the "nobbin" form) appear at the top-right corner. If earth is excavated from under a gold bag, then the bag will wobble for a few seconds and then drop; if it falls more than one row, it will break open after falling, releasing gold, which can be collected.

Reception

Creative Computing in 1984 said that Digger "combines the best aspects of Pac-Man and Dig-Dug". Praising its graphics and sound, the magazine concluded that "it never loses its luster even after hours of play. Digger strikes a rich vein in a mountain of games".

Legacy

An enhanced remake titled Digger HD was developed by Creat Studios and released on October 1, 2009 for PlayStation 3.

Multiple unauthorized versions and fan-remakes have been released, most of which still have Digger in the name. In 1998, Rob Sleath released the game under GNU GPL and Andrew Jenner created a free-software of the game, Digger Remastered, by reverse engineering the original game. Jenner noted that technically, the copyright might be still owned by Windmill, but that company is no longer selling the product, which he considered abandonware. In 2000, Millennium Digger: The Artful Machine was released by Alawar Entertainment.