|
When first playing Mr. Driller: Drill Spirits, two things came to mind: 1. Is Drill Spirits the most worthless subtitle for game a game ever? and 2. How should I approach reviewing this title having never played a Mr. Driller game before? In the end, I couldn't make sense of the first question – even a generically titled "Mr. Driller DS" would have sounded better in my opinion. As for handling the review, I realized I was quite familiar with Mr. Driller's genre – the frantic digging genre.
Yes, most will probably try to throw Drill Spirits in the overloaded puzzle gaming genre, but I like the idea of the digging genre more. So what makes up this genre? Well, basically it's a game that requires you to dig to reach your goal while avoiding obstacles that either chase you or fall onto you. This quasi-genre was born with the Namco arcade classic Dig Dug and brought to the mainstream console with the desert levels of Super Mario Bros. 2. So how does Drill Spirits hold up with these titles? Actually it doesn't bring too much more to the table, but is a fun game to pick up for short gaming stints.
Basically, every level of Drill Spirits main gameplay mode, Mission Driller, feels like the digging levels in Super Mario Bros. 2. Your driller starts at the top of the screen and must frantically dig to reach the bottom of the screen. But instead of being chased by an angry face that wants its key back, the challenge comes in avoiding blocks that begin to fall as you dig through them and also making sure you have an adequate supply of air. The levels become more difficult through the variety of blocks you dig through and through the placement of air supply tanks.
It should be noted that these levels actually become extremely difficult under the default settings. You start with only three lives, which in the latter levels, seems like too little to actually clear a stage. Fortunately, as you gain more points and beat more levels, you acquire new characters and upgrades. Like Mario 2, the characters have their strengths and weaknesses – some are faster, some are stronger, etc. The upgrades allow you to begin levels with more lives, more life bars and more oxygen.
Outside of the Misson Driller mode, Drill Spirits other single player mode, Pressure Driller, adds a nice twist to the title. In this mode, you need to watch your character progress on the lower screen (as in the other modes), while you see an evil drill chasing you on the top screen. The goal of this mode is to destroy the drill before it reaches the bottom. To destroy the drill, you must collect capsules that allow you to shoot fireballs back up at the drill to destroy it (while still finding oxygen tanks as well). The key to this mode is staying focused on the fundamentals you learned from Mission Driller mode, and when you are in the clear, you need to be prepared to look up at the top screen to see if you are lined up with the target. When the coast is clear and your target is in sight, you can then fire at will.
Lastly, the game also features a multiplayer mode. While I was unable to play this mode (perhaps a sequel will offer Wi-Fi), the basic concept is to race to the bottom of the hill before your opponents do. This frantic mode is spiced up by making the drilled areas collapse on opponents and by acquiring special weapons.
In the graphics, sound, and control department, the latest Mr. Driller is a pretty simple title. The games graphics are on par with puzzle games from the SNES era at best. The music and sound department doesn't impress either. The music is somewhat catchy, but isn't exactly memorable either. As for the controls, the game allows you to choose between using the DS touch screen to point and dig, or you can simply dig by using the B button and moving with the D-pad. My recommendation: keep it simple. As frantic as the title can get, it becomes too taxing to try use the stylus to progress.
Overall, Mr. Driller: Drill Spirits is a fun title for quick thrills. The concept is quick and easy to learn; yet the game's sometimes-intense difficulty level will keep some gamers coming back for more. So if you're looking for a quick dig and you're not at an archaeological site, Drill Spirits might be your game for on the go (at least until the new Dig Dug comes out for the DS). Of course if you're just at home, you can always just boot up level 2-1 of Super Mario 2.
|
