Pipe Mania

Razorwork’s last title ever produced was Pipe Mania for the iPhone. Unfortunately Razorworks disbanded last year after completing the project. It is especially unfortunate given how solid this port is. Robosoft now owns and sells the title.

Pipe Mania is a classic title that as been around 1989. The first version I played was called Pipe Dream. I assumed Pipe Mania was a remake/clone of Pipe Dream. I didn’t realize that Pipe Mania was actually the original title for the franchise. For those who aren’t familiar with the basic concept, You have a game board, which in this case is 10×8 squares. On each of these squares, you can place a piece of pipe. There is a queue of pipes on the left and you must place them in the order they appear randomly. The pipes must go together in one contiguous piece.

Before you know it, the faucet will turn and the Flooze will begin to flow. If the pipes aren’t assembled properly, the Flooze will spill out. Your client sends you the flood damage bill and you go out of business, poor and destitute. Either that, or you get another shot at replaying the level.

For the record, I love Pipe Mania in general. Like Tetris, it mixes logical puzzles and arcade reflexes. But even more so than Tetris, Pipe Mania requires foresight. You’re not simply making one line and then having it disappear. You need to develop a plan to deal with the pieces as they come up, but have the whole board work when the Flooze starts to flow.

If you’ve never played any version of Pipe Mania, just go buy this app now. This is a classic industry staple. You can’t go wrong. If you’ve already spent many hours playing Pipe Mania (or some sort of clone on the same gameplay before) the question then is, should I buy it again on this platform?

For me, I’m looking to see how well it plays on this platform, and whether or not this addition adds anything new that makes the purchase worthwhile.

For the first question, I’d say the game plays well enough on the iPhone, but I was a little disappointed that they didn’t try to innovate and do something that specifically takes advantage of the iPhone/iPod hardware. However, touching to place pieces works well enough. The hardware doesn’t hamper the game in any way. I’d love to see a wifi multiplayer mode, where scoring points causes your opponents Flooze to flow faster.

While there is no multiplayer, there are four major game modes. World mode takes you to various locations where each level presents unique obstacles. This is a story mode featuring several cartoon characters. I was impressed how much thought they put into creating a universe to see Pipe Mania as a concept. The story centers on a family of plumbers who are trying to battle cowboy plumbers who have left their island a mess.

As you navigate through different levels, you end up utilizing basic pipes, sewage pipes, railroad tracks, factory pipes, internet pipes, and super pipes. These new settings are more than simple graphical overlays. They present unique enhancements and challenges along the way.

Arcade mode challenges you to keep going as long as you can, akin to a survival mode.

Bonus mode is an interesting twist where the pieces aren’t random. They are predetermined and you must place them correctly to advance.

For those who don’t want modern enhancements, or any complexity, there is classic mode which enables you to tell kids to get off your lawn. Completing classic mode unlocks a bottle of Geritol.

Each game mode features unique levels to avoid repetition. And simply beating a level isn’t enough. There are silver and gold stars that can be earned by scoring more points. If that isn’t enough, the game features treasure chests of unlockable content throughout the game.

Normally I’m all for unlockable aspects in a game. I think it gives a sense of accomplishment, and an achievable goal to encourage playing the game. However, I also believe the primary goal of a game is to have fun. Let each player play the game how they want to, so they enjoy the game the most. Game modes themselves should all be unlocked at the start in my opinion.

For those of you with kids, significant others, or multiple personalities, the game allows for three profiles. Again, my only gripes are the lack of a multiplayer mode (which does exist for Pipe Mania on other platforms) and iPhone-specific features. That doesn’t take away from the fact that this a great game overall. I feel the varied game modes should add enough replay value to make this a worthwhile purchase, even for people who’ve played earlier versions of Pipe Mania over the years.