In the late ’90s and early aughts, just a little fellow named Mr. Driller burrowed his means into the hearts of puzzle recreation followers worldwide. The years that adopted noticed a number of Mr. Driller releases throughout a number of platforms, however after some time, Namco appeared content material to entomb the sequence and deal with different issues. Now, just a little over a decade later, Bandai-Namco has determined to unearth one of the vital beloved Mr. Driller video games, the previously Japan-and-Europe-exclusive Mr. Driller Drill Land, to launch on Switch and PC for a brand new technology of followers to take pleasure in.Mr. Driller Drill Land focuses on the titular Mr. Driller, aka Susumu Hori, and his prolonged gang of excavator family and friends (together with his dad Taizo, who you may bear in mind from Dig Dug). They’re off to go to a brand new underground amusement park referred to as Drill Land, stuffed with points of interest that very coincidentally are primarily based across the colored-block-drilling gameplay that defines the Mr. Driller series–with some notable twists. Challenges, playing cards, and loads of collectibles abound in Drill Land, and you will have to see when you’ve got the chops to overcome every of the park’s completely different points of interest for top scores and goodies. (And you may simply save the world, too.)The core Mr. Driller gameplay is a neat twist on the “falling colored blocks” concept. You management Susumu (or one among his companions), utilizing your drill to interrupt up coloured blocks and dig deeper and deeper into the earth. As you destroy blocks and work your means into the earth, you will release different blocks, which can fall and be a part of up with (and likewise break) others of the identical coloration. Your aim is to achieve a sure depth, however that is simpler mentioned than done–you have a restricted air provide that acts as a timer, and a few poor drilling selections might result in your driller getting smooshed beneath a landslide. This makes the sport a tense, cautious balancing act–while air pickups are continuously obtainable, being too hasty along with your drilling selections when oxygen is proscribed might result in catastrophe. It may sound intimidating, but it surely’s a lot simpler to know when you play a number of classes and see for your self how free blocks fall, mix, and break. After you grasp the fundamentals, you will develop right into a groove and assuredly receive pickups, create chains to remove a number of blocks directly, and discover secure spots amongst a cascade of falling earth.The delicate steadiness between needing to progress, managing your air provide, and determining methods to keep secure as an increasing number of rocks teeter above is what makes Mr. Driller such a pleasant little puzzle recreation by itself. What makes Mr. Driller Drill Land so good is the way it creates a number of distinctive variants on this components by the completely different points of interest, every with a enjoyable and distinctive theme. World Drill Tour is the usual Mr. Driller gameplay followers know and love mixed with visuals and music that poke enjoyable at a sure well-known Disneyland staple. Star Driller provides random power-ups with a wide range of results into the combination in an area adventure–though generally the pickups can harm greater than they assist.The three points of interest that cleverly increase the core components are probably the most pleasant. Horror Night House does away with the air-timer mechanic, changing it with a well being meter, and has you surrounded by ghosts that possess coloured blocks. Drilling right into a possessed block (or standing subsequent to a ghost for too lengthy) will lead to dropping well being. The solely method to progress is by gathering holy water, injecting it into blocks, after which drilling into the surprised ghosts to destroy them, remodeling the sport right into a tense strategic battle. Drindy Adventure is a hazard-filled archeological dig to nab golden artifacts, full with spike traps, rolling boulders, and fire-breathing idols to reinforce the ever-present risk of being crushed–which is extra doubtless, since falling blocks behave in another way. Finally, The Hole of Druaga pays homage to one among Namco’s most influential titles by a novel rogue-lite spin. In this mode, you have to discover a block-filled maze, accumulate objects, remove foes, and ultimately enter a chamber the place you battle the evil Druaga–but watch out, as a result of HP is proscribed and it drains with each drill you make.Each attraction has three problem ranges, all of that are a major step-up in problem over the earlier degree. While you solely want to complete Level 1 of every attraction to open the ultimate stage and end the sport, there are many causes to return and check out every on greater difficulties: further audiovisual thrives, new traps, new objects, extra enemies, and more and more advanced areas to dig into. If you ever really feel caught on a specific attraction, you’ll be able to all the time scoot over to the shop and use your in-game foreign money to purchase useful objects like further lives and protecting gear. You can use this stuff freely to push by a difficult attraction and get credit score for clearing it, however you will not be capable to register your rating on the net rankings, which is a good trade-off. If you do not wish to purchase this stuff, you’ll be able to as an alternative get playing cards and collectibles that allow you to be taught extra concerning the surprisingly in-depth universe of Mr. Driller… which the overly-long cutscenes do not actually succeed at. These Flash-style animations look cute, however the jokes fall fully flat. Even worse, you’ll be able to’t manually advance dialogue — solely skip them completely. (Then once more, you are not lacking a lot for those who do.)It’s not laborious to see what’s made Mr. Driller Drill Land so beloved over time. The varied spins on the core Mr. Driller gameplay are all distinctive, difficult, and interesting — simple to leap into, fast to play, and inspiring you to present it yet one more go. The sharply cute, early-aughts anime visible type offers it a shiny, cheerful look that stands out from the pack, and the bouncy, dynamic soundtrack provides loads of ambiance to your deep dives. With a lot to select from and accumulate, you will wish to grasp everything–or simply play your favourite attraction for hours on end–and earn loads of cash to spend on the reward store.Mr. Driller Drill Land is the form of recreation you’ll be able to play for 10 minutes on a lunch break or for a whole afternoon. It’s the form of recreation the place you will be in a groove… solely to screw up a piece catastrophically and wreck a run. But you will solely be bitter about it for a minute earlier than eagerly diving again in to strive once more. If you’ve got by no means performed Mr. Driller–or if it has been some time because you and Susumu went excavating together–Mr. Driller Drill Land is one relic that deserves a spot in your gaming museum.