Hello Vizzed.com. My name is Chubby2211 and I am back with another Retro Game Room review. Now last time I wrote a review it was over  Super Mario Bros for the NES. So staying on the NES I am going to review a little less known title for the NES. Known as Dig Dug II Trouble in Paradise, this little known sequel deserves to be talked about. So lets get this review underway.

   After the success of the original Dig Dug in arcades all over the United States in 1982, this sequel was released to try and keep the fans of the game flocking to the arcades. However this game completely flipped the formula of the original and cranked up the difficulty. This lead to the Arcade version of this title to being redesigned to be easier for gamers which became more common even getting released into the home console market for the NES. So how does this easier version of a arcade hardship hold up to other NES games.

   Graphics: The graphics for this game where pretty good for a port of an Arcade game considering the time in the NES's life it was ported. The enemies are beautifully colored and help create a nice gaming feel.  The background colors of the island and its background sky also help create this feel by creating the setting of isolated islands filled of amazing creatures. Even the fault lines that are created by your jackhammer look really good for the NES. That is why the graphics of this amazing port a 7 out of 10. However does the sounds the game produces help create the feeling of being on an island?

   Sound: The music really don't feel like what you would find exploring an island. Sounds more like music for a happy adventure game. However the monsters that lurk on this island do the exact opposite. They actually make a sound one would expect to hear from enemies of this era which really help bring the game some life. Also the music that you hear each time you are dropped into a stage just constantly repeats for every level. Same length and Same sounds. Depending on how much or how long you play the game this can get very annoying. However all the other noises made from the other areas of the game help save the game from the repeating song. Which is why the sound of this port get a 5 out of 10. But what go do sounds do if the game doesn't keep you engaged.

   Addictiveness and Story : This game does get very old very fast. First off the story of this game is very limited. Dragons and red circles with goggles must die. That's it. No extra detail or story plot. This could have been passed if the levels could have been entertaining but instead they windup providing nothing to the game. The levels in this game always start the same. Same number of enemies, same number of holes to create fault lines in, and same number of lines to start with. The only different in levels come from what you do inside of them which is a bit of a plus. But with the same objective for each level just gets boring over time. This is why the addictiveness and story elements of this game get a 3 out of 10. However these aspects of this game can be overlooked if the game provided some depth to its gameplay.

   Depth: The game does have some decent elements like the destroying of islands to destroy enemies. This feature is used very well to help create a feeling of strategy to this arcade sequel. However thats the only kind of depth the game gives to  the gamer. Like previously stated the games levels are always the same and so are the enemies and sounds. Unlike other games of this era that had market success ( Super Mario Bros) on this console, it didn't try to create a deep experience with aspects like different enemies, different level types, the use of collectibles, or even different ways to defeat a level.  If some of these things where added to the game it may have helped the fans of the original game flock to this port. However the fans of the arcade version had no incentive to leave the quarters in their pockets and stay home and play the game in the comfort of their own home. That is why the depth of the game gets a 4 out of 10.  Even without a really deep game how hard was it.

   Difficulty: Like most arcade games, this port does increase the difficulty as the game progresses. However before this title was ported from the arcades, it was made easier. Many of the early levels where made easier for the gamers first experiencing the game on a home system but it slowly becomes harder and harder. Its actually one of the better things that Bandai, the company that ported it in North America, did with the game. However the game is not very hard for the first five to six levels which kinda hurts the experience of the game. That is why the difficulty gets a 5 out of 10. It is easy in the beginning but hard at the end which is a decent balance. 

   So there you have it. A sequel that had a harder time succeeding in arcades but is a fun game to play at home. Its repetitive music may be trouble for gamers but the constant difficulty rise and good graphics can keep a gamer entertained for a couple of hours. Compared to other games of the same year Kid Icarus (9.2) and the true Super Mario Bros 2 (9.8) It takes it place as a good game for any NES library. However it wont be a game that stays with you for a lifetime.

I really liked this review. It was a good read full of enough from the sound to the depth. The intro was full of great info about the game. I hope to see more of your reviews.

rebelyell : Thank you for the feedback. I was just wondering do you know any other good games in the Retro Game Room?

No problem and yes I do. If you asking for one to review or play I guess a review on. skitching would be cool to turn people on to this game. I did one but it is no where as good as this review. It would all so be a great game to play.