<s>
is	O
a	O
2005	O
maze	B-Application
video	I-Application
game	I-Application
published	O
by	O
Namco	O
for	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Device
DS	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
the	O
fifth	O
entry	O
in	O
the	O
Dig	B-Application
Dug	I-Application
video	O
game	O
series	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
second	O
to	O
be	O
made	O
for	O
a	O
home	O
platform	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
follows	O
series	O
protagonist	O
Taizo	B-Application
Hori	I-Application
,	O
bitter	O
about	O
his	O
son	O
Susumu	B-Application
getting	O
more	O
attention	O
than	O
him	O
—	O
after	O
a	O
chain	O
of	O
tropical	O
islands	O
is	O
threatened	O
by	O
monsters	O
,	O
Taizo	O
sets	O
out	O
to	O
defeat	O
them	O
and	O
reclaim	O
his	O
fame	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Gameplay	O
combines	O
mechanics	O
established	O
in	O
the	O
original	O
Dig	B-Application
Dug	I-Application
and	O
its	O
sequel	O
Dig	B-Device
Dug	I-Device
II	I-Device
,	O
centered	O
around	O
sinking	O
a	O
large	O
"	O
boss	O
"	O
character	O
into	O
the	O
ocean	O
by	O
digging	O
under	O
large	O
stakes	O
in	O
the	O
ground	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Development	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
outsourced	O
to	O
independent	O
Japanese	O
studio	O
Bullets	O
,	O
who	O
worked	O
on	O
the	O
Hero	B-Application
Bank	I-Application
series	O
for	O
Sega	O
,	O
and	O
designed	O
by	O
both	O
Yuta	O
Hamaka	O
and	O
Truyuki	O
Shirakawa	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dig	B-Application
Dug	I-Application
:	I-Application
Digging	I-Application
Strike	I-Application
is	O
a	O
maze	B-Application
video	I-Application
game	I-Application
that	O
combines	O
elements	O
from	O
the	O
first	O
two	O
games	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
;	O
Dig	B-Application
Dug	I-Application
(	O
1982	O
)	O
and	O
Dig	B-Device
Dug	I-Device
II	I-Device
(	O
1985	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Its	O
plot	O
follows	O
series	O
protagonist	O
Taizo	B-Application
Hori	I-Application
,	O
bitter	O
about	O
his	O
son	O
Susumu	B-Application
getting	O
the	O
attention	O
more	O
than	O
him	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Controlling	O
Taizo	B-Application
Hori	I-Application
,	O
the	O
player	O
must	O
complete	O
each	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
fifteen	O
stages	O
by	O
sinking	O
a	O
large	O
boss	O
character	O
,	O
displayed	O
on	O
the	O
top	O
screen	O
,	O
into	O
the	O
ocean	O
—	O
this	O
is	O
accomplished	O
by	O
digging	O
underneath	O
large	O
stakes	O
placed	O
underground	O
;	O
lining	O
up	O
stakes	O
will	O
create	O
massive	O
fault	O
lines	O
that	O
will	O
cause	O
a	O
section	O
of	O
the	O
island	O
to	O
break	O
off	O
and	O
sink	O
underwater	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Alongside	O
the	O
return	O
of	O
Pookas	B-Application
and	O
Fygars	B-Application
from	O
the	O
original	O
Dig	B-Application
Dug	I-Application
,	O
new	O
enemy	O
types	O
have	O
also	O
been	O
introduced	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
ghosts	O
that	O
phase	O
through	O
dirt	O
,	O
penguins	O
and	O
miniature	O
octopuses	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
power-ups	O
will	O
summon	O
Susumu	B-Application
that	O
will	O
either	O
automatically	O
force	O
a	O
stake	O
into	O
a	O
ground	O
via	O
a	O
weight	O
being	O
dropped	O
on	O
them	O
,	O
or	O
temporarily	O
stun	O
the	O
boss	O
character	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unlike	O
other	O
items	O
,	O
a	O
minigame	O
will	O
need	O
to	O
be	O
completed	O
for	O
the	O
intended	O
effect	O
to	O
occur	O
,	O
where	O
the	O
player	O
takes	O
control	O
of	O
Susumu	B-Application
and	O
must	O
perform	O
certain	O
tasks	O
—	O
some	O
of	O
these	O
are	O
based	O
on	O
other	O
Namco	O
video	O
games	O
,	O
including	O
Xevious	B-Application
and	O
Rally-X	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Development	O
of	O
Dig	B-Application
Dug	I-Application
:	I-Application
Digging	I-Application
Strike	I-Application
was	O
outsourced	O
to	O
external	O
studio	O
Bullets	O
,	O
which	O
has	O
worked	O
on	O
titles	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
Hero	B-Application
Bank	I-Application
series	O
for	O
Sega	O
and	O
Mega	B-Device
Man	I-Device
Legacy	I-Device
Collection	I-Device
2	I-Device
for	O
Capcom	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Designed	O
by	O
Yuta	O
Hamaka	O
and	O
Teruyuki	O
Shirakawa	O
,	O
Digging	O
Strikes	O
concept	O
was	O
borrowed	O
from	O
the	O
unreleased	O
Dig	B-Application
Dug	I-Application
3	O
,	O
an	O
arcade	O
game	O
in	O
development	O
at	O
Namco	O
in	O
the	O
late	O
1990s	O
that	O
was	O
later	O
reworked	O
into	O
the	O
original	O
Mr.	B-Application
Driller	I-Application
(	O
1999	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
part	O
of	O
Namco	O
's	O
continuing	O
attempt	O
in	O
making	O
its	O
Dig	B-Application
Dug	I-Application
and	O
Mr.	B-Application
Driller	I-Application
series	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
company	O
's	O
pillar	O
franchises	O
,	O
an	O
idea	O
hampered	O
by	O
financial	O
constraints	O
and	O
a	O
general	O
lack	O
of	O
interest	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dig	B-Application
Dug	I-Application
Digging	O
Strike	O
received	O
mixed	O
reviews	O
upon	O
release	O
—	O
common	O
criticisms	O
were	O
towards	O
its	O
short	O
length	O
and	O
lack	O
of	O
long-lasting	O
appeal	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
IGN	O
said	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
only	O
fun	O
for	O
a	O
few	O
minutes	O
,	O
feeling	O
it	O
was	O
not	O
as	O
creative	O
as	O
Namco	O
's	O
other	O
DS	B-Device
remakes	O
such	O
as	O
Pac-Pix	B-Application
and	O
Pac	B-Application
'	I-Application
N	I-Application
Roll	I-Application
,	O
only	O
recommending	O
the	O
game	O
to	O
die-hard	O
fans	O
of	O
the	O
original	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nintendo	O
World	O
Report	O
was	O
the	O
most	O
critical	O
,	O
saying	O
the	O
game	O
itself	O
is	O
disappointing	O
compared	O
to	O
the	O
first	O
two	O
Dig	B-Application
Dug	I-Application
games	O
and	O
makes	O
the	O
player	O
"	O
wish	O
you	O
were	O
playing	O
those	O
instead	O
"	O
,	O
disliking	O
its	O
short	O
length	O
and	O
lack	O
of	O
content	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Despite	O
its	O
criticisms	O
,	O
reviewers	O
praised	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
mixture	O
of	O
the	O
first	O
two	O
Dig	B-Application
Dug	I-Application
games	O
,	O
collectibles	O
and	O
references	O
to	O
other	O
Namco	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nintendo	O
World	O
Report	O
said	O
its	O
usage	O
of	O
gameplay	O
from	O
earlier	O
Dig	B-Application
Dug	I-Application
games	O
was	O
an	O
interesting	O
concept	O
,	O
which	O
IGN	O
,	O
GameSpy	O
and	O
1UP.com	O
agreed	O
with	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
1UP	O
in	O
particular	O
was	O
the	O
most	O
positive	O
towards	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
praising	O
its	O
"	O
addictive	O
"	O
gameplay	O
,	O
enemy	O
variety	O
and	O
its	O
usage	O
of	O
concepts	O
from	O
other	O
Dig	B-Application
Dug	I-Application
games	O
,	O
saying	O
that	O
it	O
helps	O
"	O
celebrate	O
"	O
the	O
legacy	O
of	O
the	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
