We hope you weren't too excited to snag Mr. Driller Online for Xbox Live Arcade. We decided to take the plunge and put down our 800 Microsoft Points. At first, everything seemed fine. We plowed our way through a few single player levels and Mr. Driller is as fun as it's ever been. However, once we started up multiplayer things went terribly wrong. In short, the game is unplayable over Xbox Live, which is particularly ironic given the title of the game. We're not sure why XBLA games in particular seem to be the worst offenders when it comes to online lag, but Mr. Driller Online lags so much that it actually moves backwards. Watch our latest video and see for yourself.
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I bought this game this morning and have been playing ti allday(except for a Rock band break) really fun, I havent tried multiplayer yet though but now I know not to till the lag is fixed :)
Wow, that's pretty sucky... I'm gonna get it for the single-player game regardless (please PLEASE tell me that's not broken in any major way?) but I hope they fix that soon, the lag shown in the video was pretty unacceptable...
This has be brought up on the official Xbox forums, and is apparently being looked into, just so you know.
It really is a mess. I can't even fathom the meaning of having "Quality control", when messes like this make it through. And from a big-time publisher like Namco Bandai.....
Uh the reviewer is a dumbass with something against Mr. Driller, too hard for him perhaps? The guy he was PLAYING against was from JAPAN. Ok, I dont know about you but if the HOST of a game is from a country another world away.. uh.. there WILL be lag. EVERYONE (I would have hoped) knows this. Next time join a game hosted by someone close to home before bashing a game.
I've played with people in Japan plenty of times on XBL without lag, the only time you should lag when playing with people overseas is with Wi-Fi based online play, that's why the Wii's online lags when playing with people in Japan
Let's say (just for grins) that I played more games than just the ones seen in the video. Let's also say that I played some games with people that don't come from Japan and those games were laggy disasters as well. See where I'm going with this?
Besides, I've played games with people from other countries before without problems. There are people from the UK playing COD4 all the time and I didn't have any problems playing with them yesterday.
I was actually having problems with Xbox Live in general today. Friends list not loading, friends signing in and out over and over again and screens taking forever to load so maybe it was just an xbox live issue and not the game....Maybe.
This doesn't surprise me at all after what I experienced trying to play online multiplayer in Brain Challenge. As soon as you'd start a match with four players, you'd be kicked off with a "failed to connect" error.
{ Apr 2nd 2008 at 6:45PM } 
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
NitroFrost @ Apr 2nd 2008 6:59PM
I bet your pissed that you shelled out the MS$
Quinion @ Apr 2nd 2008 7:02PM
ugh i just bought it before i signed on....the vid is correct online play is BROKEN
ZenGaijin @ Apr 2nd 2008 7:05PM
I don't quite get this game there doesn't seem to be much to it.
Dante Sparda @ Apr 2nd 2008 7:08PM
I bought this game this morning and have been playing ti allday(except for a Rock band break) really fun, I havent tried multiplayer yet though but now I know not to till the lag is fixed :)
AoE @ Apr 2nd 2008 7:11PM
Wow, that's pretty sucky... I'm gonna get it for the single-player game regardless (please PLEASE tell me that's not broken in any major way?) but I hope they fix that soon, the lag shown in the video was pretty unacceptable...
SABCA @ Apr 2nd 2008 7:13PM
This has be brought up on the official Xbox forums, and is apparently being looked into, just so you know.
It really is a mess. I can't even fathom the meaning of having "Quality control", when messes like this make it through. And from a big-time publisher like Namco Bandai.....
EDW @ Apr 2nd 2008 7:24PM
that's pretty horrendous
bigmac375 @ Apr 2nd 2008 7:29PM
what a crock of shit that is
Insomnious @ Apr 2nd 2008 7:55PM
Somehow the comments the N+ guys had rings more true each day.
They should stick to bringing classic Mega Drive/Genesis games back; Toejam & Earl anyone? Road Rash?
Jayslacks @ Apr 2nd 2008 9:08PM
Why the hell would you get that game anyway?
AoE @ Apr 2nd 2008 10:26PM
because it's fun?
Charles Nickerson @ Apr 2nd 2008 9:47PM
Uh the reviewer is a dumbass with something against Mr. Driller, too hard for him perhaps? The guy he was PLAYING against was from JAPAN. Ok, I dont know about you but if the HOST of a game is from a country another world away.. uh.. there WILL be lag. EVERYONE (I would have hoped) knows this. Next time join a game hosted by someone close to home before bashing a game.
http://live.xbox.com/en-US/profile/profile.aspx?pp=0&GamerTag=K+Kutaragi
ArturoRRG @ Apr 2nd 2008 10:06PM
Even if the host in the other side of the world (hes not another world away), there shouldnt be that kind of lag that lets you travel back in time.
Xanto @ Apr 2nd 2008 10:28PM
I've played with people in Japan plenty of times on XBL without lag, the only time you should lag when playing with people overseas is with Wi-Fi based online play, that's why the Wii's online lags when playing with people in Japan
Charles Nickerson @ Apr 2nd 2008 10:43PM
Thats funny, I havent had any lag on SSBB and I have a friend from Japan I play with.
Xav de Matos @ Apr 2nd 2008 10:41PM
There is usually an acceptable amount of lag online, but what is happening in this situation is not acceptable in the least.
TheDragon @ Apr 2nd 2008 11:37PM
You're never allowed to speak.
Ever.
Again.
Richard Mitchell @ Apr 3rd 2008 10:11AM
Let's say (just for grins) that I played more games than just the ones seen in the video. Let's also say that I played some games with people that don't come from Japan and those games were laggy disasters as well. See where I'm going with this?
Besides, I've played games with people from other countries before without problems. There are people from the UK playing COD4 all the time and I didn't have any problems playing with them yesterday.
Neuromancer @ Apr 3rd 2008 1:56PM
I used to play Ridge Racer 6 online with almost exclusively Japanese opponents... No lag to speak of.
ccc @ Apr 2nd 2008 10:48PM
@Richard
I was actually having problems with Xbox Live in general today. Friends list not loading, friends signing in and out over and over again and screens taking forever to load so maybe it was just an xbox live issue and not the game....Maybe.
Spin44 @ Apr 3rd 2008 12:31AM
why would anyone even buy a game from this horrible series? case in point: http://www.expotv.com/videos/reviews/22/198/MrDrillerDrillSpirits/134986
the ds version is ridiculously retarded
Lewis @ Apr 3rd 2008 3:53AM
I downloaded the Trial, had fun and actually thought about wasting my Rock Band MS Points on it.
Epic Fail.
Steve @ Apr 4th 2008 7:56AM
This doesn't surprise me at all after what I experienced trying to play online multiplayer in Brain Challenge. As soon as you'd start a match with four players, you'd be kicked off with a "failed to connect" error.