60
Despite developer Vanpool's best efforts to do something stylish and new, they're unable to deliver fully on their vision in a cohesive way and Dillon's Rolling Western falls just short of being that standout defining game on the eShop.
40
Dillon's Rolling Western demonstrated a lot of promise out the gate, adding a literal "spin" to the tower defense genre, but the journey is just too long and tedious. It's the videogame equivalent of a triathlon, only with the added bonus of having to redo any one leg of the event or the entire event itself should your performance ever fall slightly below satisfactory.
80
Definitely download this title at the earliest convenience as it is certainly one of the best eShop titles currently available on the 3DS format.
10
This series is true to the old school Nintendo spirit. A game that is deceptively challenging, and has a unique flair of style. There are a few different things going on in this game. Fast paced overworld exploration with a Zelda inspired touch, a cool combat system that rewards you for combos, and a tower defense element tieing it all together. A very underrated Nintendo original IP that should return in the future.
10
The game really manages to combine well elements of tower defense, action and adventure games. Definitely worth playing.
2
Good lord this game is TERRIBLE. It isnt that the idea is bad, but just how they got about it is.. wow. Tower defense? Cool. Resource management in a reasonably sized arena with little side areas? Cool. You got this sonic the hedgehog rolling around thing, and the music/sfx are spot-on for this kinda game? Cool. It feels kinda like any other cartoony series of games, like Crash, Sly Cooper, Sonic and so forth? Cool! But using the bottom screen for this rolling feature is tedious. The mixing of game styles doesnt ever start to feel 'right'. The contrived time limit is obnoxious. The 'tutorial' is unneccesary. The gameplay doesnt evolve as you play through, oddly.. you are just grinding your way over and over. The 3d is good, though. The story/presentation is good. (I mean, for what it is.) Its just that.. well, its like taking the whole spyro game, making travel around the map tedious, putting in what SHOULD be cool features like tower defense, but then those towers dont even. They literally cant even. Why put those towers in, why eVEN HINT at a strategy part, when the game then forces you to manage your time in a rushed fashion and just go kill the enemies, yourself?! Here is a comparison: You are a military general. Oversee the action from above. But also trek around in your boots and engage the enemy, yourself. And you need to do 20 minutes of work in 18. Chop chop, private! Like.. do I call up tech support and the guy on the other end MADE the computer, TROUBLESHOOTS the compute over the phone AND is the guy at the computer doing the hands-on stuff? No. Because that would be stupid. Like this game. Let me do one or the other, roll around or tower defense. You made both into an exercise in frustration.
Dillon's Rolling Western
3DS
Released On:
Feb 22, 2012
Metascore
Mixed or Average
65
User score
Generally Favorable
7.5
My Score
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All Platforms
Metascore
Mixed or Average
43% Positive
9 Reviews
9 Reviews
43% Mixed
9 Reviews
9 Reviews
14% Negative
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
Feb 27, 2012
87
Dillon's Rolling Western is expensive but this tower defence game is also one of the best 3D games available in the eShop.
Mar 26, 2012
80
Finding your way into the game is harder than it should be. But once you're in, this is one of the best download titles on the 3DS.
User score
Generally Favorable
65% Positive
24 Ratings
24 Ratings
22% Mixed
8 Ratings
8 Ratings
14% Negative
5 Ratings
5 Ratings
Jan 23, 2025
10
This series is true to the old school Nintendo spirit. A game that is deceptively challenging, and has a unique flair of style. There are a few different things going on in this game. Fast paced overworld exploration with a Zelda inspired touch, a cool combat system that rewards you for combos, and a tower defense element tieing it all together. A very underrated Nintendo original IP that should return in the future.
Mar 14, 2022
10
The game really manages to combine well elements of tower defense, action and adventure games. Definitely worth playing.
Mar 19, 2012
75
Dillon's Rolling Adventure is a fun and original tower defense game. It feels great to roll around and fight a bunch of weird monsters. Unfortunately the gameplay gets too repetitive near the end.
Mar 20, 2012
70
It's a good game packed with action and fun. A little bit too repetitive or hard for some, but if you don't bother about the high price it's a suggested buy.
Feb 23, 2012
70
The action tower defence experience is relatively compulsive, with the daily structure implementing a combination of strategic thinking, frantic item gathering and action-filled combat. On the downside, the control scheme feels awkward, especially for left-handed gamers, and the lack of alternative options is a surprising oversight.
Mar 1, 2012
50
Balancing real-time action with tactical micro-management proves beyond Vanpool. With arbitrary limitations placed on an already meagre cash supply, and towers and fortifications proving equally flimsy, what little money is available is best poured into single-use items and permanent ability boosts for Dillon.
Feb 22, 2012
40
One of the most disappointing 3DS games we've played. It's just a mess of ideas with no real focus, and we're a bit surprised Nintendo even released this title at $9.99. Sorry, but we'd rather spend our money elsewhere.
Oct 10, 2019
9
Dillon's Rolling Western is a tower defense game with a twist! You play as a silent armadillo and roll around defeating enemies in order to protect villages. The controls are simple and responsive with a few simple taps. The game is only $9.99 as well, with ten different stages for you to complete, each spanning over three in-game days (about 30min-1hr). Some of the maps can be confusing, but rolling around is smooth to control! It is a challenging title, but I highly recommend it! There aren't many neat western games out there, so this is a must-buy for those who are curious to see the new life that was breathed into tower defense!
Jul 13, 2013
9
Great gameplay and characters. It's a pretty unique game, meshing tower defense and action combat but it really works well. The stages are set up into two parts, day and night. During the day you roll around and gather materials to upgrade the town walls, feed pig creatures and set up turrets near the monsters lairs. Then during the night you must defend the town from attack by the monsters, rolling out to meet the ones that aren't destroyed by towers and taking them in combat. I'd recommend it as a essential eshop game to own and play.
Feb 28, 2020
2
Good lord this game is TERRIBLE. It isnt that the idea is bad, but just how they got about it is.. wow. Tower defense? Cool. Resource management in a reasonably sized arena with little side areas? Cool. You got this sonic the hedgehog rolling around thing, and the music/sfx are spot-on for this kinda game? Cool. It feels kinda like any other cartoony series of games, like Crash, Sly Cooper, Sonic and so forth? Cool! But using the bottom screen for this rolling feature is tedious. The mixing of game styles doesnt ever start to feel 'right'. The contrived time limit is obnoxious. The 'tutorial' is unneccesary. The gameplay doesnt evolve as you play through, oddly.. you are just grinding your way over and over. The 3d is good, though. The story/presentation is good. (I mean, for what it is.) Its just that.. well, its like taking the whole spyro game, making travel around the map tedious, putting in what SHOULD be cool features like tower defense, but then those towers dont even. They literally cant even. Why put those towers in, why eVEN HINT at a strategy part, when the game then forces you to manage your time in a rushed fashion and just go kill the enemies, yourself?! Here is a comparison: You are a military general. Oversee the action from above. But also trek around in your boots and engage the enemy, yourself. And you need to do 20 minutes of work in 18. Chop chop, private! Like.. do I call up tech support and the guy on the other end MADE the computer, TROUBLESHOOTS the compute over the phone AND is the guy at the computer doing the hands-on stuff? No. Because that would be stupid. Like this game. Let me do one or the other, roll around or tower defense. You made both into an exercise in frustration.
SummaryDillons Rolling Western is a character driven action game with tower defense elements. Armadillo ranger Dillon leaps into action at the touch of the stylus, using his rolling attack skills to defend frontier villages from waves of invading rock monsters. During the day, Dillon collects resources to build up defenses such as gun towers... Read More
Rated E +10for Everyone +10
