In 1999, Mr. Driller broke onto the arcade puzzle scene with a fast-paced and entertaining, if not simplistic, block breaking puzzle scheme. With releases on the GameBoy, PlayStation, and even Dreamcast, Namco Bandai's Mr. Driller was supposed to be the next their big, cute, series-defining character. Although subsequent games were released, the character never really caught on, and this version for XBLA defines exactly why that was. The gameplay is incredibly simplistic and repetitive, and the online aspect of the title is completely broken. Mr. Driller Online stands as the reason this franchise should have never continued at all.

The Mr. Driller gameplay has remained unchanged since the series' inception, so those familiar with previous Driller titles will be able to jump right in. For those new to the game, the main character must drill down through a series of multicolored blocks to reach the Earth's crust. As players dig, more blocks drop around them, while similarly colored blocks stick together forming larger blocks that can pose a threat by crushing your character. All the while, players have a finite amount of air to breathe and must collect air capsules to stay alive.

There are two modes available in the single player game: Standard mode, where you must drill as deep as possible before dying, and a Quest mode that features specific tasks for advancement. Both feature five maps with the only difference between them being the depths at which players must dive. These maps all look identical and the only noticeable changes occur in the colors of the rocks as you dig deeper. Quest mode features simple objectives, such as picking up a certain number of air canisters or finishing a level in a set time limit. These tasks are incredibly easy and because of this inherent simplicity, things can become boring quickly. There is literally nothing redeeming about these modes, which ultimately leads to what becomes the most disappointing aspect of the game: the multiplayer.

Mr. Driller Online is a boring game with a completely broken online component.

Featuring the term "online" in the title of a game gives the general idea that working online multiplayer is one of the its features. However, between the glitches and unending lag, this online component is nearly unplayable. The multiplayer allows for up to four players to compete in both a solo or tag team mode. Alas, no matter how many players are involved, the only person with a shot at winning is the host because of these aforementioned issues. Other players will be unable to move because of the lag, and no matter how many times players smash the drill button, nothing will happen. Tag Battle mode is also rendered useless by similar problems. Additionally, those who choose to stick around long enough will find that the matches rarely last the correct amount of time because of how often people disconnect. Between the twenty to thirty online games we attempted to play, we not see a single one ended with the proper number of players. When you mash all of these problems together, you're left with a tedious multiplayer-focused game that simply doesn't work.

In terms of the visuals, the game is meant to be cute and appeal to a younger audience, but the characters are plain and rather boring. Although they are somewhat colorful in appearance, they have looked identical since the GameBoy Color version of this game, which was released nearly ten years ago. The sound is equally unimpressive, with the same average music playing between the levels. Because there is so little to variety to the experience, there is little in the way of additional sound effects, leaving much to be desired all around.

Even if the multiplayer worked, Mr. Driller Online remains one of the most boring and altogether terrible games featured on Xbox Live Arcade. The single player is simplistic, the graphics are identical to every other game in this inane franchise, and most importantly, it's just not fun. Given the amount of quality puzzle alternatives already available on XBLA, Mr. Driller Online should be avoided at all costs.