Game Info: Diggers, the

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Review By Haystack

Diggers, a game that nearly every single CD32 user owns, but sadly also a game that most Amiga gamers don't recognise as the great game it is! Perhaps due to the fact that when when it first came out, most reviews didn't rate it too highly, except one magazine that gave it 95 %, the rest judged it to be a mediocre game - what a shame!

This was the first game I tried for my CD32, and my first impression was that it was a wicked game with a clumsy control interface - it grows on you though. So because of that I decided to give Oscar a quick try, the 2nd game on the compilation CD that came with the launch of the CD32 back in 1993. Perhaps I was just fruity back then, but I really liked that game too...ehm...anyway.... perhaps I should return to the review!

Many cold winter-afternoons passed with me sitting in my tiny room engulfed in the adventurous universe of Diggers. The exciting story unfolds on the planet Zerg where 4 races are heading for the Zargon Mineral Trading Centre to sign up for the annual one month of free-digging! They all want to get a mining-contract with the master-miner, who is you, so he can help them win the contest of raising the most funds doing the one frantic month! Go-Go-Go!

As mentioned you're the master-miner and first off you get to pick one of the 4 races that suits your personal style of tactics; are you fond of sheer powerful manpower provided by the Quarriors, or more all around miners  - best represented with the Habbish or F´targs. Or maybe you're more into have machines do the hard work for you (lazy boy...) and in stead have a mining crew of Grablins that are excellent runners? Or why not just deliberately try to sabotage the computer again with the mighty Quarriors.

In the beginning of each level you have 5 diggers at your disposal. They can each dig in 7 directions, run & walk, carry crystals mined and teleport back to headquarters above ground and more. The emeralds, gems and gold harvested can be brought to Zargon Mineral Trading Centre (ZMTC) and sold to 3 different tradesmen to earn credit. At the ZMTC (break into dance, one more time!), you can purchase new mining equipment such as dynamite sticks; blow something up, mine-carts; you need to build track for, elevators; creating work routes, tunnelers; fast drilling and much more! It feels good getting a new piece of hardware testing it for the first time...oh the thrills!

But before you use all your hard-earned credit on new mining stuff, you might want to save it up as you have to earn a certain amount of credit in each level before the Computer-Opponent does so to complete the level and unlock the next levels where the stakes and demands are even higher! Later in game the levels gets a lot tougher, and you really need to use your equipment the right way and organize your drilling techniques to maximum performance and efficiency. Trust me!

Diggers is truly a rewarding gaming experience for the tolerant and patient player - contains a lot of gaming hours. Diggers was at its release in 1993 highly original in every sense, featured a hypnotic intro on the CD32 in several different languages and in addition to that you got a Sleep/Trance CDDA track lasting more than 13 long soothing minutes! 

 Q: What more could you possible ask for?

 A: No, Diggers doesn’t contain hidden porn