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Chubby Checker's 'Dig Dug' was unearthed by the son of an Atari VP
You've probably heard or Dig Dug, and if you were born before 1983, you might even remember seeing a bizarre, upbeat commercial for the game in movie theaters -- but did you know that the video game miner's theme song was almost sung by Chubby Checker? It totally was. Matt Osborne, son of former Atari VP of coin-op marketing Don Osborne, recently uncovered an alternate version of the commercial's catchy song with the iconic singer's vocals. "The only info that I have about it was that Atari had envisioned a somewhat '50's styled take on the song, inspired in part by Chubby Checker's hit 'The Twist.'" Apparently, Osborne's father managed to get the man behind the twist to sing his own rendition, but until now it was lost to the ages. That may have been young Matt Osborne's fault.
Dig Dug Pillows spark dreams of retro gaming paradise
We've seen folks lay their noggins on some pretty interesting pillows, but these critters just stand out like no other. Featuring Dig Dug himself along with a menacing Pooka, these homegrown cushions were created by manicmaiden for his / her brother's birthday. We know what you're thinking, but it doesn't seem as if this particularly thoughtful individual is accepting applications for adoptions.[Via CRAFT]
A video reminder of Namco Museum DS
This trailer for Namco Museum DS highlights exactly what Bandai Namco should be highlighting: Pac-Man Vs. After a quick run-through of all the titles on the card, the trailer gets into the business of extolling the new version of Vs.Even gamers who are all Galaga'd out or tired of Druaga can see the interest in a DS version of Toru Iwatani and Shigeru Miyamoto's multiplayer Pac-Man, especially since it makes so much more sense without a home console involved.With only one demo station set up at PAX, we didn't get to play Pac-Man Vs. We hope we get the chance when the game comes out on the 18th.
Cyberball, Fatal Fury on XBLA next week, limited price drops this weekend
Eager to ditch the office for the last rays of summer sun, Microsoft has let loose word of next week's Xbox Live Arcade update a bit early. Ready for this...? A pair of Silver Age arcade ports: Cyberball 2072 (400 points): X3F calls it "football for nerds" where today's deficiencies are replaced with robots and the pigskin explodes. 2072 is the 1989 update to the original Atari game and is better known as Tournament Cyberball, which still captivates competitive circles of, um, nerds. Fatal Fury Special (400 points): Fatal Fury 2 with bells and whistles, namely some old fighters and playable bosses. As Garou Densetsu Special, the game became a huge hit in Japan for successfully transplanting Ryo Sakazaki (from sister franchise Art of Fighting) as a hidden character, laying the seed for SNK's The King of Fighters series. Nearly 15 years later, perhaps the innovation is lost on us. And for those in search of an alternative to the weekend's poolside barbecue, Microsoft has also announced a Labor Day XBLA sale, dropping Zuma and Small Arms from to 800 to 400 Microsoft Points, and Dig Dug and Gauntlet from 400 to 200 points. The sale begins at 5:00 PM PT on Saturday, Sept. 1st, and ends at 4:59 PM PT on Monday, Sept. 3rd. Nothing like half-priced underperformers, eh?
Pac-Man invades Namco Museum Remix on Wii
You remember Namco Bandai's Galaga, don't you? The very mention of it should conjure images of a lone spacecraft darting through unrelenting waves of giant insects, with bullets whizzing by and an unusually pleased Pac-Man rolling past. Oh, you don't remember him being there? That's because you haven't seen Namco Museum Rehash Remix for the Wii yet -- the "Remix" part referring to the inclusion of gluttonous gaming icon, Pac-Man, into every one of the revamped titles.The image above is from Galaga Remix, a point-and-shooter (yes, really) that forms part of the five Wii-vitalized games included in Namco Museum Remix. Others detailed by IGN are: Pac 'n Roll Remix -- Much like the early DS game, Pac-Man has to roll his obese body to the end of the level while overcoming enemies, obstacles and a self-image problem. Pac-Motos Remix -- Pac-Man knocks his opponents out of dangerous arenas. He'll eat them later. Rally-X Remix -- It's a 3-D version of Rally-X, only with Pac-Man driving the car (miraculously sans arms and legs). Gator Panic Remix -- Whack-a-Mole, but with gators. And Pac-Man. Galaxian, Dig Dug, Mappy, Xevious, Gaplus, Super Pac-Man, Pac & Pal, Pac-Mania and Cute Q will also be included, though they'll all have to make due without a "remix." Namco Museum Remix releases on Wii this Fall.%Gallery-3298%[Via Wii Fanboy]
Dig Dug gets dug up on XBLA
How many digs can a Dig Dug dig before a Dig Dug can't be dug? Can you dig it?
Dig Dug inflates XBLA, pops it
After some mystery regarding its release date on Xbox.com, Namco's classic arcade title Dig Dug is finally on Xbox Live Arcade, joining other Namco arcade classic titles like Pac-Man and Galaga. After Doom's surprise release two week's ago and last week's Vision cam freebie, Totem Ball, Dig Dug is a return to everyone's least favorite XBLA additions. 400 Microsoft Points ($5 USD) nets you a game you've played dozens of times.So what have they done to entice cynical, reticent gamers? Well, they've added 720p HD support, some XBL Achievements, and the obligatory online Leaderboards, but don't expect any online multiplayer (we're sure they could have come up with something). The only two titles left sitting on the "Coming Soon" list are Contra and Lumines Live!, both with unlisted dates. Who's gonna be next?[image credit: i am 8-bit]
TGS: XBLA hits Tokyo with Contra and friends
Tucked in Microsoft's TGS press release announcing 1080p support and Japanese HD-DVD info, was a short bit on Xbox Live Arcade's presence at TGS. They revealed the following list of Konami and Namco Bandai titles: Contra Gyruss (previously unannounced) Dig Dug Track & Field New Rally-X (previously unannounced) Rush'n Attack (previously unannounced) Ms. Pac-Man Yie Ar Kung Fu: a "Japan-exclusive Xbox Live Arcade game" and "one of the very first fighting games" will be released in 2007 Some of these we've known about, others we've seen before (Contra was at Microsoft's E3 event, and, oh yeah, it's also ingrained in our consciousness), but there are some interesting additions, including a Japan-exclusive title. Our question is, why is Konami wasting their time with some of these games when all we want are those classic Konami beat 'em ups? You're sitting on a gold mine Konami! Seriously, you're sitting on it. Get up and let us at it. Microsoft's TGS press briefing:Xbox 360 to add 1080p support, PS3 to lose bullet pointHD-DVD add-on hits Japan Nov. 17th for ¥19,800Blue Dragon hits Japan this holiday
Lumines to hit it October
Those of you hoping to see Lumines Live and Dig Dug hit on the same day (it could happen, right?) are about to be sorely disappointed. In a recent interview, Lumines creator, Tetsuya Mizuguchi, was asked when Lumines Live will release on XBLA. His answer: "Next month. The middle of next month. I think so." Not exactly the hard confirmation many of us were hoping for, but at least you don't have to stay up late checking Marketplace for Lumines tonight. Of course, we can't stop you from waiting up for Dig Dug.
XBLA Wednesday, it's Dig Dug!
Many of you probably noticed that Scramble marked the last official title on the lineup for Live Arcade Wednesdays. We all wondered what, if anything, would come out this Wednesday, September 20th. No, it's not Small Arms. It's still pretty good, though. That's right, it's Dig Dug, Namco's classic, um, digging simulator. At this point, it's all but official, as Microsoft has added an official page for the game to Xbox.com with a release date of September 20th. Expect something official before then.[Via K1lla's Xbox Domain]
Interview with Toshinore Sone
Cubed 3 got to chat with Bandai Namco's Toshinore Sone. The Assistant Producer for Dig Dug: Digging Strike (which is set to release in Europe August 25) discussed Nintendo, Dig Dug and how he got his start in video games. When asked why he decided to "resurrect" Dig Dug on the DS, he replied: "With the dual screens of the Nintendo DS, I thought it would be an interesting way to combine Dig Dug 1 and Dig Dug 2. This idea led me to come up with the proposal for Dig Dug : Digging Strike. Since I grew up in a generation playing Dig Dug, I wanted those in my generation who also enjoyed the game to relive and rediscover the game all over again." It was interesting to find out that the team responsible for Dig Dug did not work to create DD:DS.
80s instructional LP for conquering games
The antecedent to all those tips and tricks magazines can be found in this obscure LP from the 80s: Conquer the Video Craze: How to Beat the Hottest Games. In it, "Atari Champion finalist" Curtis Hoard reads off -- in a stultifyingly slow monotone -- the techniques he's used to earn him that honorific. Sluggo at Dinosaur Gardens has not only found this retro artifact, but he's converted it into MP3 for our enjoyment edification. Learn strategies for: Centipede, Defender, Stargate, Dig Dug, Donkey Kong, Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, and Tempest. Wait, Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man? [Via Boing Boing]
The History of Gaming at E3
Kentia Hall is showcasing the history of gaming with classic arcade booths that attendees can try for free. Click below to check out our collection of photos from the display.
