Game of the Day 1/25/2016: Drill Dozer

[celerystalker]

Drill Dozer is a nifty little platformer by Game Freak for the GBA that feels more like a Treasure-developed game in how it is built around one major gameplay mechanic. In this case, you run and jump around in your drill dozer, which is basically a super mobile tank with a giant drill on the front. In each stage, you seek out gears, which give you increased drilling power, which allows you to drill through tougher blocks, propel yourself further, and take on tougher enemies. There are tunnels to spiral your way through like a screw, gel-like blocks to bounce off of, and locks to open by drilling away in holes.

The controls feel a little sluggish at first, but quickly become comfortable. The graphics are colorful, and the music is peppy if a little forgettable. It's a bit reminiscent of Mischief Makers in how you'll find yourself latching onto aerial blocks and hopping between them to make your way through levels, which are of a good length and well-designed.

The cartridge is oversized, as it contains a rumble feature to augment the drilling sensation, and it works pretty well. Overall, it's a fun, quirky little platformer, and a real treat for fans of games in Treasure's style, even if it's not from that house.

Played it?

[FieryReign]

Nope. Always wanted to play it. But it just looked like a side project of more pokegarbage. Even the boxart makes it look like more pokedrivel. No wonder it didn't succeed. From a distance, it just looks like another lame-same pokecolor thing.

[Niku-Sama]

I wanted to play it but could never catch a copy

[Emperor Megas]

I've owned like 3 sealed copies of this game, but I've yet to play it. It was one of those games that was in the clearance bin at K-mart or somewhere for like $0.49 or something.

[Tanooki]

I wouldn't call it pokegarbage, but it is a side project and it's one you I think probably would either fall into love it or leave(hate?) it category.

I had it when it came out, owned it a few times off and on since, and notice the past tense on that. I don't have it, don't want it again. I don't think it ever was all that incredibly fun and age hasn't improved it but given how Androi/iOS games are these days it as a plus hasn't aged either. The mechanics on it got old because every single map you'd lose all your parts and start over which really sucked, also having to consistently hammer on L/R off and on repeatedly got tiresome and depending on the GBA strained the hell out of your pointer finger tendons on the back of the hand. The story was goofy but nothing too interesting or unique really, didn't move the game along much either, and the stages kind of all blend together into repetitive drill this at this LEVEL of power type if you can call them puzzles. The game tries to look non-linear within stages, but they are completely since you can't proceed without doing loops to re-power up the drill bit every stage (which is why I got really fed up with it, the bits part, linear I'm good with as you dont' feel lost.) If it ever fell into my hands again for no more than $5 I'd probably yet again try it once more, but the last time it cost me a dollar, annoyed me and since I couldn't make enough to care off trading/selling it, I snapped it apart to check out the unique board and trashed it.

[Emperor Megas]

If it ever fell into my hands again for no more than $5 I'd probably yet again try it once more, but the last time it cost me a dollar, annoyed me and since I couldn't make enough to care off trading/selling it, I snapped it apart to check out the unique board and trashed it.

wow!

[Leo_A]

I like that the Wii U Virtual Console release of this includes the rumble feature. Tempted almost to try it just because of that, since I enjoy when little touches like that don't go ignored like they so often do.

Sadly, Game Boy Player enhanced titles with rumble capabilities didn't get similar treatment (Mario & Luigi and SMA4: SMB3).