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Don't let the pink hair fool you. Jill's one tough customer. She's got thick skin. Both
because she's driving a tank,
and because...as soon as she arrived, she was already overlooked. We were living in
a Nintendo DS world in 2006. That
meant Jill and her fantastic little platformer...were living in the shadows.
Plural because...two screens. Fantastic because...Drill Dozer is one of the best Nintendo games most
people have never
heard of.
So just like Kirby's Adventure and Super Mario RPG and Majora's Mask...this was a very late
release in its platform's
lifespan. But there's a huge difference between those games and this game. Those games featured
video game royalty.
This one had a little girl with a tank. I mean...introducing a new character on a fading
platform? That's definitely
good for the platform. Probably not as good for the character.
Poor Jill ended up with a great game...but not a great series. She became an assist trophy,
instead of a new
challenger.
That's the only thing about Drill Dozer that sucks.
So if you don't know Jill...let me introduce you. Guys, Jill. Jill, guys. Guys, Jill's
kind of a badass. She's the
leader of these thieves known as the Red Dozers, and the dozers are fond of drilling. Through
dirt, walls, windows,
boxes, security doors, whatever. So when this rival group steals a diamond from the dozers,
Jill decides to steal from
them.
How's she gonna do it? Like I said, the dozers like to drill.
Drill Dozer is the rarest kind of video game, a game that actually has an idea. Not only
that, it actually has ideas
for ways to implement that idea. And it never runs out of them. This is a platformer designed
entirely around the
concept of drilling. You drill to attack, you drill to break through walls...but it's
more than that. You drill to
hitch rides, on platforms. You drill to solve puzzles. You can drill to fly across rooms.
With every level, the game gets more and more creative about the mechanic, embracing it
on a level that very few games
ever have the confidence to do.
And you know, it's even clever about the controls. You can drill simply by pushing the shoulder
buttons...but each one
drills in a different direction. So for example, drilling with the right button may tighten
a screw, while the left
button would loosen it. That alone is used for countless puzzles, but there's more to
it. You can actually shift gears
while drilling, which increases your power. And man, it feels good to do it.
You actually have to re-press the shoulder button at just the right moment, like you're
really shifting gears. It just
feels so right—it's a brilliant match of control and concept.
Of course, the best game mechanics in the world don't mean a thing unless you have level
design to back it up. And
Drill Dozer holds it own there, too. The levels are always fun to play through, but they're
also really good at
foreshadowing. So you might see a wall you can't drill through or a gate you can't open.
At least, not yet. Actually,
Jill's backtracking kinda reminds you of another Nintendo heroine.
And it works really well within the context of...you know, drilling stuff. You always
feel like there's a secret to
find, if you could just find the right part, or drill the right place.
Now, this drill can get a little dull from time to time. I mean, the drawback of a design
this focused on a single
gameplay element...is that it's focused on a single gameplay element. So things can get
a bit repetitive. And although
Drill Dozer looks good, the music's another story. It's not terrible, it's just...kind
of forgettable.
That sticks out, given how brilliant the rest of the game is.
I'll be the first to tell you, though...those issues aren't really a big deal. In fact,
the game...kind of drills
through them. It's a shame this thing didn't reach more people, but...hey, like I said.
Jill can handle it. She's
always had a thick skin. And although some don't know it...she also has one GBA's
very best games.
Give her a chance, and she'll drill her way right into your heart.