Drill Dozer (Game Boy Advance) Preview

Certain developers have large hits and end up creating so many popular sequels to them that they become stuck in a rut of releasing follow-up after follow-up. However, in order to maintain a fresh feeling within the team, sometimes developers try to branch out and do something completely new. Polyphony has just done it, dropping Gran Turismo for a short while to deliver Tourist Trophy and Criterion Games is having a breather from its immensely hi-octane Burnout racers to bring Black to a welcoming market. Now Game Freak is following suit, ditching Pikachu and friends to bring Drill Dozer (Screw Breaker in Japan) to the world.

The game may have already launched across both the Japanese and North American territories, Europe will have to wait until 26th May for the highly anticipated multi-directional platform game from the home of Pok

The unusual thing about Drill Dozer is that whilst it is a refreshingly different experience, it also delivers classic side-scrolling action. Therefore, players are treated to piping hot innovative game design and creative execution, as well as the familiar brutal boss battles that will put your skills to the test, deep exploration and hidden treasures that will keep you coming back for more. There are six large levels in total to dig through in Jill's Dozer robot, each one containing multiple stages to expand the adventure. The game is not as simple as some may think, though, as just charging through to the final goal is not the aim. Various gears must first be located to upgrade the drill, thus leading to faster spinning and the ability to break through material that could not be breached previously. In this way it is rather like the Metroid games where exploration, discovery and a modicum of back tracking to open new areas in the side-scrolling world before taking on one of the many bosses in the game is the order of the day. Definitely a positive comparison!

You can demolish walls, rooms, furniture, enemies, as well as anything else in your way. Jumping across pits becomes second nature; boring through heavy blocks is a complete breeze and similar to the grapple beam, Jill's Dozer can latch onto lifts to reach secret treasures, being helped along the way by item power-ups that you can buy at the in-game shop using the treasure collected throughout each level! Fly across wide gaps or operate underwater; the possibilities are vast! And you can feel ALL the action thanks to the clever inclusion of a built-in Rumble Pak, similar to Pok