Games
Sony
Microsoft
Nintendo
Other Platforms
Upcoming &
Recent Releases
xx
100 All-Time Favorites
xx
5 in 1 Solitaire
xx
7 Wonders II
xx
Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth
53
Agatha Christie: The ABC Murders
xx
AiRace: Tunnel
xx
Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel
xx
Animal Puzzle Adventure
xx
Arcade Bowling
xx
Arcade Hoops Basketball
xx
Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader? Game Time
xx
Army Defender
69
Assassin's Creed II: Discovery
34
Astro Boy: The Video Game
70
Atelier Annie Alchemists of Sera Island
60
Bakugan Battle Brawlers
xx
Ball Fighter
65
Band Hero
xx
Battle of Giants: Dragons - Bronze Edition
xx
Bejeweled Twist
xx
Bejeweled Twist (DSiWare)
xx
Ben 10: Alien Force - Vilgax Attacks
xx
Bomberman Blitz
76
Bookworm
79
Bookworm (DSiWare)
55
C.O.P. The Recruit
xx
Cake Mania 3
73
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare - Mobilized
xx
Castle Of Magic
xx
Chaotic: Shadow Warriors
57
Chronicles of Mystery: Curse of the Ancient Temple
xx
Chronos Twins (DSiWare)
65
Cooking Mama 3: Shop & Chop
xx
Crash-Course Domo
xx
Crime Scene
xx
CSI: Deadly Intent - The Hidden Cases
xx
Daniel X: The Ultimate Power
85
Dark Void Zero
xx
Dawn of Heroes
xx
Dementium II
xx
Diner Dash: Flo on the Go
xx
Disney Fairies: Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure
66
Disney's A Christmas Carol
xx
Downtown Texas Hold'em
73
Dragon Ball Z: Attack of the Saiyans
63
Dragonology
xx
Dragon's Lair
72
Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter
xx
Easy Piano
xx
Electroplankton Beatnes
xx
Electroplankton Hanenbow
xx
Electroplankton Lumiloop
xx
Electroplankton Luminarrow
xx
Electroplankton Marine-Crystals
xx
Electroplankton Nanocarp
xx
Electroplankton Rec-Rec
xx
Electroplankton Sun-Animalcule
xx
Electroplankton Trapy
xx
Electroplankton Varvoice
xx
Escapee GO!
xx
Extreme Hangman
xx
Fast Food Panic
xx
Fieldrunners
xx
FIFA Soccer 10
45
Fighting Fantasy: The Warlock of Firetop Mountain
xx
Flips: Artemis Fowl
xx
Foto Face: The Face Stealer Strikes
xx
Foto Frenzy: Spot the Difference
69
Glory of Heracles
xx
Glow Artisan
xx
Hard-Hat Domo
73
Harvest Moon: Sunshine Islands
57
Hasbro Family Game Night
xx
Hell's Kitchen VS
62
Hero's Saga Laevatein Tactics
xx
High Stakes: Texas Hold'Em
xx
Hot and Cold: A 3D Hidden Object Adventure
xx
Hot Wheels: Battle Force 5
xx
Infinite Space
66
Jam Sessions 2
xx
Jambo! Safari: Animal Rescue
xx
James Cameron's Avatar: The Game
xx
Jazzy Billiards
55
Jewel Master: Egypt
xx
Jonas
xx
Kamen Rider Dragon Knight
87
Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, The
xx
Legends of Exidia
59
LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues
80
LEGO Rock Band
xx
Link 'n' Launch
xx
Littlest Pet Shop
xx
Madagascar Kartz
72
Maestro! Jump in Music
xx
Major League Baseball 2K10
76
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games
61
Marvel Super Hero Squad
xx
Master of Illusion Express: Matchmaker
xx
Master of Illusion Express: Mind Probe
xx
Master of Illusion Express: Psychic Camera
xx
Me and My Dogs: Friends Forever
xx
Miami Nights: Life in the Spotlight
86
Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes
xx
Move Your Brain: Rollway Puzzle
xx
MX vs. ATV Reflex
xx
myNotebook: Blue
xx
myNotebook: Green
xx
myNotebook: Red
70
Need for Speed Nitro
xx
Ninja Captains
72
Nostalgia
73
Number Battle
xx
Oregon Trail, The
xx
Oscar in Movieland
xx
Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief
76
Phantasy Star Zero
xx
PictureBook Games: The Royal Bluff
xx
Planet 51
xx
Pop Island
xx
Princess and the Frog, The
xx
Pro-Putt Domo
xx
Puzzle Chronicles
70
Rabbids Go Home
xx
Rayman
xx
Robot Rescue
xx
Rock-n-Roll Domo
65
Sands of Destruction
64
Secret Saturdays: Beasts of The 5th Sun, The
xx
SimAnimals Africa
xx
Snakenoid
xx
Sokomania
xx
Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing
82
Space Invaders Extreme 2
xx
Sparkle Snapshots
xx
Spectral Force Genesis
xx
SpongeBob's Truth or Square
62
Star Wars Battlefront: Elite Squadron
79
Starship Defense
73
Style Savvy
xx
Sudoku
xx
Sudoku 4Pockets
xx
Sudoku Challenge!
xx
Sudoku Sensei
49
System Flaw
36
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Arcade Attack
xx
Touch Solitaire
68
Touchmaster 3
75
Trajectile
xx
True Swing Golf Express
xx
Uno
73
Viking Invasion
xx
Wakugumi - Monochrome Puzzle
xx
Wedding Dash
xx
Where the Wild Things Are
xx
White-Water Domo
62
WireWay
xx
Word Searcher
xx
World of Zoo
74
WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010
xx
Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's World Championship 2010: Reverse of Arcadia
xx
Yummy Yummy Cooking Jam
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed games.
Mr. Driller: Drill Spirits

Mixed or average reviews
Based on 35 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 7 votes
Read user comments
Rate this game >
Game Info
Publisher: Namco
Developer: Namco
Genre(s): Action, Puzzle
Players: 5
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Release Date: November 30, 2004
Summary
Master the art of drilling and take advantage of the dual screen and wireless connectivity of the Nintendo DS. Your fellow drillers are trapped underground and it's up to Mr. Driller to dig through the blocks and rescue them. Play anytime, anywhere with quick play features or duel head-to-head with other players through the wireless capabilities. Tap the stylus on-screen and Mr. Driller will dig in the indicated direction. Whether it's racing to avoid falling blocks or scrambling for an air capsule, Mr. Driller: Drill Spirits brilliantly blends puzzle-solving with white-knuckle action. Battle head-to-head with as many as four players via the DS wireless capability (multiple game cards required). Dual screen support: The lower screen is the main play screen. The upper screen will display the rest of the map, so you can now see how far down you have drilled. Escape the Earth Destroyer Drill in DS Exclusive Pressure Mode. You're on the bottom screen, with the the humongous E.D.D. bearing down on you from above. Go underground with Time Attack and Race modes. Unlock various playable drillers in the Mission mode. [Nintendo]
Cheat Codes & Hints: Cheat Code Central
Also On The Web: 1UP Preview GameSpot Hands-On GameSpy Preview IGN Hands-On Nintendojo Preview Official Website
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
RewiredMind
Absolutely essential twitch gaming, and the perfect way to wear in your new DS.
Read Full Review >eToychest
I think the game may pose a greater challenge for adults than the young, but both will find the game frantic. Oddly, I never found the game frustrating, even after losing countless times.
Read Full Review >Worth Playing
Somewhere between the halfway psychotic 2D graphics and the incredibly innovative, if slightly dated, gameplay, Mr. Driller comes extremely close to “classic” status.
Read Full Review >Gamestyle
Niggles aside, Mr Driller: Drill Spirits is excellent fun. It's addictive as hell and if you've got friends with the game - or at least people willing to challenge your high scores - there's almost limitless fun to be had.
Read Full Review >Nintendo Insider
It's really a shame that the best mode (Pressure Driller), and the one that should be the justification for buying the DS edition of this game, is also the shortest.
Read Full Review >Eurogamer
Drill Spirits may not use the DS's new features to conduct a symphony orchestra whilst penning sonnets and bringing democracy to Cuba, but when the underlying game is this gripping we refuse to sit around using its relative lack of invention as a stick to beat it with.
Read Full Review >Game Chronicles
Totally fun and totally addicting. It’s easy to pick-up and impossible to put down. I literally played until my battery died and then I plugged in my DS and played some more.
Read Full Review >Detroit Free Press
The two screens work together to create one large, two-story game screen. Wireless play is available for up to five players, also using one game card.
Read Full Review >Play Magazine
Pressure Driller adds a nice twist to the standard formula. [Jan 2005, p.85]
1UP
Drill Spirits is classic Namco through and through: like "Katamari Damacy" and "Taiko Drum Master," it's a straightforward idea that succeeds on the strength of its addictive gameplay and hyperactive personality.
Read Full Review >Electronic Gaming Monthly
Dual screens don't do much for the original game, but Pressure mode makes you constantly switch focus between screens, ratcheting up the intensity and confusion. [Jan 2005, p.141]
Nintendo Power
The game is simple fun. Ironically, though, it's not incredibly deep. [Feb 2005, p.114]
GMR Magazine
It's hard to ask for more from a portable puzzler, which makes Drill Spirits a tasty (if not completely filling) morsel of gaming goodness. [Feb 2005, p.111]
Pelaaja (Finland)
Driller is a simple and really fun arcade game, which is very addictive even if it really doesn’t take advantage of the DS’s capabilities. [May 2005, p.83]
NintendoWorldReport
If you like skin-of-your-teeth puzzle games, Mr. Driller is an excellent choice. However, this version's stinted multiplayer, minimal single player modes, and high difficulty will leave the game lacking in the eyes of all but the most dedicated puzzle-heads.
Read Full Review >Game Informer
It's nothing spectacular, but all systems need good puzzle games and this seems to fit the bill nicely. [Jan 2005, p.149]
GameSpy
Even with the minimal use of DS technology and the glaring gameplay omissions, Drill Spirits is a very fun game. It's definitely not the deepest game out there (and no, that wasn't meant to be a pun), but the simplicity is what makes it great.
Read Full Review >GamePro
If you like to think just a bit more and still have a good time, then dig yourself a hole with Mr. Driller.
Read Full Review >NTSC-uk
There are no major improvements over any of the previous iterations and very little reason to pick this up for those who already own the superior "Mr Driller G" or "Mr Driller: Drill Land." Having said that, this is easily the best handheld version of the young classic. [JPN Import]
Read Full Review >GamerFeed
I just wish the stylus control had been tweaked a bit more, because while controlling characters with it is a lot of fun, when I die I know that I would've lived had I been using the d-pad.
Read Full Review >Yahoo! Games
While Mr. Driller: Drill Spirits feels very different from your average block puzzle game, it doesn't offer much depth. However, its fast-paced action and tension will keep most entertained.
Read Full Review >GameSpot
Fans of puzzle games will find a passable but somewhat shallow game in Drill Spirits, but fans of this specific series will find that it really hasn't changed much over the years.
Read Full Review >IGN
While making some use of the dual-screen, touch-screen format of the DS, Drill Spirits feels neither revolutionary nor new.
Read Full Review >Nintendojo
While this game has more single player potential than some other DS puzzlers, it lacks the multiplayer fun of titles like Bomberman DS and Puyo Pop Fever.
Read Full Review >GameBiz
Overall we gave it a 6.5 because it does have a fair bit of life in it, but there’s a few things about the game that are just too annoying to put up with for very long.
Read Full Review >Sydney Morning Herald
Most puzzle games are slow-paced but Driller is lightning fast, requiring quick thinking and sharp reflexes. It can be stressful and addictive, and is more complex than it seems.
Read Full Review >Edge Magazine
Drill Spirits is a well-rounded introduction to the series, but falls far short of its greatest successes. [Feb 2005, p.82]
Games Radar UK (Pre-2006)
It's good stuff, even if tactics tend to be beyond all but the most talented of players at the kind of speed the game reaches. And because it's so fast, the touch screen in pointless. [NGC Pocket]
Read Full Review >G4 TV
It may not have the same depth as other puzzle games, and it’s certainly not a showpiece for DS technology, but it will keep your heart racing and mouth smiling for short doses, which is often all you are looking for in a portable game.
Read Full Review >DS Central
The concept is simple, but the gameplay can easily be very deep. However, a noticeable flaw in the game is perhaps its overemphasis on simplicity, which can turn off a lot of people at first glance.
Read Full Review >N-Insanity
Words can’t describe the boredom I feel just thinking about Mr. Driller: Drill Spirits, let-alone playing it.
Read Full Review >RealGamer
Everything here is too frantic, too rushed. You’re given a split second to make a decision that should take a multiple of three or four more time therefore you rush, you make mistakes unnecessarily and then you get mad. Avoid.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this game is 8.8 (out of 10) based on 7 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Bill S. gave it a9:
Are the graphics cheesy? Yes. is the concept a little boring?(get from the top to the bottom) Yes. But there is something about this game that just sucks you in. It is a pain in the butt to get down to your goal and it makes you want to get further than your last time. I bought this with hopes of a game that may keep me busy for a while. I is not one of my top games in my library. A definite buy and at the discounted prices most stores are pricing it at Get it
Matt M. gave it a7:
A fun frantic title that lacks depth. Luckily its replayability makes up for it. If it had single cart multiplayer it would have snagged another point from this fan.
Jordan E. gave it a10:
This game is a groundbreaker!!!! No seriously it is,up to Wario Ware, Wario Ware shouldn't even exist.This game is just one of my fave's.Amazing Features action packed (like every game should be) and well presented. HIGHLY Recommended for any DS owner.
Kurt A. gave it an8:
Great game, well established title, good game to own for the ds despite its lacking "dual screen" functionality. Little usage of the touch screen, very optional but that shouldn't interfer with the quality of gameplay which I believe is crucial in rating a games quality. Helps get through monday morning math class. B+
Aazlain gave it a9:
Metacritic's score for bomberman is pretty acurate but if you are a puzzle fun, like myself, this game will rank closer to 90% to you. A must buy for puzzle game fans.
Jose L. gave it a 9:
Mr. Driller: Drill Spirits is an excellent puzzle game. Fast-paced and action packed, it's a good buy for any fans of action games and / or puzzle games.
