PipeMania
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TUAW's Daily App: PipeRush
PipeRush is a fun little title that we haven't yet seen the likes of (as far as I know) on the iPhone. I remember this kind of game as Pipe Dream, though you may know it by a number of different names. The idea is that you're given a queue of pieces, and then your job is to assemble them in such a way that they all match up and allow water to flow within a certain time period. PipeRush doesn't add too much to this formula (though there are some power-ups to play with as you go through the levels), but what it does bring is a nice bit of polish. There's a cute lead character in Pippa, the pipe-laying plumber, and the graphics are simple and sparkly as you go along. Achievements and scoreboards are handled by Crystal, but with star ratings to chase across the game's 15 or so levels, I found plenty to do. PipeRush is only US 99 cents on the App Store right now, and if this kind of gameplay appeals to you at all, I highly recommend you pick it up.
Exclusive Pipemania PSP trailer
Download to PSP Perhaps you've heard so much about Pipemania within the last few days that you're just ready to go under the kitchen sink and take the plumbing apart in anticipation. Well, okay, maybe not that far. But, hey, if you've been wanting more, then we've got it. Here's an exclusive trailer just for our dear readers' eyes. The three minute trailer shows you how the game is played and also drops a bit of the title's back story. Yes, back story, because puzzle games can have them, too. You'll probably want to hear all about those cowboy plumbers ... wait, what? Cowboy plumbers?
Pipemania will only be $20, out September 30
If you've read our hands-on with Pipemania last week, you may have noticed that we had information regarding an exact price and date for the game. While the release date of September 30 was dead on accurate, we were apparently communicated with the wrong pricing. Chalk it up to a common case of store clerk labeling snafu, mixing up those price tags. Instead of paying $40, you can expect Pipemania to go on sale at $19.99 next month. We're actually quite glad to hear that the numbers were a mistake.
PSP Fanboy hands-on: Pipemania
Laying down pipes is a tough job. It's not only for overweight guys with a problem keeping their butt cracks covered up, it's a job for puzzle lovers and thinkers, too. Don't agree? Well, if so, that's because you haven't played Pipemania yet. We've put in some time with the pipe-centric puzzler, playing up the DS version which, while having a different interface than the PSP, will have the exact same core gameplay and game modes. The main objective of the game is to build pipes and keep fluid called "Flooze" from flooding the game grid. There are two designated squares which will represent 1) the beginning where the Flooze will flow from, and 2) the end where the Flooze needs to be brought to. To bridge these two points together, you'll have to make good use of a prearranged line of differently shaped pipe pieces. You'll only be able to use pipes in a fixed sequential order; however, you'll be able to view the next few pieces in line to plan ahead. This sort of preset arrangement maintains a consistent difficulty, providing balance to the progressive difficulty of the game as more gameplay elements and stricter time pressure appear.%Gallery-29234%
