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"The kind of puzzler that dreams are made of."

In Pipe Dreams, you take on the role of a rather plump plumber in his attempt to defeat the forces of evil and restore order to the universe. Sound familiar? Well, it's not. Because, in Pipe Dreams, the only evil you do battle with is a rather evil green ooze, which you must guide from one pipe to another by constructing a trail of pipes.

It may sound rather simple, but you'd be wrong in thinking so. At the start of each level, you are given a selection of different shaped pipes, such as turns, straights, and crossroads. Using these, you must lie them in a sequence to correctly link up the entrance and exit of the area. You can't take much time to think about it though, as that green ooze is forever moving through your system, so you must think fast and plan ahead if you want to succeed.

Originally starting life as an Arcade game, Pipe Dreams later appeared on Amiga, Mac, Gameboy, NES, PC and SNES, before making a return in it's 3D sequel on Playstation. If fast-paced retro puzzlers are your thing, this is the game for you.

Graphics: 5/10
Not much to talk about here. Although the graphics are well done, there isn't a whole lot of them involved. There is, however, some nice shading and visual effects, making it quite clear that although simple, the graphics have been carefully and delicately put together.

Sound: 5/10
It's your typical puzzle game standard: a simple, repetitive track, gradually getting faster as your situation becomes more and more perilous. Good for building tension, but as any player will tell you, it can also make things a bit tedious after a few hours of gameplay.

Gameplay: 8/10
As far as Amiga puzzlers go, they don't get much better than Pipe Dream in terms of gameplay. You'll more than likely become instantly addicted. It's definitely not everybody's cup of tea, though. You'll need a great deal of patience and logical thinking in order to get all of the pipes lined up correctly, and if you're not prepared to pt your brain to work then you may want to take your business elsewhere.

Lifespan: 6/10
Unlike most puzzle games, there isn't any one special technique to dealing with the hazards of Pipe Dream, which means every level brings with it a new challenge. Every new area requires you to think of a new tactic, which may or may not succeed the first time. You'll have to rethink your strategy on more than one occasion, but this takes nothing away from the game. If you have the patience, you'll love it.


Reviewer's Score: 7/10 | Originally Posted: 02/09/03, Updated 02/09/03