<s>
Versions	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
,	O
Dreamcast	B-Operating_System
,	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
,	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
Color	I-Device
,	O
WonderSwan	B-Operating_System
Color	I-Operating_System
,	O
mobile	O
phones	O
,	O
and	O
iOS	B-Application
were	O
also	O
released	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Controlling	O
Susumu	O
Hori	O
,	O
the	O
titular	O
"	O
Mr.	B-Application
Driller	I-Application
"	O
,	O
the	O
player	O
must	O
dig	O
their	O
way	O
to	O
the	O
bottom	O
of	O
the	O
screen	O
by	O
destroying	O
colored	O
blocks	O
that	O
litter	O
the	O
playfield	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mr.	B-Application
Driller	I-Application
was	O
designed	O
by	O
Yasuhito	O
Nagaoka	O
and	O
produced	O
by	O
Hideo	O
Yoshizawa	O
,	O
best	O
known	O
for	O
his	O
work	O
on	O
Klonoa	B-Application
:	I-Application
Door	I-Application
to	I-Application
Phantomile	I-Application
and	O
the	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
intended	O
as	O
the	O
third	O
entry	O
in	O
Namco	O
's	O
Dig	B-Application
Dug	I-Application
series	O
,	O
tentatively	O
titled	O
Dig	B-Application
Dug	I-Application
3	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Upon	O
release	O
,	O
Mr.	B-Application
Driller	I-Application
was	O
met	O
with	O
mostly	O
positive	O
reviews	O
from	O
critics	O
—	O
reviewers	O
praised	O
its	O
"	O
refreshing	O
"	O
gameplay	O
premise	O
,	O
colorful	O
visuals	O
and	O
soundtrack	O
,	O
although	O
criticized	O
its	O
low	O
replay	O
value	O
and	O
lack	O
of	O
extra	O
content	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
met	O
with	O
a	O
long	O
series	O
of	O
sequels	O
and	O
spin-offs	O
for	O
multiple	O
platforms	O
,	O
beginning	O
with	O
Mr.	B-Device
Driller	I-Device
2	I-Device
in	O
2000	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PlayStation	B-Device
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
released	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Store	O
under	O
the	O
PSOne	O
Classics	O
series	O
in	O
2014	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
also	O
included	O
as	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
20	O
games	O
in	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Classic	I-Device
mini	O
console	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mr.	B-Application
Driller	I-Application
is	O
a	O
puzzle	O
video	O
game	O
,	O
commonly	O
described	O
as	O
a	O
mix	O
between	O
Dig	B-Application
Dug	I-Application
and	O
Columns	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
controls	O
Susumu	O
Hori	O
,	O
the	O
titular	O
"	O
Mr.	B-Application
Driller	I-Application
"	O
,	O
who	O
must	O
destroy	O
all	O
of	O
the	O
piling-up	O
blocks	O
before	O
they	O
take	O
over	O
the	O
city	O
of	O
Downtown	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mr.	B-Application
Driller	I-Application
was	O
designed	O
by	O
Yasuhito	O
Nagaoka	O
and	O
produced	O
by	O
Hideo	O
Yoshizawa	O
,	O
the	O
latter	O
being	O
known	O
for	O
his	O
work	O
on	O
the	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
series	O
for	O
Tecmo	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nagaoka	O
based	O
the	O
concept	O
of	O
Mr.	B-Application
Driller	I-Application
on	O
a	O
Japanese	O
children	O
's	O
game	O
,	O
where	O
at	O
a	O
beach	O
players	O
had	O
to	O
stand	O
a	O
piece	O
of	O
wood	O
in	O
the	O
middle	O
of	O
the	O
sand	O
and	O
carve	O
away	O
the	O
sand	O
without	O
knocking	O
down	O
the	O
wood	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
also	O
based	O
Mr.	B-Application
Driller	I-Application
on	O
Dig	B-Application
Dug	I-Application
,	O
a	O
classic	O
Namco	O
arcade	O
game	O
from	O
1982	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
prototype	O
was	O
named	O
Dig	B-Application
Dug	I-Application
3	O
and	O
starred	O
Dig	O
Jr.	O
,	O
a	O
tall	O
and	O
lanky	O
character	O
intended	O
as	O
the	O
son	O
of	O
Dig	B-Application
Dug	I-Application
protagonist	O
Taizo	B-Application
Hori	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nagaoka	O
was	O
designing	O
Dig	B-Application
Dug	I-Application
3	O
as	O
a	O
title	O
for	O
home	O
consoles	O
,	O
as	O
arcades	O
at	O
the	O
time	O
were	O
dominated	O
by	O
fighting	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Yoshizawa	O
convinced	O
Nagaoka	O
to	O
make	O
Dig	B-Application
Dug	I-Application
3	O
an	O
arcade	O
game	O
,	O
believing	O
it	O
would	O
become	O
lost	O
in	O
a	O
crowded	O
home	O
console	O
market	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Several	O
changes	O
were	O
made	O
when	O
Yoshizawa	O
joined	O
the	O
project	O
,	O
which	O
included	O
a	O
faster	O
pace	O
,	O
a	O
new	O
player	O
character	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
game	O
being	O
renamed	O
to	O
Mr.	B-Application
Driller	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
characters	O
and	O
graphical	O
style	O
were	O
designed	O
by	O
Namco	O
artist	O
Kaori	O
Shinozaki	O
,	O
who	O
had	O
previously	O
assisted	O
in	O
production	O
of	O
Klonoa	B-Application
:	I-Application
Door	I-Application
to	I-Application
Phantomile	I-Application
and	O
LiberoGrande	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Shinozaki	O
wanted	O
the	O
characters	O
and	O
look	O
of	O
Mr.	B-Application
Driller	I-Application
to	O
appeal	O
to	O
a	O
wide	O
audience	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
development	O
staff	O
for	O
Mr.	B-Application
Driller	I-Application
designed	O
the	O
game	O
before	O
they	O
ever	O
pitched	O
it	O
to	O
Namco	O
executives	O
,	O
and	O
planned	O
out	O
a	O
location	O
test	O
without	O
any	O
idea	O
how	O
well	O
the	O
game	O
would	O
perform	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Minoru	O
Sashida	O
,	O
a	O
graphic	O
designer	O
for	O
games	O
such	O
as	O
Techno	O
Drive	O
and	O
Ace	B-Application
Combat	I-Application
3	I-Application
:	I-Application
Electrosphere	I-Application
,	O
designed	O
the	O
graphical	O
interface	O
and	O
the	O
overall	O
look	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
soundtrack	O
for	O
Mr.	B-Application
Driller	I-Application
was	O
composed	O
by	O
Go	O
Shiina	O
,	O
a	O
then-new	O
hire	O
for	O
Namco	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
the	O
company	O
's	O
other	O
composers	O
were	O
more	O
interested	O
in	O
working	O
on	O
larger	O
franchises	O
,	O
Shiina	O
was	O
assigned	O
to	O
be	O
the	O
composer	O
for	O
Mr.	B-Application
Driller	I-Application
as	O
nobody	O
else	O
signed	O
on	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Namco	O
demonstrated	O
Mr.	B-Application
Driller	I-Application
at	O
the	O
1999	O
Amusement	O
Machine	O
Show	O
(	O
AMO	O
)	O
in	O
Tokyo	O
,	O
alongside	O
Crisis	B-Application
Zone	I-Application
and	O
Sweet	O
Land	O
4	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
Japan	O
October	O
1999	O
,	O
running	O
on	O
the	O
Namco	B-Application
System	I-Application
12	I-Application
arcade	O
system	O
board	O
and	O
sold	O
only	O
as	O
a	O
conversion	O
kit	O
for	O
other	O
arcade	O
units	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
PlayStation	B-Device
conversion	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
May	O
10	O
,	O
2000	O
,	O
followed	O
by	O
a	O
Dreamcast	B-Operating_System
version	O
on	O
June	O
23	O
,	O
a	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
version	O
and	O
a	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
Color	I-Device
version	O
later	O
that	O
year	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
version	O
for	O
the	O
WonderSwan	B-Operating_System
Color	I-Operating_System
was	O
released	O
exclusively	O
in	O
Japan	O
on	O
April	O
5	O
,	O
2001	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PlayStation	B-Device
port	O
was	O
digitally	O
re-released	O
onto	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Store	O
on	O
February	O
18	O
,	O
2014	O
under	O
the	O
"	O
PSOne	O
Classic	O
"	O
brand	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
delisted	O
from	O
the	O
North	O
American	O
storefront	O
on	O
April	O
4	O
,	O
2019	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PlayStation	B-Device
version	O
is	O
also	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
20	O
built-in	O
games	O
in	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Classic	I-Device
dedicated	O
console	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PlayStation	B-Device
,	O
Dreamcast	B-Operating_System
,	O
PC	O
and	O
mobile	O
versions	O
received	O
favorable	O
reviews	O
,	O
while	O
the	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
Color	I-Device
and	O
iOS	B-Application
versions	O
received	O
mixed	O
reviews	O
,	O
according	O
to	O
the	O
review	B-Application
aggregation	I-Application
website	O
GameRankings	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Japan	O
,	O
Famitsu	O
gave	O
it	O
a	O
score	O
of	O
32	O
out	O
of	O
40	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
and	O
Dreamcast	B-Operating_System
versions	O
,	O
and	O
30	O
out	O
of	O
40	O
for	O
the	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
Color	I-Device
version	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Reviewing	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
version	O
,	O
IGN	O
stated	O
that	O
it	O
is	O
"	O
quirky	O
,	O
different	O
,	O
and	O
speedy	O
arcade	O
fun	O
"	O
,	O
praising	O
its	O
simplistic	O
gameplay	O
and	O
"	O
quirky	O
"	O
graphical	O
style	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
NextGen	O
commended	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
layer	O
of	O
strategy	O
and	O
controls	O
,	O
writing	O
:	O
"	O
Tired	O
of	O
Puzzle	B-Application
Fighter	I-Application
?	O
</s>
<s>
Mr.	B-Application
Driller	I-Application
is	O
just	O
what	O
you	O
need	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
GameSpot	O
applauded	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
port	O
for	O
its	O
"	O
refreshing	O
"	O
gameplay	O
,	O
colorful	O
graphics	O
and	O
catchy	O
music	O
,	O
while	O
AllGame	O
praised	O
its	O
pick-up-and-play	O
gameplay	O
and	O
"	O
clean	O
"	O
character	O
graphics	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
GameSpot	O
liked	O
the	O
mobile	O
phone	O
version	O
's	O
portability	O
and	O
addictiveness	O
,	O
calling	O
it	O
"	O
a	O
stellar	O
mobile	O
port	O
of	O
a	O
great	O
game	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
praised	O
the	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
Color	I-Device
port	O
's	O
faithfulness	O
to	O
the	O
original	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
IGN	O
highly	O
praised	O
the	B-Operating_System
Dreamcast	I-Operating_System
version	O
for	O
its	O
fresh	O
gameplay	O
idea	O
,	O
addictive	O
gameplay	O
and	O
cute	O
visuals	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
GameSpot	O
echoed	O
a	O
similar	O
response	O
,	O
criticizing	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
and	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
Color	I-Device
versions	O
for	O
lacking	O
any	O
sort	O
of	O
replay	O
value	O
and	O
being	O
a	O
"	O
short-lived	O
"	O
experience	O
,	O
while	O
AllGame	O
disliked	O
the	O
poor	O
amount	O
of	O
content	O
and	O
presentation	O
,	O
unfavorably	O
comparing	O
it	O
to	O
Puzzle	B-Application
Bobble	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
GameSpot	O
also	O
criticized	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
version	O
for	O
not	O
having	O
a	O
multiplayer	O
mode	O
,	O
although	O
noted	O
that	O
the	O
$20	O
price	O
point	O
made	O
this	O
somewhat	O
forgivable	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
Color	I-Device
version	O
was	O
nominated	O
for	O
"	O
Best	O
Puzzle	O
Game	O
"	O
at	O
GameSpots	O
Best	O
and	O
Worst	O
of	O
2000	O
Awards	O
,	O
which	O
went	O
to	O
Samba	B-Application
de	I-Application
Amigo	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mr.	B-Application
Driller	I-Application
was	O
met	O
with	O
a	O
long	O
series	O
of	O
sequels	O
and	O
spin-offs	O
for	O
several	O
platforms	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
of	O
these	O
,	O
aptly	O
titled	O
Mr.	B-Device
Driller	I-Device
2	I-Device
,	O
was	O
released	O
for	O
arcades	O
in	O
2000	O
and	O
followed	O
by	O
a	O
Game	O
Boy	O
Advance	O
port	O
a	O
year	O
later	O
,	O
adding	O
multiplayer	O
and	O
new	O
gameplay	O
mechanics	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mr.	B-Application
Driller	I-Application
G	O
was	O
released	O
for	O
both	O
arcades	O
and	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
in	O
2001	O
for	O
Japan	O
only	O
,	O
adding	O
a	O
story	O
mode	O
and	O
new	O
characters	O
,	O
including	O
Dig	B-Application
Dug	I-Application
series	O
protagonist	O
Taizo	B-Application
Hori	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
Game	O
Boy	O
Advance	O
game	O
,	O
Mr.	B-Application
Driller	I-Application
A	O
,	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
Japan	O
in	O
2002	O
,	O
featuring	O
support	O
for	O
the	O
GameCube	B-Device
-	I-Device
Game	I-Device
Boy	I-Device
Advance	I-Device
link	I-Device
cable	I-Device
peripheral	O
,	O
which	O
could	O
be	O
used	O
for	O
Mr.	B-Device
Driller	I-Device
:	I-Device
Drill	I-Device
Land	I-Device
for	O
the	O
GameCube	O
,	O
also	O
released	O
in	O
2002	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mr.	B-Device
Driller	I-Device
Drill	I-Device
Spirits	I-Device
was	O
released	O
as	O
a	O
launch	O
title	O
for	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Device
DS	I-Device
in	O
Japan	O
and	O
North	O
America	O
in	O
2004	O
,	O
and	O
in	O
Europe	O
in	O
2005	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mr.	B-Application
Driller	I-Application
Aqua	O
,	O
an	O
aquatic-themed	O
spin-off	O
,	O
was	O
released	O
for	O
Japanese	O
mobile	O
phones	O
in	O
2006	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
sequel	O
,	O
Mr.	B-Application
Driller	I-Application
Online	I-Application
,	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
2008	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Two	O
digital-only	O
sequels	O
,	O
Mr.	B-Application
Driller	I-Application
W	I-Application
and	O
Mr.	B-Application
Driller	I-Application
:	O
Drill	O
Till	O
You	O
Drop	O
,	O
were	O
released	O
in	O
2009	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
appears	O
as	O
a	O
playable	O
character	O
in	O
the	O
arcade	O
game	O
Star	O
Trigon	O
,	O
and	O
as	O
a	O
supporting	O
character	O
in	O
Dig	B-Application
Dug	I-Application
:	I-Application
Digging	I-Application
Strike	I-Application
,	O
where	O
he	O
would	O
assist	O
the	O
player	O
in	O
sinking	O
parts	O
of	O
the	O
island	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Portable	O
version	O
of	O
Pac-Man	B-Device
World	I-Device
Rally	I-Device
adds	O
Susumu	O
and	O
his	O
dog	O
Puchi	O
as	O
playable	O
characters	O
,	O
alongside	O
Mappy	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Susumu	O
is	O
also	O
an	O
unlockable	O
character	O
in	O
the	O
Game	O
Boy	O
Advance	O
game	O
Family	O
Tennis	O
Advance	O
and	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
"	O
Namco	O
Stars	O
"	O
baseball	O
team	O
in	O
the	O
iOS	B-Application
title	O
Famista	O
Dream	O
Match	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Susumu	O
also	O
appears	O
in	O
the	O
now-defunct	O
browser	O
game	O
Namco	O
High	O
,	O
simply	O
known	O
as	O
"	O
Mr.	B-Application
Driller	I-Application
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2022	O
,	O
Mr.	B-Application
Driller	I-Application
was	O
added	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
premium	O
collection	O
for	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Plus	O
.	O
</s>
