Dig Dug II

The digging goes topside — and this time you can sink the whole island. Dig Dug II is Namco's 1985 sequel — swapping underground tunnels for an overhead island where you crack the land apart to drop enemies into the sea — and you can play the full NES version right here in your browser, free and with no download. Pump, drill, and reshape the island to win. Hit the Play button to start, and read on for the gameplay, controls, and tips.

What Is Dig Dug II?

Dig Dug II (subtitled Trouble in Paradise for the American NES port) is the arcade sequel to Dig Dug, released by Namco in 1985 and brought to the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in North America in 1989. It keeps the original's enemies — the round red Pookas and the fire-breathing Fygars — but completely reinvents the playfield.

Instead of digging underground, Dig Dug II takes place on an island seen from above. Your goal each round is simple: wipe out every enemy on the island. The twist is how — you can pop them the old way, or literally break off chunks of land and sink them into the ocean.

How the Gameplay Works

Taizo Hori is armed with two tools, and choosing the right one is the heart of the game:

• The pump — the classic Dig Dug weapon. Latch onto an enemy and inflate it until it bursts. Pookas die by touch only; Fygars also kill you with horizontal fire.
• The jackhammer — drill at fault lines marked on the map to create cracks. When both ends of a fault system reach the water, the enclosed section of land sinks into the ocean, drowning every creature on it — but be careful not to stand on a sinking piece yourself.
• Mass elimination — sinking land with several enemies on it at once scores big, making the jackhammer the key to high scores.
• Bonus vegetables — once three pieces of land have been cut away, a bonus vegetable appears on what remains for extra points.
• Escaping enemies — when only a few enemies remain, they head for the island's edge and jump into the water themselves, denying you the points — so act fast.

After the 31st round, the rounds repeat the layouts of the first sixteen, ramping up the challenge with faster, more numerous enemies.

How to Play

Getting started is instant. Press the Play button on this page and Dig Dug II loads directly in your browser — free, with nothing to install. Then:

1. Move around the island in the overhead view.
2. Pump enemies until they pop, just like the original.
3. Drill fault lines with the jackhammer to crack the land.
4. Sink sections of island (with enemies on them) into the sea for big points.
5. Clear every enemy to finish the round — before they jump in the water themselves.

Dig Dug II plays great on both desktop and mobile. On a computer you use the keyboard (and any USB or Bluetooth gamepad you connect is detected automatically and maps to the NES layout), while on phones and tablets you get a custom on-screen gamepad styled just like a real NES controller — so pumping and drilling feel right wherever you play.

Controls

Here's what each control does, mapped to your keyboard:

Use your tool on enemies to pump them, or on fault lines to drill cracks. A connected gamepad uses the same button assignments.

Tips for New Players

• Sink groups for big scores. The jackhammer's land-sinking is worth far more when several enemies are on the chunk you drop — herd them together first.
• Don't go down with the ship. Make sure you're not standing on a section of land when it sinks, or you'll drown too.
• Pump when sinking isn't set up. The pump is your reliable fallback when no fault line is positioned to trap enemies.
• Watch the Fygars' fire. Just like the original, Fygars breathe fire horizontally — approach them from above or below, or from behind.
• Finish before they flee. When a couple of enemies are left, they'll jump into the sea to deny your points — close in quickly to claim the kill.

Why Play It in Your Browser?

Dig Dug II is a clever reinvention of an arcade classic — the island-sinking jackhammer mechanic gives it a strategic flavor all its own. Running the NES version right here means no cartridge hunting and no console setup: just press Play and start drilling. Because it's the genuine NES build, you get the overhead islands, the pump-and-jackhammer strategy, and the bonus scoring exactly as Namco designed them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Dig Dug II free to play here? Yes. Press Play and the full NES game loads in your browser — no cost, no account, no download.

When did Dig Dug II come out? It released in arcades in 1985 and came to the NES in North America in 1989 (subtitled Trouble in Paradise), developed by Namco. The version here is the NES release.

How is it different from the first Dig Dug? Dig Dug II swaps underground tunneling for an overhead island. Alongside the pump, you get a jackhammer that cracks fault lines to sink whole sections of land — and the enemies on them — into the sea.

What's the jackhammer for? Drilling fault lines to create cracks; when both ends reach the water, that piece of island sinks, drowning everything on it. It's the key to high scores.

Can I play it on my phone? Absolutely. It plays great on mobile thanks to a custom on-screen gamepad modeled on the classic NES controller, and just as well on desktop with the keyboard or a connected gamepad.

Ready to reshape the island? Press Play and start drilling.