Dig Dug: all version differences
6 documented differences between the releases of Dig Dug, each with a source. Back to the main page for names, releases and where to play.
Category × version
| Category | Arcade (early boards) | Arcade (later revision) | Arcade | later Atari release | Famicom | Game Boy | Gakken LCD handheld (1983) | Sord M5 | PV-1000 | FM-77AV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bug fix | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gameplay | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Content | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Graphics | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Version differences
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Bug fixArcade (early boards)Arcade (later revision)
Early arcade boards had bugs: a round could fail to end after certain rock kills, Fygar stopped moving from round 126, and Pooka froze in its eyes-only form from round 136. A later revision fixed several of these, and Arcade Archives uses that revision.1
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Bug fixArcadelater Atari release
The arcade game has 255 rounds; on round 256 an 8-bit overflow spawns a Pooka that kills the player at once. A later Atari release patched this so play can continue indefinitely.2
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GameplayFamicom
In the Famicom version, touching a Pooka while it drifts through the dirt as a pair of eyes no longer costs a life.1
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ContentGame Boy
The Game Boy version adds a New Dig Dug mode in which the player collects keys to open an exit door.2
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GameplayGakken LCD handheld (1983)
Gakken's 1983 LCD handheld swapped the air pump for a flamethrower because of hardware limits.2
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GraphicsSord M5PV-1000FM-77AV
Japanese computer versions differ: the Sord M5 digs in half-character steps, the PV-1000 moves in 8-dot steps, and the FM-77AV version has four underground layers, more than the others.1
Sources
Checked: 2026-10-13