Wednesday, 12 March 2025

CAN YOU DIGGETT? - a proof-of-concept for a "modern-day" Mr. Do! clone/remake

A couple of proof-of-concept screenshots of a hypothetical remake/reboot of Mr. Do!, one of my absolute personal favorite arcade games and one that I wish had some sort of modern rerelease available somewhere (other than on the Taito Egret II Mini, although that's very much a niche product).

I am very much aware that there are some modern fan-made ports being developed and worked on even as of writing (the ZX Spectrum fan port came out not too long ago, and somebody's currently working on an Intellivision conversion), but also I feel as though a good version of Mr. Do! that runs natively on a modern-era PC and includes some extra features (e.g. simultaneous multiplayer, a scene editor, maybe even online scoreboards) would simply be neat to have. Maybe even a more frantic, psychedelic game mode like the Pac-Man Championship Edition games. Now, if only I actually had the programming chops to make any of this a reality...

(Also, side-note/shameless plug: if you're somehow working on a fan remake of Mr. Do! for PCs, have come across this very post, and are impressed by what you saw, feel free to contact me!)

A hypothetical title screen for the game.

A showcase of how the gameplay would play; effectively identical to the original, with a few upgrades.

A showcase of a hypothetical simultaneous two-player mode, featuring a modified sprite of the original Mr. Do! as the second player.

A completely redone E-X-T-R-A life screen, with a drawing of Zoe throwing the powerball at a cowboy hat-wearing crocodile.

An alternate take, with a visual aesthetic more explicitly inspired by the Pac-Man Championship Edition series of games.