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[bobbyconover]

Well that sounds interesting. What about this one?

It rules, but it came out shortly before Drill Land and doesn't have many of Drill Land's best tracks on it. There is some crossover between the games, though (Drill Land has about half the songs from that soundtrack on it), so it's definitely worth buying.

 

[Soul4ger]

Damn, this makes me want to import Drill Spirits:

I would carry my DS around in that shit.

If anyone sees some of those laying around when you go to pick up Japanese games today, get me one. I'll give you money.

 

[maynerd]

Multi carts are needed to play multiplayer. This is ripped right from the manual.

Driller Race Multi requires each player to have a Mr. Driller Drill Spirits Game Card inserted into their own Nintendo DS.

Damn you Namco!

 

[seismologist]

1up gave it a 7.5

chances are good that you'll be pleasantly surprised by the fact that Drill Spirits is quite a bit better than the paper-thin Dreamcast/PSOne/Game Boy title from almost half a decade ago. While Drill Spirits doesn't push the DS hardware to its limits, it's an entertaining piece of software that offers fast, straightforward arcade action

I'll probably pick this game up before it disappears for good.

 

[BuddyC]

Damn, this makes me want to import Drill Spirits:

I would carry my DS around in that shit.

If anyone sees some of those laying around when you go to pick up Japanese games today, get me one. I'll give you money.

Likewise. I have money.

Please.

 

[Jonnyram]

Japanese version has download play. Me, john tv and DCharlie tried it out this morning
Stylus control is a lot shitter than I expected though - I guess I didn't imagine the game would let you move in increments less than a block wide.

 

[bobbyconover]

Japanese version has download play.

I can't believe it. I was just stepping out the door to buy the US one, too.. Might have to reconsider, though I guess the odds of ever running into anyone else with the import version are pretty slim.

 

[Ironclad]

Well, I stopped caring about IGN and Gamespot's reviews long ago. From what I coud see, this looked like an interesting buy.

 

[PanopticBlue]

Japanese version has download play. Me, john tv and DCharlie tried it out this morning
Stylus control is a lot shitter than I expected though - I guess I didn't imagine the game would let you move in increments less than a block wide.

You've gotta be shitting me about single cart multi...damn you namco wtf. That is seriously fucked up.

Also, Jonnyram-can you elaborate on the stylus control since none of the reviews thus far seem to have? Am I hearing you right in that you can only move one block at a time with the stylus? Wtf...

 

[Jonnyram]

Am I hearing you right in that you can only move one block at a time with the stylus? Wtf...

No, you can move in multiples too... but basically susumu goes to the exact point you press the stylus, rather than having any discrete block-wide levels, so you end up with susumu halfway between blocks, which is quite disconcerting.

 

[vitaflo]

I can't believe it. I was just stepping out the door to buy the US one, too.. Might have to reconsider, though I guess the odds of ever running into anyone else with the import version are pretty slim.

Why would it matter, the import version has download play! You don't need to run into anyone else w/ the import version if you have it.

 

[mumu]

so it's definitely worth buying.

Can you upload like one song or part of one so i can get a feeling for the CD? They got a 500yen holiday discount at cdjapan right now, and i think i also got some 200yen shoppers points, so the opportunity is good.

 

[Mr. Lemming]

Anyone have contact information for Namco so if I were to say write a letter explaining my displeasure over the lack of single cart play, I could send it to someplace it would actually be read?

That said, Drill Land spoiled me, but I do like the single player stuff in Drill Spirits.

Edit: Just looked on the back of the box:
Namco Hometek Inc.
4555 Great America Parkway, Suite 201
Santa Clara, CA 95054

 

[Patrick Klepek]

drill spirits is fun stuff so far, but holy shit the stylus control is useless. i can't imagine sitting there trying to move as fast as you need to.

 

[bobbyconover]

Why would it matter, the import version has download play! You don't need to run into anyone else w/ the import version if you have it.

I am such a moron.

Bought the US version anyway, btw, and I'm very impressed by the box art and nice color manual. I can't wait to go home and play it!

 

[Wario64]

Anyone have contact information for Namco so if I were to say write a letter explaining my displeasure over the lack of single cart play, I could send it to someplace it would actually be read?

That said, Drill Land spoiled me, but I do like the single player stuff in Drill Spirits.

Edit: Just looked on the back of the box:
Namco Hometek Inc.
4555 Great America Parkway, Suite 201
Santa Clara, CA 95054

They're about 10-15 minutes away from where I live. I could bitch at them in person if you want

 

[Unison]

So the US version absolutely positively doesn't have single cart multiplay & the Japanese one does?!? :lol

 

[Mr. Lemming]

Wee. The time attack mode is really cool in Drill Spirits. Much more puzzley then I remember it being in the Dreamcast version.

 

[neo2046]

Japanese version has download play. Me, john tv and DCharlie tried it out this morning
Stylus control is a lot shitter than I expected though - I guess I didn't imagine the game would let you move in increments less than a block wide.

cool!!
I will get Jp ver

 

[PanopticBlue]

I am such a moron.

Bought the US version anyway, btw, and I'm very impressed by the box art and nice color manual. I can't wait to go home and play it!

Could you please give some proper impressions of how the game plays with stylus? I have yet to see any really good descriptions yet online..

 

[bobbyconover]

Well my very very initial impression is that Susumu's US voice is horrible.

More to follow!

 

[brandonnn]

Could you please give some proper impressions of how the game plays with stylus? I have yet to see any really good descriptions yet online..

While he's getting his drill-full, I'll pop in real quickly and say that Jonnyram nailed the problem. Rather than having the stylus move Susumu from column to column on tap, he just does his best to run to the point where the stylus is touching the screen. This runs the risk in high pressure situations to having Susu 1/3 or 1/2 the way to the next column when you've got a stack bearing down on you.

It's entirely possible that the method gets more natural over time, but I'm not really sure I see any advantage it might ever give you to the standard control method. When the original Dreamcast version was released, Susumu could be controlled with all of the following peripherals: fishing rod, light gun, Seaman microphone, keyboard, Samba de Amigo maracas, dance mats, and steering wheel. They worked but, beyond pure novelty, why would you want to?

 

[Soul4ger]

Well my very very initial impression is that Susumu's US voice is horrible.

More to follow!

Thought the same thing. Plays great, though.

 

[GDJustin]

So the US version absolutely positively doesn't have single cart multiplay & the Japanese one does?!? :lol

Quoted, to ensure everyone is aware of the travesty.

 

[Jr.]

Seriously someone should make a sticky for Gamespot (NDS) placeyournamehere reviews and just throw a 6.6 in there. These ass clowns wouldn't give a game a fair shot on this system unless it had the word "Sony" somewhere on it.

 

[duderon]

Seriously someone should make a sticky for Gamespot (NDS) placeyournamehere reviews and just throw a 6.6 in there. These ass clowns wouldn't give a game a fair shot on this system unless it had the word "Sony" somewhere on it.

We had to go through this shit with Halo 2, don't start it again. Gamespot doesn't favor anyone they're just tough reviewers.

 

[Jr.]

We had to go through this shit with Halo 2, don't start it again. Gamespot doesn't favor anyone they're just tough reviewers.

Yeah right, there is a topic here on the frontpage about their review for POP and the score seems to be pretty good for a game with so many fualts. Lets not even get started with the GTA series...

 

[Amir0x]

Here goes the Nbot conspiracy theories.

 

[belgurdo]

Here goes the Nbot conspiracy theories.

Can't wait for either a DS game to get over an 8.5 average or PSP games to bomb too so that we don't have to hear these stupid "[game site] is unfair and biased" arguments

 

[bobbyconover]

Thought the same thing. Plays great, though.

Have you gotten Puchi yet? Oh NO!!! (

I agree about the way it plays. And as someone who tries to be all hardcore and get every single Air, I especially like the stats breakdown at the end of the level. Have any of the reviews even mentioned it yet? Maybe it takes a longtime fan to even notice that it's there, but it really does help a lot.

 

[Bebpo]

No, you can move in multiples too... but basically susumu goes to the exact point you press the stylus, rather than having any discrete block-wide levels, so you end up with susumu halfway between blocks, which is quite disconcerting.

Can you just use the normal d-pad and play it like all the other Mr. Diller games?

 

[Jr.]

"bobbyconover", i have never played a driller game before, is it fun, how does it stack up to the Mario DS minigames? Is the stylus control THAT bad, or is it just that people aren't use to it, like the touch control of MarioDS? ThanX

 

[bobbyconover]

"bobbyconover", i have never played a driller game before, is it fun, how does it stack up to the Mario DS minigames? Is the stylus control THAT bad, or is it just that people aren't use to it, like the touch control of MarioDS? ThanX

It's like Brandon says. The stylus control is functional, but like the Dreamcast version's Fishing Rod support, it's included only "cuz they could." At this point I can't imagine why anyone would want to seriously play with it, as it's just way too clumsy. It's kinda cool for about 10 seconds, though.

Time Attack mode kicks ass, by the way. I've always really liked these puzzles in the few other Driller games that've included them (strangely, Drill Land did not), and these could be the best yet.

From what I can tell Drill Spirits is shaping up to be exactly what I expected, which is a nice semi-enhanced GBA game. It's not going to show off the powers of the DS at all, but it's definitely worth picking up anyway!

Edit: Time Attack stage "I" in particular totally rules. I'm so glad the 'elevators' are back!!

 

[BuddyC]

Can you just use the normal d-pad and play it like all the other Mr. Diller games?

Yup.

 

[Jonnyram]

Drill Spirits' few modes are built around this basic gameplay. In the mission mode, your goal is to drill down to a specific depth, which will unlock additional characters. Pressure mode has you skittering back and forth to collect power capsules, which you can use to launch a fireball at a large drill that is coming down on you as you work. The other single-player mode is time attack, which adds in collectable items that remove seconds from the clock as you attempt to drill to a specific depth as quickly as possible

Wait a sec, why don't they mention the Dristone mode? Did you guys get robbed twice in the same package? Dristone mode rocks! (it's pretty much like the Hole of Druaga with items and stuff that you can pick up and use).

 

[DCharlie]

yeah, wondered the same - either that or GS didn't play the game too much?

 

[Jr.]

yeah, wondered the same - either that or GS didn't play the game too much?

more than likely this is the case, the same goes for the Ridge Racer review. they didn't even mention multiplayer, a main selling point of the system!

 

[DCharlie]

it's quite an important mode though - or at least, something that would seperate DS Driller from , say, GBA Driller....

Curious.

 

[BuddyC]

I didn't see Dristone mode mentioned in the IGN review either. Don't tell me the JP version got single cart multiplay and Dristone mode....

 

[DCharlie]

that would appear to be the case, yes.

NAMCOWNED

 

[Jonnyram]

I didn't see Dristone mode mentioned in the IGN review either. Don't tell me the JP version got single cart multiplay and Dristone mode....

You didn't get the free Mr.Driller DS pouch either, right?

 

[BuddyC]

...no. No pouch. Stop it.

Did some scouting on GameFAQs, some of them were talking about using items in one of the modes, so maybe it's just not called Dristone mode in the US version? I honestly can't see them cutting out an entire mode of play..

edit: Fuck you Namco, you just lost all the cool points you earned for bringing Katamari over.

 

[brandonnn]

You guys are December Fools'ing us right?

edit:

says you aren't.

What. the. frog.

 

[BuddyC]

No no, I just heard from a second source:

NAMCO CUT OUT AN ENTIRE MODE OF PLAY FOR THE AMERICAN VERSION.

Import now and get:

Drillstone Mode
A swag Mr. Driller bag
AND single cart multiplay

This is....unbelievable.

 

[bobbyconover]

We got fucked. I'm so importing it now.

How could Namco go from Katamari US to this?? HOWWWWWwwwwwww....

 

[DCharlie]

OMG ITS LIKE THEY BOTCHED YOUR MOM, THEN BOTCHED YOUR SISTER, THEN BOTCHED YOU.

That's pretty f*cked up.

Thank god Hometek don't get to feck with any of the Japanese products (in japan i mean)

 

[BuddyC]

I'm going to guess their explanation is that translating Drillstone was too time-consuming and they couldn't meet the launch deadline unless they cut it.

Whatever.

I used this as an excuse to grab Touch! Made in Wario as well, so, huzzah! Come soon Christmas, come soon.

 

[Patrick Klepek]

what the shit. this sucks.

 

[brandonnn]

Were it not the Driller mode that I felt evolved the series for the better and the one I enjoy playing the most, I wouldn't feel nearly as indignant.

I just dropped the 50 bones for the Japanese version, and will probably actually use the Driller bag, but I can't help but feel completely bilked out of $30.

The only thing that'd be more upsetting is finding out after I get the JP version that the mode is unlockable in the US release.

 

[JackFrost2012]

Oh man everyone in America just got kicked in the beanbag. (

Fortunately I learned this before going out this morning so the decision to buy the Japanese version was easy-peasy!