Mr. Driller W[a] 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.
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.
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 releaseEdit
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]
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, writing: "It's a fast-paced experience that requires you to simultaneously look ahead and behind your character. Many a gamer has been addicted to the hypnotic downward spiral that is Mr. Driller".[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] with IGN concluding their review with: "If you've never played this arcade action game it might be worth a download to see why it's been popular for a decade. But the previously anointed probably don't need another version with fewer features".[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]
NotesEdit
^Known in Japan as Mr. Driller World (ミスタードリラーワールド, Misutā Dorirā Wārudo)
ReferencesEdit
^ abcdeJ Reed, Philip (26 August 2009). . Nintendo Life. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on 5 December 2018. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
^ abcdefghijkHatfield, Daemon (25 August 2009). . IGN. Archived from the original on 2 June 2019. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
^ abc(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.
^Aaron, Sean (25 February 2009). . Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on 2 June 2019. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
^McFerran, Damien (18 February 2009). . Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on 26 September 2017. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
^IGN Staff (24 August 2009). . IGN. Archived from the original on 18 March 2014. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
^ abParish, Jeremy (25 July 2017). . Retronauts. Archived from the original on 26 August 2019. Retrieved 26 August 2019.
^ abcdeLopez, Jay (1 September 2009). . GamePro. Archived from the original on 3 September 2009. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
^ abTsuchimoto (20 March 2009). . Inside Games (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2 March 2010. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
October 21, 2023
driller, 2009, puzzle, video, game, developed, published, wiiware, service, namco, bandai, games, eighth, entry, driller, series, gameplay, revolves, around, clearing, each, level, destroying, drilling, large, formations, colorful, blocks, players, have, oxyge. Mr Driller W a 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 Mr Driller WDeveloper s Namco Bandai GamesPublisher s Namco Bandai GamesSeriesMr DrillerPlatform s WiiWareReleaseJP February 25 2009NA August 24 2009PAL August 28 2009Genre s PuzzleMode s Single playerMr 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 Contents 1 Gameplay 2 Development and release 3 Reception 4 Notes 5 ReferencesGameplay Edit nbsp 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 EditWith 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 EditReceptionAggregate scoreAggregatorScoreMetacritic71 100 9 Review scoresPublicationScoreGamePro4 5 10 IGN6 10 2 Nintendo Life nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp 1 Official Nintendo Magazine70 3 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 writing It s a fast paced experience that requires you to simultaneously look ahead and behind your character Many a gamer has been addicted to the hypnotic downward spiral that is Mr Driller 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 with IGN concluding their review with If you ve never played this arcade action game it might be worth a download to see why it s been popular for a decade But the previously anointed probably don t need another version with fewer features 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 Edit Known in Japan as Mr Driller World ミスタードリラーワールド Misuta Dorira Warudo References Edit a b c d e 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 a b c d e f g h i j k Hatfield Daemon 25 August 2009 Mr Driller W Review IGN Archived from the original on 2 June 2019 Retrieved 12 November 2019 a b c d e f g Review Mr Driller W No 48 Future plc Official Nintendo Magazine November 2009 p 102 a b c 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 Aaron Sean 25 February 2009 First Impressions Mr Driller World Nintendo Life Archived from the original on 2 June 2019 Retrieved 23 March 2020 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 IGN Staff 24 August 2009 Nintendo Download 08 24 09 IGN Archived from the original on 18 March 2014 Retrieved 23 March 2020 a b Parish Jeremy 25 July 2017 How Can I Play It Dig Dug amp Mr Driller Retronauts Archived from the original on 26 August 2019 Retrieved 26 August 2019 a b Mr Driller W for Wii Reviews Metacritic CBS Interactive Archived from the original on 25 December 2018 Retrieved 10 March 2020 a b c d e Lopez Jay 1 September 2009 WiiWare Review Mr Driller W GamePro Archived from the original on 3 September 2009 Retrieved 12 November 2019 a b 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 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Mr Driller W amp oldid 1171106077, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
