Numskull quarter scale arcade - Dig Dug [Unboxing, Videos, Detailed Review]

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Here are the unboxing photos of the machine:










later
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[negative1]

Here is combined gameplay of first game showing 200k up to level 18, and then i continued a few times.

Then played another full game for 40 minutes, and started getting video of gameplay from 400k-1 million.




Just stopping short of flipping score, and got to level 110. Will play again to see if it has the slow boards.







later
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[negative1]

ok people, sit back and relax.

here's the review for new numskull dig dug quarter arcade.

dig dug is an natural choice for numskull. they have been
going through all the big hits from namco. so it was just
a matter of time.



this was supposed to come out a few months ago in 2020,
but got pushed back to december.



dig dug is a very popular namco/atari title which has a lot of fans,
due to its colorful look, and basic gameplay. it also offers challenges
for intermediate and expert players looking for more. it is pattern
based, so you can eventually learn several patterns to go through
the repeating levels.



these are my opinions.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

tldr version:
==============================
controls are not arcade accurate - but actually, 
and surprisingly do the job for average players,
they are subpar for intermediate and expert players



games play near arcade accuracy - framerate, and response is decent, 



graphics are blocky and pixelly 



sound - decent, loud enough but not overdone



screen angles are shallow - but are pretty vibrant enough in most cases
                          - color is slightly dimmer than usual
===================================================================================


the long review follows:



i am going to go into gameplay details,
response times, and control mechanics for the games i know.

================================================================================
background -
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
i have been playing videogames from the days of pong, breakout and space invaders
i stopped playing them in the late 90's, and 00's when deluxe units were the norm.

i do know most of the atari, williams, namco, and capcom library inside and out.

i am NOT an expert at every game, but have played all of them either extensively
in the arcade when they originally came out, at home in MAME, and in pretty much
every port on PC, console, and remake that has come out.

hardware control experience

----------------------------



i have used arcade controls, buttons, trackballs and spinners since they came out.

i have home versions of those controls, and actually don't use dpads or analog stick
on any console unless i'm forced to.

my preference is always dedicated controls for arcade games


arcade gaming habits
-----------------------
i play arcade games, or ports pretty much every day, through the 80's, i stopped
in the 90's, and then picked up mame, and played it every day for a few years.
stopped again, until the 2nd year of the xbox 360. got gameroom, and pretty much
every arcade game, and port on those systems. i have continued this when ports
started showing up on the xbox one. i have played them on the playstation also,
but only the original and PS2, and now the PSP 2000.

lately, over the last couple of years, i have been playing arcade ports and games
everyday for a least a few hours. i usually place in the top 1-10 place on games
that i'm an expert in, and below that on other games.





as far as dig dug is concerned, i've mastered that game early on,
back when it was originally in the arcades. it took a few weeks
of playing, and watching someone else do patterns. then the
joystick magazine came out with other patterns and strategies.

i was able to flip the machines score at 1 million multiple times,
on the standup and cabaret versions. never saw the cocktail version though.





i've recently gotten back into dig dug over the last few years,
and have topped the leaderboards on steam, xbox live, and others.
the scores stop tracking at 1 million, so theres no point in playing
further unless you go for a world record, or personal best. (mines 1.7 million).

i can still play it pretty well, and just have to touch up on my
patterns. i should be able to hit the killscreen with some practice,
although this version is the namco 5 man total, which makes it a
lot tougher.



======================================

now with that out of the way, lets get to the actual quarter scale version



time spent playing
==========================================================================
i have spent a few hours playing dig dug

dig dug - numskull quarter arcade
==========================================================================
condition - these machines are pre-assembled, all you have to do is plug them in.
due to the scaled down size, they are using custom buttons and joysticks,
even miniaturized volcano start buttons. there is also a working coin
door with the slots being used for credits.


durability - the unit is constructed fairly well, it has significant weight
for its size. it does wobble, when you are playing, because of the movements
needed during the gameplay.

the control panel is solid, and supports both hands easily, 
although you will using your fingers mostly for the actions.
the marquee does light up (optionally)


ergonomics - this is the main problem with the machine, YES, the game is playable,
but your fingers will get cramped, and so will your arms if you play it for any
length of time. i managed to play for about 20 minutes for my first game, and
later on a 40 minute game, and it was painful.



visuals - the artwork is printed in decent quality, scaled and cropped to
fit, and same with everything else on the control panel (omitting the instructions).
it looks well done, and mine didn't have any scratches or marks on it.



screen - the screen is an 4 inch LCD screen that is of average quality.
not great on the viewing angles, but with the distance that you will be
sitting to play this, it is actually decent in size, and clarity.
the colors are a little dimmer than expected.



gameplay - dig dug
======================================================================================
dig dug is a very basic game. you control your player with 1 four directional joystick,
and 1 pump button.



to emulate the arcade, they've placed 1 button on either side of the joystick.

due to the limited space on the control panel, the buttons are placed very close to
the joystick, so you have to alter your gameplay.



since i play with my right hand, i found that switching to the left during
the end of levels and between rounds gave me some rest before each level.


i played several games and noted the following:
-----------------------------------------------
1) namco revision of the game
   - i don't know if its version 1 or 2 yet, i still have to play it much further
   - the 2nd version had bug fixes due to killscreens, and gameplay slowdown in latter levels



2) default settings which are adjustable
HARD  - 3 men start, 1 extra at 20k, 2nd extra at 60k thats it.
EASY - 3 men start, 1 extra at 10k, extras every 40k



3) game allows unlimited continues, but resets your score back to 0



4) highscores are saved when machine is unplugged



5) new loading screen

i scored 200k on the first game ending around level 18.
continued a few times, and then got to level 110, and 1 million.



this is good enough for now. after level 11, 12-15 repeat every 4 levels.
after level 32, the boards speed up until the 50's.



if this version has slowdown, it will occur around level 136 or so.
if it has a killscreen it will be at level 256.



i probably won't get that far playing normally, but with continues
to find out.



i will get to a million, and flip the score (999,990->0), and post a
video when i get a chance.



as far as emulation goes, i did not detect any noticeable lag in the
gameplay. the sound was mostly accurate, and at a decent level.


=======================================================================================
Final thoughts
----------------
A valiant, but in the end ok experience, 
unless you're going for nostalgia,
and love dig dug, and are ok with the compromises.



overall, i would give numskull dig dug a grade of B for effort.
A for quality and longevity, B for emulation, A for graphics,
C for controls.



So an average of B overall grading, or 3/5 stars for the price.
---------

Take into account how much you like dig dug, and that this will
mostly be a collectable, thats not really for playing, unless
you want to risk some pain in your hands.

---

the price was not really a factor to me, although its a little higher than i
thought. and for a little bit more, you can get an arcade 1up countercade,
or even more for a partycade, and finally about triple that for a version
thats included in the 3/4 sized arcade 1up cabinets.



i don't recommend these quarter scale machines to anyone looking for accurate gameplay,
arcade quality controls, or bargains. they are mostly for collectors,
and fans of the game.



other options will suit your needs much better than these.


later
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