A popular arcade classic celebrates its 35th anniversary this year – Dig Dug. The game, developed and published by Namco and originally released in April 1982, has been a mainstay of arcades since it first arrived thanks to its unique and colorful gameplay.

The title had players taking control of the titular character, who had to defeat a variety of underground monsters. They could be defeated either by being blown up by an air pump until they exploded, or by having rocks dropped on them from above. Additionally, points can be accrued by collecting bonus items – usually fruits and vegetables, but the ship from Namco’s Galaxian also cameos in this role.

Something that even the most seasoned of players might not know is that in Japan, Dig Dug’s name is Taizo Hori, and he’s actually the father of the Mr. Driller protagonist, Susumu Hori – canonically connecting both series.

A number of home console ports were made for the game, to systems such as the Game Boy, Atari 2600, Intellivision, and the NES. The system also received some sequels, including Dig Dug II and Dig Dug: Digging Strike. The original game also saw some bootlegged knock-offs under the name Zig Zag. Dig Dug characters, especially the Pooka and Frygar enemies, have also appeared in other Namco titles like Pac-Man World Rally and Pole Position, and they can also be seen in the Disney film Wreck-it Ralph.