Drill Dozer (Game Boy Advance) - Let's Play 1001 Games - Episode 82
12We drilled our way into this mess, and we're gonna drill our way out!
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I'm Gaming Jay: Youtube gamer, let's player, retrogaming fan, and determined optimist... Join me in this series while I try out EVERY game in the book 1001 VIDEO GAMES YOU MUST PLAY BEFORE YOU DIE, before I die. The game review for each game will focus on the question of whether you MUST play this game before you die. But to be honest, the game reviews are just for fun, this series is more about the YouTube gamer journey. Let's try out those classic retro games we grew up with, have fond memories of, or heard of but never got a chance to try! And with that said, the game review for today is...
Drill Dozer
Released 2005
Developer(s) Game Freak
Platform(s) Game Boy Advance
Genre(s) Action, Platformer
Jay's Thoughts
Drill Dozer tells the tale of a girl in a mechanical suit whose unique ability is to, well, drill. I mean, what else were you expecting? The ability to drill can be used to knock down walls, unlock power ups, open doors, enhance your jump, and hang from moving objects. That is to say, they find some remarkably creative uses for the drill, and in doing so, they have created a platformer that feels rather unique.
Though I did end up enjoying Drill Dozer, I did find that the onscreen drill meter was rather obnoxious. In the game, when you start to drill a drill power meter appears in the middle of the screen, and for more advanced drilling you need to press the drill button again when the drill meter hits its maximum point, thereby sending your drill into a more powerful mode. This mechanic itself was fine, however, the drill meter was not. The meter appears in the middle of the screen and takes up much of the screen, obscuring your character and anything around her. This is semi-problematic as it really distracts from the game. I honestly wish that this meter was a more subtle meter at the top or bottom of the screen. I suppose putting it in the middle of the screen was an attempt to keep all pertinent information centered for the player, but I personally did not like it.
Beyond my gripes about the interface, as I said, the game itself is quite decent. The controls are pretty intuitive, the levels nicely build, with gradually more complex mechanics being revealed. Difficulty slowly ramps up, giving you time to learn as you go. Really, it felt like a fine game. And so that's really all I have left to say. Is this the most amazing platformer you'll ever play? Probably not. Is it a game worth trying? Yeah, maybe. Especially if you like platformers, give this one a shot!
➙ Must You Play It?
A platformer with an interesting twist. The drill mechanic creates some unique gameplay elements that I haven't seen in other platformers. This game didn't blow my mind but it was a fun and decent game. May be worth a shot if you are intrigued.