''Dillon's Rolling Western'', known in Japan as , is a downloadable

video game A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...

developed by

Vanpool Vanpools or vanpooling is an element of the transit system that allow groups of people to share the ride similar to a carpool, but on a larger scale with concurrent savings in fuel and vehicle operating costs and thus usually a lower cost to the ...

and published by

Nintendo is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto. It develops, publishes, and releases both video games and video game consoles. The history of Nintendo began when craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi ...

for the

Nintendo 3DS The is a foldable dual-screen handheld game console produced by Nintendo. Announced in March 2010 as the successor to the Nintendo DS, the console was released originally on February 26, 2011 and went through various revisions in its lifetime, ...

. It is the first game in the ''Dillon'' series. Released exclusively through the system's

Nintendo eShop The is a digital distribution service for the Nintendo Switch and the Nintendo Switch 2, and formerly available via the Nintendo Network for the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS. Launched in June 2011 on the Nintendo 3DS, the Nintendo eShop served ...

online storefront, the game features Dillon, an

anthropomorphic Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology. Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics to ...

armadillo Armadillos () are New World placental mammals in the order (biology), order Cingulata. They form part of the superorder Xenarthra, along with the anteaters and sloths. 21 extant species of armadillo have been described, some of which are dis ...

who must defend frontier villages from walking rock-like monsters. ''Dillon's Rolling Western'' combines elements of 3D exploration, action sequences and

tower defense Tower defense (TD) is a Video game genre, subgenre of Strategy video game, strategy games where the goal is to defend a player's territories or possessions by obstructing the enemy attackers or by stopping enemies from reaching the exits, usual ...

and was first unveiled at E3 2011 as ''The Rolling Western''. On February 14, 2013, Nintendo announced via a

Nintendo Direct Nintendo Direct is a series of online presentations or live shows produced by Nintendo, where information regarding the company's upcoming content or franchises is presented, such as information about games and consoles. The presentations began ...

in North America that the game was to be followed up by a sequel to be released in the following April, entitled '' Dillon's Rolling Western: The Last Ranger''. On September 13, 2017, Nintendo of Japan announced via a

a new installment for the Nintendo 3DS called . On March 8, 2018 via a

, the game was revealed to be localized as ''

Dillon's Dead-Heat Breakers ''Dillon's Dead-Heat Breakers'' is an action game developed by Vanpool and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS. It was released in Japan in April 2018, with English releases in North America, Europe, and Australia the following month, with ...

''. The game was released on April 26, 2018 in Japan, and was later released on May 24 in North America and May 25 in Europe. It is the first game in the series to receive a physical release, but only in Japan and Europe. In North America, it remains a Nintendo eShop exclusive, like the previous installments. The game's protagonist, Dillon, is featured in the games ''

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U and , both commonly referred to together as ''Super Smash Bros. 4'' or ''Smash 4'', are 2014 crossover fighting games developed by Bandai Namco Studios and Sora Ltd. and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U video game cons ...

'' and ''

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'' is a 2018 crossover fighting game developed by Bandai Namco Studios and Sora Ltd. and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. It is the fifth installment in the '' Super Smash Bros.'' series, succeeding ' ...

'' as an Assist Trophy.

Gameplay

Dillon, an armadillo, is a ranger charged with protecting villages from nightly invasions of walking rock-like monsters called Grocks. The Grocks attack the villages to feed on Scrogs, the residents' livestock. While Dillon is able to attack Grocks by rolling into them, the Grocks can sometimes outnumber Dillon. Thus, the villages have established defense towers that can be outfitted with weapons that will attack Grocks whenever they are in range. To get guns, Dillon must buy them, and sometimes he may have to build the gun tower first. In order to improve the villages' defenses, Dillon must collect materials by exploring mines and defeating Grocks; the materials can then be used to build stronger doors for the village. The stronger a door is, the more difficult it is for a Grock to get in.

Reception

The game received "mixed" reviews according to the

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website

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References

External links

* * * {{Dillon series 2012 video games Action-adventure games Nintendo 3DS eShop games Nintendo 3DS-only games Nintendo games Third-person strategy video games Tower defense video games Vanpool games Video games about animals Video games about armadillos Video games developed in Japan Video games with cel-shaded animation Video games produced by Kensuke Tanabe Western (genre) video games