[Now Playing| Minish Cap - DS]

Mr. Driller

In the world of Mr. Driller everything is cute and pastel…and there is always a giant corckscrew drill falling on your head!

There has been a version of Mr. Driller for just about every game console out there. However, American gamers have missed out on the best ones. The Gamecube version, Mr Driller Drill Land, is widely considered to be the very best game in the series. Of course, its only available in Japan. Mr. Driller: Drill Spirits for the DS is available here, but guess what? We got shafted on some of the best content.



[Gamecube - Mr Driller Drill Land]

Drill Land

Drill Land (GC) is said to contain the largest variety of modes and look the prettiest of any game in the series. There isnt a ton of Japanese text, so you should be just fine if all you can do is barely speak english (which is how most Americans seem to exist).

Unfortunately I’ve read on a number of forums that it will not save if you use the Freeloader. So…I guess you just have to enjoy it without keeping score. You can pick up the game and the Freeloader (needed to play Japanese games) for around $55.


[NintendoDS - Mr Driller Drill Spirits]

Spirits

Drill Spirits (DS) is the version to get if you want Mr. Driller on the go. The game looks nice, takes advantage of both of screens and can even be controlled via the touch screen (although I hear its easier to just use the d-pad).

The first feature we missed out on was the single-cart multiplayer. The Japanese version allows users to connect to each other and battle with just one cart. Its baffling as to why the US version doesnt have this.

Secondly, the Japanese game features a single-player mode called Dristone. From a forum member, here is what we missed out on; “Dristone mode takes the basic Driller gameplay and enhances it with power-ups that you collect as you dig. These are added to your inventory and can be used at any time to change block colors, destroy blocks, etc. There’s actually a fair amount of strategy to this mode, and it’s a shame to see it removed from the U.S. release. Apparently, the translation of the text in this mode would have delayed the game.”

The Japanese version will run you about $50 to import, but if you want the best version, this is it.

Namco Mr. Driller Site

UPDATE: I have learned that the Euro version of Drill Spirits has all the features the Japanese version had, and its in English! Im still searching for a good site to get it from though…

So there you have it. Another edition of ‘Import Worthy,’ pointing out awesome games that we wont ever see. Let me know if you have these or end up importing them. Im think Im getting Drill Land pretty soon.

Both Link-Sang and Play-Asia have the games and are reliable sources to order from.

Play-Asia Site
Link-Sang Site