Mr. Driller: Drill Spirits First Look

Though the series has hit many different consoles in Japan, most of Mr. Driller's digging adventures haven't been released in North America. Namco has announced intentions, however, to release a new game in the series for the Nintendo DS.

From the information we've gathered so far, Mr. Driller: Drill Spirits appears to stay pretty close to the standard Mr. Driller formula. So the main goal of drilling down through colored blocks while making sure that you don't get crushed by blocks over your head and constantly picking up air capsules to make sure your little dude can breathe will remain intact. But there's a twist: you'll tap the DS stylus on the touch screen in order to dig in different directions. Additionally, the lower screen is where most of the action takes place, and the upper screen is used as a map, so you can see how far down you've drilled.

Drill Spirits will have a few different modes to choose from. The mission mode will be the place to unlock new playable characters. Pressure mode is a race of sorts, where you'll be trying to dig as quickly as possible to avoid getting caught by the Earth Destroyer Drill. There will also be races against the clock in time attack mode and straight-up races in race mode. You'll also be able to compete in five-player competitions using the system's wireless support.

Mr. Driller: Drill Spirits is scheduled to be released on November 21.