VideoGamer: Pipe Mania Hands-on Preview

Back in the fluorescent 80s, Pipe Mania was one of the world’s most popular puzzlers – with ports available on every big format, from the ZX Spectrum to the Atari ST (stop laughing – they were huge at the time). To the current generation, the title’s frantic gameplay will be something of a complete unknown – although a rough equivalent can be found in BioShock’s hacking mini-games.

In essence, the idea is that you’re presented with a grid of squares, with an entrance pipe. After a short period of time, water (or "flooze," as the game calls it) begins to flow out onto the grid. Your job is to build a course for the liquid, keeping it contained for as long as possible using a series of pipes, in tetris-style shapes. That’s it in a nutshell, but this description fails to convey the sheer panic of advanced levels – when the speed of the flooze increases and you find yourself flailing around for the one pipe that will save your bacon (and your high score).