Mr. Driller: Drill Spirits
Time Attack FAQ

Contents
1. Intro
2. Characters
3. Normal Courses
4. Reverse Courses
5. Timeline
6. Legal Junk
7. Contact

|- 1. Intro -|

The Time Attack mode in Mr. Driller DS requires players to navigate
through a course, ranging from 100m-300m under a strict time limit.
Along the way you can pick up clocks that reduce your time. The courses
are all specially designed, and usually require a lot of thought. This
guide will help eliminate that pesky thinking. It will also tell you
the time limit for each level (for all the characters) and my personal
best time (using Ataru)

There are three items unique to Time Attack mode.

Flip Blocks: These flip the screen horizontally.

Turn Blocks:  Turn the screen 90 degrees

Crystal: These make crystal blocks.

|- 2. Characters -|

Some of the characters in Mr. Driller are just plain better then
others, and the Time Attack mode attempts to balance this out by giving
the slower characters more lenience in the records they have to beat.
Here I'll show you the different levels the characters are on, and
examples of their records for you to compare.

Level 1: Ataru and Taizo
Both drill very fast, although Ataru certainly has the advantage in
movement speed. These two are given the same times to beat on levels.
Times:
Course A: 14 seconds
Course B: 15 seconds
Course C: 45 seconds
Course D: 15 seconds

Level 2: Anna and Susumu
Anna has a definite advantage over Susumu with her added speed, but
regardless, they are in the same level.
Course A: 15 seconds
Course B: 16 seconds
Course C: 46 seconds
Course D: 16 seconds

Level 3: Puchi and Holinger-Z
Both are equally slow, and their powers are pretty much useless in Time
Attack mode.
Course A: 17 seconds
Course B: 18 seconds
Course C: 48 seconds
Course D: 18 seconds

There is also rumor of a seventh character, Usagi, who would be on a
hypothetical Level 0, but I have not unlocked him, nor do I know how
to. I will refer back to these levels of speed for each course so that
I can give the time requirements.

|- 3. Normal Courses -|

Course A: Amazon
Level 1: 14 seconds
Level 2: 15 seconds
Level 3: 17 seconds
My Time: 8.22 seconds

This level is pretty straightforward. There are big gaps in the cluster
of blocks. You just need to move between them. There are two problem
areas. At one point, you land on a big blue block shaped like an
upside-down T. You will be tempted to drill straight down, but do not.
Drill through the yellow block to the left of the T, and you will fall
down a hole that contains four 1 second clocks. About three gaps down
from the last problem area, you hit another. Above you is a line of
three yellow blocks. Below you is a red block, underneath which is an
oddly-shaped cluster of blue blocks. You will again be tempted to drill
straight down, but instead, drill the red block to your left, then the
line of blue below that. This way you can get a 2 second clock. This is
a pretty easy level. You can divert from the path for awhile and still
come out of it with a good time.

Course B: Brazil
Level 1: 15 seconds
Level 2: 16 seconds
Level 3: 18 seconds
My Time: 7.88 seconds

After drilling through the top four lines, drill through the clump of
red below you, swoop under the green block that is now about to fall,
and hit the yellow clump to the right. Follow it down to the .5 second
clock. Hit the yellow below and  run to the one second clock, then hit
the blue below your current position and follow that to the 2 second
clock. Drill down, move to the .5 second clock, Then drill to the left
twice, gaining you two more .5 second clocks. Drill down the line of
blue, after which you'll grab enough clocks to shave off another 2.5
seconds. The crystal blocks below should break before you hit them.
Clear a path by removing the red below you. Once you hit the dead end,
drill the red path to the right. Fall down the hole, then take out the
yellow to your right. Below you is a red string of blocks for you to
destroy. Now, this is the tricky part. If you're using Ataru, Anna, or
Susumu, you can just walk down the path. Otherwise, once you're on the
two green blocks stuck together, drill down twice, then left to the
clock. Take out the red below, the blue to the right, the red below,
the yellow to the right, the red to the right, and then the blue below.
You should hit all the clocks, and reached the bottom of the stage.

Course C: China
Level 1: 45 seconds
Level 2: 46 seconds
Level 3: 48 seconds
My Time: 36.17 seconds

Drill straight down and get the turn block, then the crystal-making
block. Drill through the crystal block to get to the next area. In
here, get the turn block, then the flip block. Hit the crystal-making
block in the next area and go down the middle path of crystal blocks.
Head to the middle of the screen and get the crystal-making block in
the middle of the X-blocks. Wait for the X-blocks to be destroyed, then
hit the next crystal block. Take the path on the left hand side of the
screen. Hit the flip block on the left-hand side of the screen, then
hit the other flip block. From here, just take the large paths down the
middle, and make sure to hit the clock.

Course D: Denmark
Level 1: 15 seconds
Level 2: 16 seconds
Level 3: 18 seconds
My Time: 10.35 seconds

This level is also pretty straightforward. Just look for gaps and
clusters of crystal blocks. There's only one problem area. A 2 second
clock is stuck between some steel blocks and crystal blocks. In order
to get the clock as fast as possible, you need to drill directly under
the cluster of X-blocks to the right of it, then take out the yellow
block that the clock is about to land on. Don't worry, the steep blocks
will stop before they crush you.

Course E: Egypt
Level 1: 22 seconds
Level 2: 23 seconds
Level 3: 25 seconds
My Time: 17.5 seconds

There are four big clumps of X-blocks with clocks in them.  When you
encounter each, you must remove blocks from under them so that they
fall and break, giving you the clocks and removing the floor of X-
blocks from under you. Go down the left side of the first and second
clumps, the right side of the third, and the left of the fourth. These
sides have the biggest clumps of blocks on them, making them easier to
get through.

Course F: France
Level 1: 21 seconds
Level 2: 22 seconds
Level 3: 24 seconds
My Time: 16.7 seconds

Go down the left side of the screen. Grab the clock, then move to the
right for the 3 second clock. Move back to the left side and stay
there. Only leave on four occasions: the first three are when you see
clocks sitting in the middle of the screen. Grab them and return to the
left quickly. The fourth time is when you near the bottom. there are
two 1 second clocks, with a clump of X-blocks between them. Grab the
one on the right and then head downwards. (You could probably get both
clocks, but it wouldn't be worth the time).

Course G: Germany
Level 1: 27 seconds
Level 2: 28 seconds
Level 3: 30 seconds
My Time: 18.52 seconds

Stay in the middle until you hit the 2 second clock, then star moving
to the left to get the other. Head back towards the middle to pick up
two more clocks, then to the right. There will be two clocks encased in
crystal blocks. Break them, get the right-hand clock, then move to the
left and drill through the blocks underneath the second clock. Once the
second clock falls on you, move to the middle and try not to get hit.

Course H: Hong Kong
Level 1: 22 seconds
Level 2: 23 seconds
Level 3: 25 seconds
My Time: 20.3 seconds

Now it starts to get hard. There are some X-blocks around a 3 second
clock. remove the ground from under the four closest to you, then, once
everything settles, grab the clock. Destroy the clump of yellow blocks
and stand on the X-block that you've just revealed. Once the X-blocks
fall, grab the 2 second clock. Move left (as far as you can without
drilling or climbing) then drill down. Step around the X-block, then
drill the clump of blue below you. Run through the now open path to
grab the next clock. Go over to the left side. A little bit down is a 3
second clock encased in X-blocks. Drill downwards directly to the right
of this and you'll set another X-block loose. Move under the clock and
continue drilling so that it falls on you. Move to the left again and
you'll be able to get two more clocks. Then move as far left as you can
and destroy the clump of blue beneath you. From here, just drill over
to the exit as fast as you can.

Course I: Italy
Level 1: 12 seconds
Level 2: 14 seconds
Level 3: 18 seconds
My Time: 11.3 seconds

I love this level. It's so well designed. Basically, you just need to
keep riding the elevators downward. There are just a couple problems
areas. The first happens after you break the 100m mark. There are two
elevators. Run into the one on the right, and then ride the left one
down. A little later, you must run across a bridge made of red blocks
that  fall in front of you. Remember, if you are using a fast
character, BE PATIENT. If you go too fast you'll get crushed.

Course J: Japan
Level 1: 1 minute 42 seconds
Level 2: 1 minute 45 seconds
Level 3: 1 minute 51 seconds
My Time: 1 minute 18.35 seconds

Here we are. THE Time Attack level. This level isn't hard so much
because of the time, but because there are so many ways to die or get
to an impassable place (until you play it in reverse). Go down the
right side of the screen, then get into the shaft and run to the left
side. This way you won't get crushed by the steel blocks. Follow the
path, then go underneath the X-block, and drill under it so that it can
hit the six X-blocks underneath and free the clock. Do not drill
through the crystal block, though. Run sideways under the second X-
block and drill downwards to make it fall. Grab the two clocks and drop
into the steel shaft and you'll eventually pass the 100m mark.

The first part of this section you can just wait out, or you can take
matters into your own hands (but that's pretty risky). Then you'll hit
an area with just blue and yellow blocks. Grab the clocks as you go
down. There's one on the left, in the middle, the right, and the middle
again. Ignore the clock on the left and get the one in the middle.
Congratulations, you're two thirds of the way there.

Follow the path from clock to clock. you'll reach a section similar to
Course I's elevator theme. In this next area, get all five X-blocks
together so that you can hit the turn block. Free the Flip block, hit
it, then get the crystal-making block. It'll free the second flip
block. Hit it and drill down to the exit.

|- 4. Reverse Courses -|

Reverse courses are unlocked when all the regular courses are beaten.
Basically, they're the original courses flipped and with lower records
to beat. If you want to apply the guide to reverse courses, then
exchange the words "left" and "right" and just be faster.

Reverse Course Times:

Course A: Amazon
Level 1: 9 seconds
Level 2: 10 seconds
Level 3: 12 seconds

Course B: Brazil
Level 1: 9 seconds
Level 2: 10 seconds
Level 3: 12 seconds

Course C: China
Level 1: 39 seconds
Level 2: 40 seconds
Level 3: 42 seconds

Course D: Denmark
Level 1: 11 seconds
Level 2: 12 seconds
Level 3: 14 seconds

Course E: Egypt
Level 1: 14 seconds
Level 2: 15 seconds
Level 3: 17 seconds

Course F: France
Level 1: 15 seconds
Level 2: 16 seconds
Level 3: 18 seconds

Course G: Germany
Level 1: 19 seconds
Level 2: 20 seconds
Level 3: 22 seconds

Course H: Hong Kong
Level 1: 16 seconds
Level 2: 17 seconds
Level 3: 19 seconds

Course I: Italy
Level 1: 10 seconds
Level 2: 12 seconds
Level 3: 16 seconds

Course J: Japan
Level 1: 1 minute 20 seconds
Level 2: 1 minute 23 seconds
Level 3: 1 minute 29 seconds

As you can see, these courses require serious speeding (particularly
Course J)







|- 5. Timeline -|

1/27/05-Improved Course B time, changed Course J strategy.

1/18/05-Reverse Course times added, small typos fixed, my own times
added, Course J strategy edited slightly.

12/30/04-Guide originally submitted.

|- 6. Legal Junk -|

This guide is copywrite Zach Adams 2005.

As of now, only two websites have permission to use this guide:
Gamefaqs.com
TouchMyDS.com
If you would like to use it, please contact me with a link to where you
would like to use it.

|- 7. Contact -|

If you have a contribution, (good) question, or a challenge for me to
get one of my times faster, contact me at [email protected].

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