Drill Dozer

I saw the cutesy packaging and it somehow managed to corrupt my brain into forgetting all the accolades a friend had for Drill Dozer that it was a great game. I mean, just look at it, and tell me it doesn’t make you want to run screaming like it was another Anime rip off? Hey, I like Anime as much as the next nerd, but I abhor cartoons like Yu-Gi-Oh!, Ultimate Muscle, Pokemon, Digimon, stupidmon, hatemon, and crapolamon. So it was with much chagrin when I received Drill Dozer for my birthday, but the force feeding I took from my brother was just what I needed to realize that I was wrong.

The story is rather simplistic. You are leader of a group called the Red Dozers. Dubbed thieves by the police and rival group the Skullkers, the Red Dozers actually appear more like archaeologists to me. The Skullkers have stolen a prized Red Diamond of yours and now it’s up to you to get it back. The characters are memorable and their story unfolds using radio communications during levels, and scenes between stages.

Drill Dozer in every sense of the word is a platformer. Traverse cities, ancient temples, water, land, and sky while hopping from platform to platform. The unique element is, of course, your Drill Dozer, a small vehicle that sports a large drill for boring through obstacles and enemies. Your drill is controlled using the L and R buttons. Need to get through a wall? Simply hold down the R button and start drilling. The L button is used for spinning your drill counter-clockwise. Reversing the direction of your drill comes into play with many puzzles and navigating levels. Further depth is added by acquiring extra gears for your Dozer. Higher gears allow you to up shift and spin your drill faster and for longer sustained times (up to infinitely with 3rd gear). There are also certain obstacles that can’t be breached or reached until you’ve acquired the correct gear. Levels may not be particularly creative, but using your drill to navigate, certainly are.

Completing the main story should be possible in about 6-8 hours tops, but that doesn’t mean it’s over. Completion is rewarded with six more hidden stages that challenge your skills with the Dozer much more than the standard levels. Search each stage again for all the treasure that you missed, find hidden codes, or challenge the difficult Hard Mode. Drill Dozer’s unique gameplay and fun story & environments should provide you with ample entertainment and challenge for even the most skilled players. Take part in this unique adventure for $24 or less, it will be worth it.

ESRB Rating information: E
Cartoon Violence

The "M" Factor Rating Information

Blood and Gore: None.

Cartoon Violence: Drilling into “enemies” to defeat them, punching, and explosions.

Strong Language: Confrontational dialog is present.

Sexual Content: None.

Drug Reference: None.

-wileee