Any Mr Driller DS masters in here?

[spagmasterswift]

OK, I've given Mr Driller Drill Spirits a fair go now and man I suck. Which is a good thing cos most of the games I love and hold in high regard school the **** out of me the first few days. Its at this point that I seek advice from you peeps.

Can totally pwn the first Lab level on the player 1 mission (high score, badges) but on the Moon I can only get down to around about 400 before air runs out or squished. I see that if I replay the Lab over and over I can get enough mileage points to by loads of lives which should get me through but surely there's some hints and tips you guys can offer that will get me drilling like a pro?

Should I be speed drilling and constantly on the move or should I be trying to stay on top of the pile, not letting too much build up around me?

[E. Randy Dupre]

*Never* bother trying to stay on the top of the pile. Actually, you can on those levels that are made up of two colours of block, because you can basically get down 100m there just by drilling one block, then letting the chain reactions take care of the rest of the work, but on any other level trying to stay at the top will lead to your running out of air. I'm guessing this is what's causing you problems at the moment.

Keep drilling down. When you hit an X block, take a couple of seconds to look around you before deciding which direction to go. Ideally, you want to be seeing if going one way or the other will create a two or three block overhang above your head and protect you from the falling blocks above it. You'll get the hang of doing this on instinct after a while.

Also, spend some time learning how to quickly get to air capsules that are in the middle of certain patterns of X block. You should never be drilling through one of these, btw - as long as you're thinking on your feet and keeping an eye on the blocks that are just below you, you shouldn't ever find yourself in a situation where this is necessary.

The time attack mode can be really helpful in gettting the hang of certain concepts. Play that for a while if the normal mode is giving you hassle - you should notice your game improving when you return.

If you use extra lives and the like in a run, the score for that run won't be saved to the tables but you will open up the next character and level depth, should you get to the bottom of the one you're on. You can do it, but you probably won't learn how to play properly if you do.

[taurusnipple]

Have you unlocked all the characters? Theres a guy I use that's really fast at drilling, awesome to use on the harder levels I find. Look at what your drilling too, don't be mindless. Be aware of blocks that can fall on top of you, hard to explain - if your drilling and a single same coloured block is falling, this block can be caught by another block of the same colour, thus not falling on you. I've actually been putting loads of time into this recently, shame my advice can't be put into words. Randy's bang on right about the X blocks too.

[spagmasterswift]

Thanks

I hear what your saying about figuring out how to get at the air inside X Block formations - drilling under an X Block on the left or right normally allows access, I guess once you work out all the combinations it gets a lot easier.

Only just realised I can use more than 1 item at a time, should help me unlock the next level at least.

I'm also checking for ledges more now so should cut down on the splat factor. Love it when theres blocks raining down on you and they form a ledge just above your head. Was playing it at lunch but the power went off >_<

If there isn't a Score Board up in the Challenges thread I shall create one soon so I can see how bad I suck.

Look at what your drilling too, don't be mindless. Be aware of blocks that can fall on top of you

Jedi bitch

[E. Randy Dupre]

Here you go - overhangs. Say you've got a situation like this:



Drill one square left, into the green block, then one square down. into the two-long blue column. The blue block above you will fall down, but instead of hitting you on the head will grab onto the bllue block that was previously above the green one you drilled through:






Safe!

[spagmasterswift]

Then drill the red block and SQUISH!!!

Do you look at the top screen much?

Edit - it should join the Blue blocks and vanish right? Then the red blocks above it become the ledge...

[E. Randy Dupre]

No squish! See, drill the red block and the blue one will connect up to the other blues. Because this makes a group of four or more, they all disappear. The two-long red above them falls onto the one red that's now one above and one to the right of you, creating a three-long overhang above your head, and the single X block connects to the three in a reverse L-shape, making a four which also disappears.

You must learn the way of the drill!

The top screen I don't look at all that much on the DS version, but it can be helpful every now and again, in those moments of panic when you're frightened you might have just started off a reaction that'll send a singly block falling onto your head.

[E. Randy Dupre]

Yeah, you got it right in your edit. Just as well, because I wasn't going to go making the image sequence for all that lot

[spagmasterswift]

Its easy when you break each screen down move by move, good against remotes is one thing...

Bit more practice with the sound off maybe - that panic sound when air is low sends me into a frenzy!!!!

[importaku]

Try playing as horinger z (the robot guy) he can survive 1 squishing giving you a bit of a better chance.

[taurusnipple]

Thanks


Jedi bitch

:P

Thats some excellent teaching by Randy btw.

If you make a thread in challanges I'll make sure your not the only one posting scores in there! (pfft, know what THATS like!)

[spagmasterswift]

Gonna hammer it tonight then post up my scores in the morning - look forward to see you in there mate

[spagmasterswift]

http://ntsc-uk.domino.org/showthread.php?p=480385

Lets have your scores then - didn't get to hammer it last night due to much Guinness but its got to start somewhere so my rubbish lab score is up for your amusement