Games for Lunch: The Dig

In a nutshell: In space, everyone can hear you talk a lot.
8/7/2008 5:15 PM | 0 Comments | Page 2 of 3

0:15 I pick Quadrant 1 of the asteroid at random and we jet-pack on over. Not much to do but talk to my co-astronauts again. Seems they're in the mood to repeat what they already said by the shuttle.

0:18 Stumbled upon the item menu, which has only a few items in it. I pick up the "arming key" and try using it on another item at random. "I make it a habit not to arm my personal computer." The thought that someone had to write and record that line over a decade ago blows my mind.

0:21 Also in my inventory is a "PenUltimate" palmtop computer, which has a 2-D, Lunar Lander-type game on it. Great, except the emulated version of the game I'm playing (more on that at the bottom) doesn't seem to let me steer the craft.

0:22 I can talk to Borden back on the shuttle using the comm software on the PenUltimate. Atilla is less massive than we expected, he says. "How do we know what's inside an asteroid?" he asks. Um, sonar? Mass spectography?

0:24 "My opponent is demanding equal time in space," says Congressional candidate Miles. "With or without the suit?" quips Lowe. Miles tells me to "come on back and get the PIG." Maybe that will move things along.

0:28 The still background comes to life as the robot arm lifts the PIG tool box out of the shuttle. The animation is pretty impressive -- definitely retro, but definitely not dated.

0:30 Back on the asteroid surface with the PIG. Inside is a shovel, a "Zero-G digger," and two explosive units. I try placing the explosives on the asteroid, but apparently it's not that simple. Hmm.

0:31 I add all the PIG stuff to my inventory and leave the box behind. Brink tells me to "please put [the bomb] in the right location," but fails to tell me what that location is. Robbins tells me it's a "nuclear explosive that will save the world. How ironic." OK, I am officially in love.

0:33 Maybe Quadrant 2 is where I'm supposed to put the explosive? I wave the pointer around until I come across as "target surface." "The ground's too rough," says Lowe, but the Zero-G digger smoothes it out. Brink comes over to help with the placement. One more to go.

0:36 I can't find much to do in Quadrant 3 except talk with my co-astronauts. Lowe and Robbins get into a pretty entertaining back and forth about nuclear weapons and journalism. Robbins thinks Lowe doesn't like her because of all the teasing about her profession. The writing is pretty good, even though the voice acting could be a little better.

0:38 I can't seem to find a placement site in Quadrant 4 either. Am I missing something?

0:39 I search around in Quadrant 1 again, but can find no area to dig. I hate these guess-and-click portions of adventure games. Just tell me what to do, damnit!

0:40 Visiting Quadrant 2 again briefly, I remember that I should probably arm the explosive I already placed. Yeah, that might be important.

0:42 After more guess-and-clicking, I find a "boulder" hidden on the surface of Quadrant 3. "There's a big rock right where I need to plant the nuke," Lowe says. Bin-go!