I'm Digging 'I Dig It'
posted by Eli Hodapp on July 2nd, 2009 7:52 AM EDT in $2.99, Adventure, Games, Reviews, iPhone games, iPod touch games
InMotion Software's I Dig It [App Store] puts a new spin on the classic gameplay found in Dig Dug [App Store], bringing unique graphics, an in-depth upgrade system, and resource management to the table.
In I Dig It, you play as Farmer Lewis, a man who is in a bit of a monetary pickle and needs to pay the mortgage on his farm. Naturally, when faced with financial difficulties, the first thing that comes to mind is retrofitting an old bulldozer into a digging machine to search for over 60 types of subterranean treasures beneath your homestead. The bank is coming in four hours, and you need to raise $100,000.
The gameplay is simple, yet challenging. Utilizing the on-screen analog controls, you dig downwards, stopping on your way to pick up the various valuable minerals you come across. When your cargo bay is full, the rocket boosters of your bulldozer turned high-tech digger come into play and help you fly back up to the surface.
Once there, you can sell what you've dug up, refuel, repair, and either buy upgrades or pay off your mortgage. Available in the shop are six different upgrades which cover every aspect of your digger. For instance, upgrading your drill to a titanium bit allows you to drill faster, and upgrading your hull from iron to steel allows you to take more damage.
On the surface, I Dig It is a simple dig for treasure game, but it's not until you play it for a while that you start to appreciate the strategy involved in choosing your upgrades and intelligently planning your dig routes. On top of all that, you're constantly faced with the threat of overheating, hull integrity, and you always need to make sure you have enough fuel left to make your way topside.
Digging deep is key to maximizing profits, but also comes with the increased risk of not making it out alive. Death is quite brutal in I Dig It, as there aren't any checkpoints and once you die your only option is to start over. If you get tired of the campaign mode, also included are five different challenge modes, achievements, and an unlockable free play mode.
I Dig It was a hit at WWDC, and unfortunately was lost in the noise of all the big name releases of the week. Since then, InMotion has released I Dig It Lite [App Store] and I Dig It 1.1 which features greatly improved controls, bug fixes, and Facebook connectivity.
Despite the harsh death penalties, I Dig It has kept me coming back for more. I'm a sucker for games that have a great art style, and there are few games that rival that of I Dig It. If nothing else, I'd definitely give I Dig It Lite a try.
App Store Link: I Dig It, $2.99 – I Dig It Lite, Free
Great game. Graphically on par with Dungeon Defense. I'm hoping that landscape mode will be included sometime…
So it's basically Motherload for the iPhone. Nice!
exactly what i was thinking. looks fun. i might pick this up
I've had this since the day it came out, and yeah, it is a lot like Motherload. Actually, I found it to be better than Motherload, because there are no cave ins, and you can actually dig up the whole map.
great game its a must have
The tightened controls in the update really brought this already great game up a notch!
Nice, Motherload is one the best flash games i've played!
I'm really enjoying this game as well
I played the light today and really liked it.
Yet I would like to see the price lowered. I am sad that I did not get it while it was on for $0,99, but it just did not look good enough from the screenshots I saw back then.
So while it might be worth the current price, I know I just wont play this game (as many others) for more than a day and then maybe one more time. Hence I am waiting for a price reduction.
Btw, it rocks.
Fun game, I like the digger, it's fun to control, although TBH I am enjoying Digital Chocolate's digging game better (Gold Rush).
I love it but think it would be neat if there were more dangers than running out of fuel or over heating (i.e. more ways to be damaged).
I been diggin this game from the start. Lord Gek, like I have said before this game has a lot of potential to make it even better!!! I hope they add to it also.
havent played this or the aforementioned motherload so im struggling to understand the point of the game, do you just go around and dig up rocks for points??
This is a much better (and cheaper) game than that Digital Chocolate fiasco… the graphics are simpler, but MUCH better. And it just feels so good to play.
This is one of the best games I've played on the iPhone. Played till my battery ran out, induced a real twinge of claustrophobia(like deep sea diving), and the graphics are awesome.
Side rant: (Please, please PLEASE stop complaining about App Store prices, people! This game currently costs less than your average arcade parlor run, the amount of change trapped in your couch cushions, or what you last tipped at a bar. When you pay for good stuff, it's a vote of confidence in the developer. Not everything has to be on sale all the time.)
P.S. @ Touch Arcade: Thanks for giving this some well-deserved attention! I don't think anyone else has yet.
Looks exactly like Motherload. I'd actually rather see a direct port of Motherload for the iPhone than a clone, but I guess like anyone else here I will take what I can get.
this game is based on motherload at miniclip.com motherload is way better cause it auto saves when u get to the surface so you dont have to get soo far and run outa fuel. u can continue from last save
this game is amazing
and Gold Rush is amazing too, but I dont know if they can exactly be compared…Gold Rush has a different strategy
this has a motherload strategy
but this was an instant buy for me, and i have been playing it and loving it ever since
$2.99?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
I just played the free version last night, and unlike the norm, was ready to buy the full game, BUT NOT FOR FRICKIN 3 BUCKS!!!
It is NOT A 3 DOLLAR GAME if Grunts and Gunner are 99cents, get real.
I DO like it, a lot, but I'll rent a movie instead.
It is a $3.00 game the others are just underpriced we really need to support these guys better. Most people waste $3.00 on crap anyway. They did a good job on this game. If you can afford the AT&T bill you should be able to pay $3.00 for well done game.
@spongefile I'LL COMPLAIN ABOUT ANYTHING I WANT, ITS A FREE SPEECH COUNTRY WHERE I AM!!! I personally cant stand the ppl who try to censor or complain about MY opinion regarding prices, like everyone is playing games instead of watchin the news, I mean, ALL BIZ's are are reducing prices or giving specials due to the economy, incuding the gov, so where have YOU been???
Totally worth 3 bucks.
Or more.
Good stuff.
Also, @Spongefile:
Amen, brother and/or sister.
I saw that drill and that porthole and thought, "Finally — the Bioshock iPhone game!"
Dark NRG, you've got serious issues. You're free to say whatever you want, but everyone else is free to recognise you as a bit of an idiot.
This game is brilliant and I have somehow managed to get $2.99 of value out of it.
Everyone perceives value differently. You should understand that RedShirt. We are not all like you.
Anyway, This game is great!
@ Redshirt: what the heck?! I didn't "flame" anyone, I stressed my opinion.
Is there really a need to call me names?
The price was 99 cents yesterday. I was gonna buy Mecho also, but it jumped to 5dollars. Sure, prob worth every penny, But I have 349 apps, not all are free my friend! I'm sure I'm doin quite my part in this App micro economy!
I'll get the full version, when it goes on sale to 99cents, what, memorial day perhaps?
In the meanwhile, Assasins Creed, with quite a bit of dev costs behind it, is FREE today. Go figure. The store is crowded. My money is tight. This app will drop in price in no time at all, set aside the dev and your hubris.
Hint: The free version of Assassin's Creed is not the full game.
Noted. I stand corrected.
$3 is a steal! Thanks!
Off-topic, sorry:
@Dark NRG: People disagreeing with you is not censorship, it's free speech. In my opinion, paying good developers a living wage, if you can afford it, HELPS the economy by encouraging effort and quality. You can even make sure they're developers from your own country, if you're so inclined. Every purchase you make is a vote for that thing, and the more you pay, the stronger your vote.
Businesses are discounting because they're desperate, not because they're being nice, and games are a luxury, not a need. If you can't afford an extra $2 for a game that deserves it, then stick to free games, or just buy fewer 99 cent ones?
How can you afford a Iphone or a Itouch I know things are tight but if they are that tight were you can't (never mind to each his own)
Seriously dude, that's totally different than what you wrote before when you called me an "idiot". I agree with what you're saying, tho hold to the basics plain marketing sense. I bot DOOM for the rediculous price of $10 because I love doom, and even argued on forums that it was a steel compared to DS or PSP games. I didn't want to pay 4bucks for Archon, but I did, and it's great! (controls are a bit iffy tho). TODAY, its half the price two weeks later: $2. Oh well.
NOW HERE'S WHAT IM GONNA DO: my gf and I happen to love playin this game last night. I'm gonna go buy this game, tho I KNOW it's gonna drop in price bc their gonna have to since they're not gaining any ground, but perhaps my purchase TFTT will help the game get a boost, how's that? Apple gets a buck, dev gets a small latte. I just hope to god the dev doesnt become like the Chillingo dev of ORIONS card game who just stated on the forum they they don't plan any updates/expansions or anything ever. dam it, that pisses me off. "DIG" gets my money, I still disagree with the price and think they better drop it to make the game popular, which is all that counts…even a "MORON" knows that, as in "the Moron test".
I think those developers need to stick to there guns and not drop prices so quickly. This will kill the apple store soon.
Why oh why is the freeplay locked? When i do the campaign mode – I have to do it strategically (as I found). I wont aquire those skills until I mess around in the freeplay mode and see how things should be and how I need to organise myself.
Huh, I'm still tryin to figure out how to open Must.Eat.Birds challenge modes.
does anybody know some cheats for this game?
Nice graphics. Does anyone know if they used openGL for this????
Thanks! And yes, we did use openGL.
Thanks for your reply. What application did you use to draw your graphics images? Blender? Maya?
And can you give a pointer or two for people who wants to play/learn with graphics on iPhone?
Thanks,
Seriously. You guys have to stop bitching
about a 2.99 price tag. You would pay that
for a burger just to turn it to poo.
Buy this game and enjoy it for hours on end.
Who the he'll can't afford 3 bucks ya broke bastards!
P.S. I <3 this freakin game!
does anybody know cheats for this game?
does anyone know what you do after you reach the center of the earth??? or if there is anywhere to go from there???
yes, that's my question, too.
is that it?
reached the center of the earth…
this game is so well put together.
there has to be more than this…
???
anyone???
This is my fav iPhone game yet. By far! I love it. Thanks to the guys who made it!
Brilliant, up til 3 in the morning trying to beat my lil bro on reaching the centre of the earth!!!
Seriously, this 3 buck is a problem to spend anyone on such a good game like iDigIt ?? 349 apps is not a good reason to say that every game must be to sell on a 99 cents price tag. Most of the lamest application on this price level..if youn sell everything for 99 cents how you will to cover your development costs if you app isnt selling like hell in the first weeks ? To make such a high level art for a game is several thousands or more…and we cant talked about the code prices. They invented some thousand for the development…its pretty risky to give out everything for 99 cents..your game will be on the same low level price tag than the other zillion really low level games, and lots of peoples never buy a 99 cent stuff just becouse "im sure its crappy, becouse too cheap". Every project has a standalone development cost…your few bucks will landing in different pockets (except the share for Apple of course), so dont be shy… give it to the developer. IDI is a must have game and im sure its give you even much more fun than a crappy hollywood movie for a night rental. Support developers!
Ahh…and i've forgotten to tell. They are already sell the game on a 99 cents price.
im purchased yet it on the 2.99 price level, but im sure its was my best 3 dollar-buy in the last 10 years or more.
HEY , Once you dino the bottom of the world and end up in mushroom and space ship land is there anything else?
i think its the best game ever for the ipone and i hope new levels and maybe idig it 2 comes very very quickly
i think that its the best game for the iphone and for more levels to come and a idig it 2 very very soon
does any one know how to open the door that looks like a spaceship in the mushroom land? do you have to collect all the diggins or can you loose one or two? ….it's driving me crazy
i have i dig it v.3 with all the new stuff and i cant seem to find any of it……..what an i doing wrong?
i'm very like this game.
It's easy to play and very fun.