Pipe Mania to spout a comeback

If you're anything like us and misspent many a happy hour frantically slotting pieces of adjoining pipe into place before a load of sewerage came seeping out the end, you'll be thrilled by today's announcement from publisher Empire that it's remaking classic Amiga game Pipe Mania.

The original Pipe Mania was first released in 1989 and later ported to a range of formats including Atari ST, BBC Micro, Commodore 64, Game Boy and NES.

The game queues up differently shaped bits of pipe for you to slot together from a start to a finish point. Each level requires the use of a minimum pieces of pipe and, once a clock has counted down, sludge starts to trickle through the pipes making connecting them up ever more fraught. It's a simple concept but one that's stood the test of time and has produced plenty of clones over the years.

Speaking to MCV, Empire Interactive CEO Ian Higgins said: "We are very excited to be bringing back Pipe Mania. Releasing this popular puzzle title across all formats will give gamers of all ages the opportunity to enjoy this exciting puzzle sensation."

The new version will remain similar to the original but includes new game modes, characters, themes and play mechanics and, as Higgins discloses, it'll be released on all formats later this year.

An Empire spokesperson has since confirmed to us that this includes DS and PSP. Which we're happy about because Pipe Mania is perfect handheld fodder.