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A playthrough of Milton Bradley's 1990 maze/action game for the NES, Digger T. Rock: The Legend of the Lost City. After playing Spelunker and Super Pitfall awhile back, this one seemed like a logical next step given the similarities. Lots of brown graphics? Check. Lots of winged things flying at you in the dark? Check. Millions of ladders with no evidence of a person who actually placed them there? Check. Thankfully, Digger T. Rock is far more accessible and immediately gratifying that both Spelunker and Super Pitfall. Every stage has the same objective: find a stone column that unlocks the door and then make a mad dash to the exit. Once you trigger the column you get sixty seconds to escape. Of course, everything is complicated by a combination of enemies, maze-like level designs, and some neat puzzle elements thrown into the mix. It can be difficult to figure out the correct path the first time around - some of these stages can be pretty large - but there's usually a logical solution that's fairly apparent if you've explored the area thoroughly. The controls are super smooth (you can jump reasonably far distances without fearing immediate death - Spelunker... I'm looking at you here!) and you get quite a number of items that you can use to aid you in clearing each of the caves. Power-ups are put in tricky locations sometimes, and it's extremely easy to get crushed by falling rocks if you don't think far enough ahead, but overall, it's a solid, stiff NES-style challenge. Though I have to admit, going back to this after so many years, I was surprised to find how easy it was. I was able to record this just after a single-afternoon refresher game session. I was surprised by its length, though: while I remember it being quite a short game, as a kid I don't think I ever realized just how short it really was. The graphics are a real mixed bag, especially for a game from a company like Rare. The animation is generally excellent, and details are all well defined, but the flat color schemes get really dull after awhile. I get that we're underground, but does it have to look so boring? The sound, on the other hand, is excellent. But as I've said millions of times before - David Wise is an NES audio god. If you really have a hankering for cave exploring on the NES, Digger T. Rock is much more forgiving and accessible than either Spelunker or Super Pitfall, and will certainly keep you busy for awhile. I found it to be a lot of fun... even if I ultimately preferred Spelunker. Yeah, I know that might be hard to believe. I myself still do not how that's possible, but it is what it is. And is it just me, or does Digger look like he's seriously ill? Just look at that ending scene - I'd expect him to find him resting in the pediatric cancer ward at his local hospital more than exploring huge underground caves. _ No cheats were used during the recording of this video. NintendoComplete () punches you in the face with in-depth reviews, screenshot archives, and music from classic 8-bit NES games! Visit for the latest updates!
