Pipe Mania is a puzzle video game developed in 1989 by The Assembly Line for the Amiga. It was ported to several other platforms by LucasFilm Games, who gave it the name Pipe Dream and acted as general distributors for the US. In this game, the player must connect randomly appearing pieces of pipe on a grid to a given length within a limited time.
The Windows version of the game was included in the Microsoft Entertainment Pack for Windows 3.1. In 1990 it was released as an arcade game by Japanese manufacturer Video System Co. Ltd., though with slightly altered gameplay, giving the player the task to connect a source and drain with the random pipe pieces.
Gameplay[ | ]
Using a variety of pipe pieces presented randomly in a queue, the player must construct a path from the start piece for the onrushing sewer slime, or "flooz" (the 1991 Windows version's help files refer to it as goo), which begins flowing after a time delay from the start of the round. The flooz is required to pass through a given number of pipe pieces in order for the player to pass to the next round. Some rounds also include an end piece, which must be the end of the pipeline the player has constructed, in addition to fulfilling the minimum pipe length requirement.
Completing the sewer pipeline in the time allotted allows the player to advance to the next level, which means a shorter interval from the start of the round until the flooz starts flowing, and also a faster-flowing flooz. On higher levels, some special pipe pieces appear in the game, such as reservoirs, one-way sections, and bonus sections. Obstacles and wrap-around sections also appear on the game board on higher levels.
Also, if a player is able to finish the level using five cross-section pieces and filling them both ways, 5,000 bonus points are awarded.
Later versions[ | ]
A version with 3D graphics was released for the PlayStation in 2000, titled Pipe Dreams 3D. Many clones of Pipe Mania have been produced, under titles such as Wallpipe, Oilcap, Oilcap Pro, MacPipes, Pipe Master, Pipeworks, DragonSnot, PipeNightDreams and Fun2Link. A macabre interpretation called Troubled Souls was released for the Apple Macintosh in 1994. There is also an open-source clone named Vodovod available for both Microsoft Windows and GNU/Linux operating systems. Many Nokia cell phones come with a free version of the game, titled Canal Control.
Remake[ | ]
On March 10, 2008, Empire Interactive announced a remake of Pipe Mania for the PC, PlayStation 2, Wii, Nintendo DS and PlayStation Portable.[1] It was released in September 2008.[2]
The game was ported to the iPhone by software publishers Virtual Programming and Robosoft, and released as an iOS application in July 2009.
In other games[ | ]
There is a version of Pipe Mania within the game BioShock, presented to the player as a means of hacking machinery.[3] There is a simplified version of "Pipe Mania" also within Alien Swarm akin to the one in "BioShock"
Reception[ | ]
The game was reviewed in 1994 in Dragon #211 by Jay & Dee in the "Eye of the Monitor" column. Jay did not rate the game, but Dee gave the Apple Macintosh version of the game 2½ out of 5 stars, and the Windows version 4½ stars.[4]
References[ | ]
- ↑ Empire Interactive announces Pipe Mania for PC and Consoles. Empire Interactive (2008-03-10).
- ↑ Pipe Mania 2008 remake website. Empire Interactive (2008-09-03).
- ↑ Qualls, Eric. BioShock Review (X360) at Xbox.about.com. About.com. Retrieved on 2007-11-04
- ↑ Jay & Dee (November 1994). "Eye of the Monitor". Dragon (211): 39–42.
External links[ | ]
- Pipe Dream at MobyGames
- Pipe Dream at Museum of the Game
- Pipe Mania at Astoria Theodor Lauppert's Homepage
- Pipe Mania at World of Spectrum
- IGN review of remake
- The true free Pipemania Remake : Aqua