<s>
is	O
a	O
2004	O
puzzle	O
video	O
game	O
developed	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Namco	O
for	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Device
DS	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
the	O
sixth	O
entry	O
in	O
the	O
Mr.	B-Application
Driller	I-Application
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Originally	O
known	O
as	O
New	O
Mister	B-Application
Driller	I-Application
and	O
later	O
Mr.	B-Application
Driller	I-Application
DS	B-Device
,	O
Drill	O
Spirits	O
was	O
first	O
shown	O
at	O
the	O
E3	O
2004	O
tradeshow	O
during	O
a	O
showcasing	O
of	O
third-party	O
games	O
in	O
development	O
for	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Device
DS	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
announced	O
as	O
a	O
launch	O
title	O
for	O
the	O
system	O
,	O
alongside	O
Namco	O
's	O
own	O
Ridge	B-Application
Racer	I-Application
DS	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
followed	O
by	O
Mr.	B-Application
Driller	I-Application
Online	I-Application
in	O
2008	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mr.	B-Device
Driller	I-Device
Drill	I-Device
Spirits	I-Device
is	O
a	O
puzzle	O
video	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
features	O
six	O
playable	O
characters	O
:	O
Susumu	O
Hori	O
,	O
the	O
main	O
protagonist	O
of	O
the	O
series	O
;	O
Anna	O
Hottenmeyer	O
,	O
a	O
German	O
driller	O
and	O
rival	O
of	O
Susumu	O
;	O
Ataru	O
Hori	O
,	O
Susumu	O
's	O
self-contained	O
older	O
brother	O
;	O
Taizo	B-Application
Hori	I-Application
,	O
the	O
father	O
of	O
Susumu	O
and	O
Ataru	O
and	O
the	O
protagonist	O
of	O
the	O
Dig	B-Application
Dug	I-Application
series	O
;	O
Puchi	O
,	O
Susumu	O
's	O
pet	O
dog	O
;	O
and	O
Holinger-Z	O
,	O
a	O
drilling	O
robot	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mr.	B-Device
Driller	I-Device
Drill	I-Device
Spirits	I-Device
was	O
first	O
announced	O
during	O
E3	O
2004	O
by	O
Nintendo	O
,	O
in	O
a	O
panel	O
relating	O
to	O
third-party	O
games	O
being	O
produced	O
for	O
their	O
upcoming	O
handheld	O
,	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Device
DS	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
originally	O
given	O
the	O
tentative	O
title	O
of	O
New	O
Mister	B-Application
Driller	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Namco	O
revealed	O
further	O
details	O
on	O
the	O
game	O
on	O
September	O
30	O
,	O
renaming	O
the	O
game	O
to	O
Mr.	B-Application
Driller	I-Application
DS	B-Device
and	O
saying	O
it	O
was	O
about	O
70%	O
complete	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
playable	O
demo	O
was	O
presented	O
at	O
the	O
Nintendo	O
Gamer	O
's	O
Summit	O
in	O
October	O
,	O
announced	O
to	O
be	O
a	O
system	O
launch	O
title	O
alongside	O
Ridge	B-Application
Racer	I-Application
DS	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mr.	B-Device
Driller	I-Device
Drill	I-Device
Spirits	I-Device
was	O
met	O
with	O
a	O
mixed	O
response	O
from	O
critics	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
inclusion	O
of	O
touch-screen	O
controls	O
via	O
the	O
DS	B-Device
Stylus	O
was	O
seen	O
by	O
IGN	O
and	O
GameSpy	O
as	O
a	O
generally	O
unneeded	O
mechanic	O
,	O
with	O
both	O
saying	O
that	O
the	O
D-Pad	O
allowed	O
for	O
much	O
quicker	O
,	O
precise	O
actions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Yahoo	B-Application
!	I-Application
</s>
<s>
The	O
lack	O
of	O
a	O
single-card	O
multiplayer	O
feature	O
was	O
the	O
subject	O
of	O
criticism	O
by	O
several	O
publications	O
;	O
Nintendo	O
World	O
Report	O
and	O
GameSpy	O
criticized	O
Namco	O
for	O
removing	O
the	O
single-card	O
feature	O
from	O
the	O
Japanese	O
and	O
European	O
versions	O
,	O
while	O
IGN	O
reacted	O
with	O
confusion	O
since	O
Namco	O
's	O
other	O
multiplayer	O
game	O
for	O
the	O
system	O
,	O
Ridge	B-Application
Racer	I-Application
DS	I-Application
,	O
had	O
a	O
single-card	O
option	O
for	O
multiplayer	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nintendojo	O
criticized	O
the	O
multiplayer	O
itself	O
for	O
being	O
unenjoyable	O
at	O
times	O
,	O
finding	O
it	O
inferior	O
to	O
the	O
multiplayer	O
options	O
found	O
in	O
games	O
such	O
as	O
Puyo	B-Application
Pop	I-Application
Fever	I-Application
and	O
Bomberman	B-Application
DS	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Famitsu	O
felt	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
inferior	O
to	O
previous	O
games	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
Mr.	B-Device
Driller	I-Device
Drill	I-Device
Land	I-Device
and	O
Mr.	B-Application
Driller	I-Application
Ace	O
,	O
with	O
its	O
lack	O
of	O
extra	O
features	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Famitsu	O
and	O
Yahoo	B-Application
!	I-Application
</s>
<s>
Retrospectively	O
,	O
Retronauts	O
said	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
more	O
of	O
a	O
stripped-down	O
version	O
of	O
Mr.	B-Application
Driller	I-Application
Drill	O
Till	O
You	O
Drop	O
,	O
only	O
recommending	O
it	O
to	O
players	O
who	O
were	O
unable	O
to	O
get	O
ahold	O
of	O
the	O
latter	O
.	O
</s>
