Diamonds (1983 video game)
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| Diamonds | |
|---|---|
_Cover_Art.jpg) | |
| Developer | Simon Hunt[1] |
| Publisher | English Software |
| Platform | Atari 8-bit |
| Release | 1983 |
| Genre | Action |
| Modes | Single-player, multiplayer |
Diamonds is a 1983 action video game developed and programmed by Simon Hunt[1] and published by English Software Company for the Atari 8-bit computers. Players guide Digger Dan through 64 flip-screen levels, digging through soil to collect diamonds while avoiding hazards such as falling rocks and a host of pursuers.
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The player controls Digger Dan with a joystick, carving tunnels horizontally or vertically through layers of differently shaded brown soil. Diamonds are scattered throughout; collecting them all on each of the four screens per level unlocks access to the next. Rocks and boulders fall if unsupported, both as obstacles and as means to eliminate enemies by crushing them. Dan can only climb upward when between two solid walls, requiring strategic tunnel planning.
Dan's pursuers include a slow-moving but persistent blob (Brian the Blob); Philip the Filler, who refills previously dug tunnels; swift fireflies that dart unpredictably; Simon the Snake, which slithers through tunnels; spectral Eyes that appear and vanish; and a Demon, each exhibiting distinct behaviors that require different strategies to evade or trap. Enemies can be crushed under falling rocks, and extra points are awarded for each foe eliminated this way.
Points are awarded for each diamond collected, with additional bonuses granted for bringing diamonds safely back to the surface. The game offers three starting lives, lost when Dan is caught by an enemy or crushed by a rock.
