Mr. Driller W

Last updated
Mr. Driller W
Mr. Driller W logo.png
Developer(s) Namco Bandai Games
Publisher(s) Namco Bandai Games
Series Mr. Driller
Platform(s) WiiWare
Release
  • JP: February 25, 2009
  • NA: August 24, 2009
  • PAL: August 28, 2009
Genre(s) Puzzle
Mode(s) Single-player

Mr. Driller W [lower-alpha 1] is a 2009 puzzle video game developed and published for the WiiWare service by Namco Bandai Games. The eighth entry in the Mr. Driller series, gameplay revolves around clearing each level by destroying, or "drilling", large formations of colorful blocks. Players have an oxygen meter that acts as a time limit, and constantly depletes; air is replenished by collecting air capsules, and is depleted further by destroying brown "X" blocks.

Contents

Mr. Driller W was part of Namco Bandai's effort in bringing their classic franchises to digital distribution platforms, due to the concept seeing success with services such as Xbox Live Arcade. The game re-uses many assets from previous games in the series, such as Mr. Driller Drill Land and Mr. Driller Drill Spirits . It was the company's first game for the WiiWare service. W received mixed reviews, being praised for its addictive gameplay and visuals and criticized for its lack of content compared to earlier entries and a lack of an online multiplayer mode.

Gameplay

In-game screenshot Mr. Driller W screenshot.jpg
In-game screenshot

Mr. Driller W is a puzzle video game. It features gameplay reminiscent of the Dig Dug series, being presented in a colorful, 2D style. [1] [2] Players control one of seven characters as they must make their way to the bottom of each level, all of which take place in real-world locations such as Japan, Egypt, and even the moon. [3] The seven characters include Susumu Hori, the main protagonist of the series; Anna Hottenmeyer, a German driller and rival of Susumu; Ataru Hori, Susumu's outcast older brother; Taizo Hori, the protagonist of Dig Dug and the father of Susumu and Ataru; Puchi, Susumu's pet dog; Holinger-Z, a drilling robot; and Usagi, Atari's pet rabbit-like alien who is locked from the start. [2] [3] Each character possesses their own unique abilities; for instance, Holinger-Z can sustain an extra hit, essentially doubling the player's life count. [2] [3] The gameplay revolves around destroying, or "drilling", colorful formations of blocks that litter the playfield. The player has a constantly-depleting oxygen meter, which acts as a time limit; [2] oxygen can be replenished by collecting air capsules found throughout the level, while oxygen is lost by destroying brown-colored "X" blocks. [3]

Development and release

With digital distribution services for home video game consoles becoming increasingly popular with players towards the late 2000s, Namco Bandai Games sought to begin production of games exclusive to these services for the purpose of feeding into the demand. [4] After seeing success with games such as Pac-Man Championship Edition and their various arcade game conversions for the Xbox 360, the company looked to other digital services to bring their back catalog of games to. Namco Bandai chose to bring over many of their more popular and well-known franchises to these platforms, due to their large brand recognition worldwide. The popularity and success of the Mr. Driller series prompted the creation of a new game in the series for these services, leading to what later became Mr. Driller W. It was in production alongside the DSiWare sequel Mr. Driller: Drill Till You Drop . [4] The game reuses many assets from previous games in the series, such as Mr. Driller Drill Land and Mr. Driller Drill Spirits . [5]

Namco Bandai teased the game in the January 2009 issue of their magazine Side-BN, alongside Xevious Resurrection and Korogashi Puzzle Katamari Damacy . [4] It was further shown off by Famitsu , presented in conjunction with Drill Till You Drop. [6] It was the company's first game announced for the WiiWare service. It was released in Japan on February 25. The game was later released in North America on August 24, [7] and in PAL territories on August 28. The game features support for the GameCube controller and the Wii Classic Controller, and is backwards-compatible with the Wii U. [8]

Reception

According to the review aggregator website Metacritic, Mr. Driller W received "mixed or average reviews". [9] Reviewers focused primarily on the game's lack of content compared to its predecessors, such as the lack of a multiplayer mode.

Nintendo Life described the game as "a truly unique and rewarding action-puzzler". [1] IGN criticized the game for its lack of gamemodes, specifically the omission of a multiplayer, which they expressed confusion towards due to it being a mainstay in the series. [2] A similar response was made by Official Nintendo Magazine , who said the lack of additional game modes ultimately "crippled" the main game. [3] GamePro and Inside Games, by contrast, were content with the package overall, but argued that the $8 price point might turn off those looking for more content. [10] [11]

Most publications agreed that the gameplay was still fun to play and had an addictive quality to it. Nintendo Life labeled it as "urgently addictivey", saying it made for an easy recommendation to puzzle game fans. [1] The simplicity of its gameplay was praised by Inside Games, who felt it made the game unique and was its strongest point. [11] IGN commented on the game's fast-paced action and addictive nature, saying that the game requires the player to simultaneously look ahead and behind their character. [2] GamePro compared the game's simplicity and addictive gameplay to that of Dig Dug, particularly for its arcade-esc feel to it. [10]

Critics praised the game's "Japanese"-like art style and character designs. Nintendo Life in particular claimed the large cast of unique characters gave the game variety, allowing the player to switch between different playstyles. [1] IGN and Official Nintendo Magazine agreed, but argued that some characters — specifically Holinger-Z — were unbalanced. [2] [3] GamePro stated that the artstyle felt like a mix between Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi and The Powerpuff Girls , posing a cute, bright-looking game. [10] IGN said that it "comes with the usual Japanese quirkiness and charms", praising its soundtrack for the multiple different genres and its cartoonish nature. [2] They also liked the game's implementation of support for the GameCube controller and Wii Classic Controller, as well as its lack of "forced in" motion controls. [2] GamePro and IGN both recommended the game to those who had never previously played a Mr. Driller game before. [10] [2] Retrospectively, Retronauts said that it didn't have anything particularly unique about it, and that it lacked the high-definition visuals and amount of content as its Xbox 360 predecessor Mr. Driller Online . [8]

Notes

  1. ↑ Known in Japan as Mr. Driller World (ミスタードリラーワールド, Misutā Dorirā Wārudo).

Related Research Articles

<i>Galaga</i> 1981 arcade game

Galaga is a 1981 fixed shooter arcade video game developed and published by Namco. In North America, it was released by Midway Manufacturing. It is the sequel to Galaxian (1979), Namco's first major video game hit in arcades. Controlling a starship, the player is tasked with destroying the Galaga forces in each stage while avoiding enemies and projectiles. Some enemies can capture a player's ship via a tractor beam, which can be rescued to transform the player into a "dual fighter" with additional firepower.

<i>Dig Dug</i> 1982 video game

Dig Dug is a maze arcade video game developed by Namco in 1981 and released in 1982, distributed in North America by Atari, Inc. The player controls Dig Dug to defeat all enemies per stage, by either inflating them to bursting or crushing them underneath rocks.

<i>Mr. Driller</i> Video game series

Mr. Driller is a puzzle video game franchise created by Yasuhito Nagaoka and Hideo Yoshizawa for Namco. The eponymous first game was released in 1999 for arcades and several home consoles, such as the PlayStation. Gameplay in the series consists of controlling Susumu Hori, the titular Mr. Driller, or one of his friends and destroying colorful formations of blocks to make it to the bottom of a well. In order to survive, players need to collect air capsules to replenish their depleting oxygen and avoid being crushed by falling blocks.

<i>Mr. Driller Drill Spirits</i> 2004 puzzle video game

Mr. Driller Drill Spirits is a 2004 puzzle video game developed and published by Namco for the Nintendo DS. Controlling one of six characters, the player must make it to the bottom of each stage by destroying, colored formations of blocks while preventing their oxygen meter from depleting. Multiple different gamemodes are present, including a single-player campaign, a time-attack mode, and a competitive multiplayer mode. It is the sixth entry in the Mr. Driller series.

Namco Museum is a series of video game compilations developed and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment for home video game consoles. The first title in the series, Namco Museum Vol. 1, was released for the PlayStation in 1995. Entries in the series have been released for multiple platforms, including the Game Boy Advance, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo DS and Xbox 360. the latest being Namco Museum Archives Vol. 2, released in 2020.

<i>Dig Dug II</i> 1985 video game

Dig Dug II is an action arcade video game developed and published in Japan by Namco in 1985. It is a sequel to 1982's Dig Dug. Pookas and fire-breathing Fygars return as the enemies, but the side view tunneling of the original is replaced with an overhead view of an island maze.

<i>Dig Dug: Digging Strike</i> 2005 maze video game

Dig Dug: Digging Strike is a 2005 maze video game published by Namco for the Nintendo DS. In Europe, the game was published by Atari Europe. It is the fifth entry in the Dig Dug video game series, and the second to be made for a home platform. The game follows series protagonist Taizo Hori, bitter about his son Susumu getting more attention than him—after a chain of tropical islands is threatened by monsters, Taizo sets out to defeat them and reclaim his fame. Gameplay combines mechanics established in the original Dig Dug and its sequel Dig Dug II, centered around sinking a large "boss" character into the ocean by digging under large stakes in the ground.

<i>Baraduke</i> 1985 video game

Baraduke, renamed Alien Sector in some regions, is a run and gun video game released for arcades by Namco in 1985. A home version was published for the X68000.

<i>Point Blank DS</i> 2006 video game for the Nintendo DS

Point Blank DS is a 2006 lightgun shooter video game developed and published for the Nintendo DS by Namco Bandai Games. It is the fourth entry in the Point Blank series, comprising both new stages and ones taken from the first three games. Players use the touch screen to complete a number of different minigames that vary in terms of mechanics, such as protecting an on-screen character or shooting down a specific target.

<i>Mr. Driller Drill Land</i> 2002 video game

Mr. Driller Drill Land is a 2002 puzzle video game developed and published in Japan by Namco for the GameCube. It is the fifth entry in the Mr. Driller video game series, and the second developed for a Nintendo platform following Mr. Driller A. Controlling one of seven characters, the player must make it to the bottom of each stage by destroying colored blocks, which can connect to each other and form chain reactions. The game is divided into five different modes themed as amusement park attractions, which feature new mechanics such as enemies, items and different block types.

<i>Namco Museum Remix</i> 2007 video game

Namco Museum Remix is a 2007 video game compilation developed and published for the Wii by Namco Bandai Games. The compilation includes nine Namco arcade games and five "remix" games made specifically for this compilation. A remake, Namco Museum Megamix, was released exclusively in North America on November 26, 2010; the game features nine other arcade games alongside the titles from the original, as well as an additional remix game based on Grobda.

<i>Muscle March</i> 2009 video game

Muscle March, known in Japan as Muscle Kōshinkyoku, is an action video game developed and published by Namco Bandai Games for the Wii through the WiiWare service. It was released in Japan in 2009, and in North America and the PAL region in 2010. Players control one of seven different bodybuilders and try to catch a thief that has stolen their bodybuilding friends' tub of protein powder. Its gameplay is similar to Hole In The Wall, where players use the Wiimote and Nunchuck to perform specific bodybuilder poses to pass through corresponding holes in walls left by the thief.

<i>Star Trigon</i> 2002 video game

Star Trigon is a 2002 puzzle arcade game published in Japan by Namco. Ports for iPod, iOS devices and Windows were also released. In the game, the player controls one of three characters — Wataru Hoshi, Chuta Bigbang and Susumu Hori — the objective being to rescue creatures known as "Uchijins" by hopping from planet to planet to draw triangles and capture them. The player will automatically circle the planet they are on, requiring timed jumps to avoid falling off the playfield. It ran on the Namco System 10 hardware.

<i>Pac-Man Party</i> 2010 video game

Pac-Man Party is a party game by Namco Bandai Games for the Wii and Nintendo 3DS. It is similar to the Mario Party series and Monopoly games for the Wii. In the game's story mode, players must retrieve a stolen cookie recipe from Pac-Man's enemies Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Clyde and return it to its rightful owner, Mr. Cookie. The game was released to coincide with Pac-Man's 30th anniversary. The game notably features redesigns of the main characters which would carry over to following Pac-Man titles in the mid-2010s, culminating with Ghostly Adventures.

<i>Mr. Driller 2</i> 2000 video game

Mr. Driller 2 is a puzzle video game developed and published by Namco, and the second game in the Mr. Driller series. It was released for the arcades in 2000, and was ported to the Game Boy Advance and Windows in 2001, and is available in emulated form via the Virtual Console on the Wii U. The game introduces two new characters to the series, Puchi, and Anna.

<i>Cosmo Gang the Puzzle</i> 1992 video game

Cosmo Gang the Puzzle is a 1992 falling block puzzle arcade video game developed and published by Namco worldwide. The third game in its Cosmo Gang series, succeeding that year's Cosmo Gang the Video, players stack groups of blocks and aliens known as Jammers in a vertical-oriented well. The objective is to clear as many objects on the screen before they reach the top of the screen. Blocks are cleared by aligning them into complete horizontal rows, while Jammers are cleared by defeating them with blue-colored spheres.

<i>Klonoa</i> (2008 video game) 2008 video game

Klonoa is a side-scrolling platform video game for the Wii developed by Paon and published by Namco Bandai Games. It is a remake of the 1997 PlayStation game Klonoa: Door to Phantomile, the first game in the Klonoa series, updating the game with fully 3D graphics, additional content, and gameplay changes. It was released in Japan in December 2008 and in North America and Europe in May 2009.

<i>Mr. Driller</i> (video game) 1999 video game

Mr. Driller is a 1999 puzzle arcade game developed and published by Namco. Versions for the PlayStation, Dreamcast, Microsoft Windows, Game Boy Color, WonderSwan Color, mobile phones, and iOS were also released. Controlling Susumu Hori, the titular "Mr. Driller", the player must dig their way to the bottom of the screen by destroying colored blocks that litter the playfield. Blocks will be cleared if four or more are touching each other, which can be used to cause chain reactions. Susumu has a constantly-depleting oxygen meter that can be refilled by collecting air capsules found throughout stages.

<i>Mr. Driller G</i> 2001 video game

Mr. Driller G is a 2001 puzzle arcade game developed and released in Japan by Namco for its System 10 hardware. It is the third installment in its Mr. Driller series, and the last released for arcades. Controlling one of seven characters, players must make it to the bottom of the level by destroying colorful formations of blocks. G introduces several new ideas to the series, such as power-ups, a story campaign, and online multiplayer.

<i>Mr. Driller A</i> 2002 video game

Mr. Driller A is a 2002 puzzle video game developed and published in Japan by Namco for the Game Boy Advance. The fourth installment in its Mr. Driller series, players control one of seven characters and must make it to the bottom of the level by destroying colorful formations of blocks. A adds several new mechanics to the gameplay of its predecessors, such as a virtual pet named the "Pacteria" that players can grow and care for.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 J Reed, Philip (26 August 2009). "Mr. Driller W Review (WiiWare)". Nintendo Life . Gamer Network. Archived from the original on 5 December 2018. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Hatfield, Daemon (25 August 2009). "Mr. Driller W Review". IGN. Archived from the original on 2 June 2019. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Review - Mr. Driller W". No. 48. Future plc. Official Nintendo Magazine. November 2009. p. 102.
  4. 1 2 3 "ミスタードリラーワールド" (PDF) (in Japanese). No. 45. Namco Bandai Games. Side-BN. January 2009. p. 17. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 August 2019. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  5. ↑ Aaron, Sean (25 February 2009). "First Impressions: Mr. Driller World". Nintendo Life . Archived from the original on 2 June 2019. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  6. ↑ McFerran, Damien (18 February 2009). "Mr Driller Tunnelling His Way To WiiWare and DSiWare". Nintendo Life . Archived from the original on 26 September 2017. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  7. ↑ IGN Staff (24 August 2009). "Nintendo Download: 08/24/09". IGN. Archived from the original on 18 March 2014. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  8. 1 2 Parish, Jeremy (25 July 2017). "How Can I Play It?: Dig Dug & Mr. Driller". Retronauts. Archived from the original on 26 August 2019. Retrieved 26 August 2019.
  9. 1 2 "Mr. Driller W for Wii Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 25 December 2018. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 Lopez, Jay (1 September 2009). "WiiWare Review - Mr. Driller W". GamePro . Archived from the original on 3 September 2009. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
  11. 1 2 Tsuchimoto (20 March 2009). "【400文字レビュー】これで大丈夫? Wiiウェア『ミスタードリラーワールド』". Inside Games (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2 March 2010. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.