| Mr Driller: Drill Spirits review |
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Updating a classic puzzle game for a new console must be a tricky task. A few changes must be made to convince players to upgrade from the previous version but, if the formula is altered too much, then the title can lose what originally made it so compelling in the first place. One has only to look at the number of updates of Tetris – Wetrix, Tetrisphere, Wordtris etc. – none of which come close to the tried and tested mechanical joy of the original. To bring such a puzzler to Nintendo’s revolutionary DS must make that task twice as difficult, as the new methods of control and display have the potential to either reinvigorate an existing franchise or destroy it. Knowing this, Namco have wisely chosen the conservative approach and used the DS’ unique abilities only where appropriate.
The gameplay of Mr. Driller: Drill Spirits will be comfortably familiar to anyone who has played any of the previous incarnations. As before, the classic mode involves drilling to a pre-specified depth whilst avoiding the falling blocks and maintaining a healthy supply of air. It sounds simple, but when you are a few breaths away from asphyxiation and frantically drilling for an air capsule then the threat of falling blocks can pass to the back of the mind…which is, of course, when they are most likely to get the better of you. It’s a balance of gameplay that can create panic and euphoria in equal quantities and Drill Spirits retains that balance just as well as the original Mr. Driller did, five years ago. The top screen allows the player to see the status of the blocks above Mr. Driller, making death a tad easier to avoid on the DS and making this iteration slightly better to play than previous versions as it gives the player a lot more confidence to drill as fast as they can without fearing the falling blocks. Mr Driller was always most fun when the pace reached a frantic, nerve-slicing level. Having two screens gives the player the opportunity to increase the pace if they wish and that can only be a good thing in the eyes of most drill-fans.
Drill Spirits features three other modes in addition to the regular one. Pressure Driller makes good use of the twin screens by placing a giant robot drill on the top screen that pursues Mr. Driller on the bottom one, encouraging the player to keep one eye on the top screen for the robot’s weak spots. Time Attack features a series of short levels that are more puzzle-like in nature, requiring one pre-determined solution to crack them. Dristone, finally, is a quest mode similar to Mr. Driller: Drill Land’s “Hole of Druaga” in which players must use collectible power-ups to help plumb the perilous depths. This particular mode, which is curiously missing from the US version, is one of only two of the extra play-types that have been borrowed from Drill Land (Space Driller is the final level of mission mode) and it is a shame that the other modes from that game were not included in Drill Spirits. This is only a slight quibble though, as most Driller fans will already own the GameCube version anyway.
The extra modes are a welcome distraction from the main event. Their strength lies in their strict adherence to the classic left, right, down, drill mechanic of the normal mode so that they never feel like hastily tacked on mini-games. Instead they expand the life of the game and allow dedicated drillers to perfect their skills. As well as these extra play modes, Namco have also included a decent multiplayer mode. With a game card each, four players can compete using a choice of the full eight characters and all available depths. In single-card play (also missing from the US version), players can only use Susumu (Mr. Driller) and there are a limited number of depths to choose from, but this is perfectly ample and the best example of Namco’s sensible use of the DS’s capabilities.
One of their less sensible uses is the implementation of touch-screen control. While selecting options on the menu-screen works reasonably enough, in the main game the stylus control becomes clumsy, inaccurate and unbearably slow. If you use the touch controls you will be crushed long before reaching 1000m. Thankfully the d-pad can be used to fully control Mr. Driller and functions with the exact, digital precision that such a fast-paced puzzle game requires. Nintendo, take note: the d-pad is not yet ready to die.
Namco has handled the presentation of of the game with the same cautious tweaks that characterise the gameplay. Every sprite, every sound effect and every theme tune is identical to its GameCube equivalent, but in miniaturised form. Although this might make Drill Sprits sound like a lazy rehash, at least graphically, it is in fact a testament to Namco’s art staff. It’s amazing just how much detail has been packed into the character sprites when you consider that each one is only about 20x20 pixels in size and the fantastic soundtrack that accompanied Drill Land is wonderfully reproduced on the DS’ stereo speakers.
It can be quite difficult to get excited about a game that takes the "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" approach. There are no major improvements over any of the previous iterations and very little reason to pick this up for those who already own the superior Mr Driller G or Mr Driller: Drill Land. Having said that, this is easily the best handheld version of the young classic and that alone should make it a worthwhile purchase for portable gamers. The fact that it barely takes advantage of the DS’ unique capabilities is mostly irrelevant as this Mr. Driller is no less fun, charming, challenging or lovable than any of its predecessors. |
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System: Nintendo DS
Genre: Action
Developer: Namco
Publisher: Namco
Players: 1-4
Version: Japan
Reviewed: Jan 2005
Writer: Ashley Day
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Pros:
- Best handheld Driller
- Includes modes not in US version
- Puchi is so cute!
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Cons:
- Touch control is rubbish
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