Pooka is the round red enemy in Taito’s 1982 arcade game Dig Dug.
Dig Dug follows a character who tunnels through underground soil and defeats enemies by inflating them with an air pump or dropping rocks on them. Pooka appears as a red, goggle-wearing creature, while Fygar is the dragon-like enemy capable of breathing fire.
The player must dig strategically because enemies can move through earth and pursue Dig Dug through the tunnel network. Inflating an enemy requires holding the pump until it bursts, but letting go too early allows the enemy to recover. Rocks provide another way to defeat several enemies at once.
Pooka and Fygar are often confused because both are central enemies in the same game. Pooka is the rounded red creature; Fygar is the green dragon-like monster. The distinction is consistent across the original arcade game and later ports.