Bob the Pipe Fitter Pocket PC Software Review

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Product Requirements:
Device:
Pocket PC (Windows CE 3.0 and higher). Program uses
1.5MB RAM

These days I have been busy enjoying one of those games that begs to be played –
a true time-waster if there ever was one. The game I’m referring to is
Bob the Pipefitter, by
Hexacto.

If I had to describe this game in six words or less, I would have to say it
is a "marriage of Tetris and Pipe Dreams."

Who exactly is Bob? Bob is this sassy overall-wearing plumber that watches
you, as you try to connect four or more pipes together. He sits on the
sidelines, and alternates between sleeping (presumably because your game-play is
that boring), telling you what a poor job your are doing ("Just four?"),
and when you’ve accomplished a stellar move – he might actually provide a word
of encouragement.

Bob the game, has a distinctly Tetris-like feel to it, in
that you have the window on the left side of the screen where the action
occurs and on the right you have information on the next shape that will
fall, how much time has lapsed, and your score. To make things interesting,
Bob himself appears in the bottom right of the screen.

Lest you think that
he is just some passive observer to your game-play, Bob is always ready with
a "Speed up!"  when he feels that you aren’t performing quickly
enough.

Not only will his comments be displayed in a cartoon bubble above his
head, but if you elect to have the sounds on, you will also get to hear his
slightly sarcastic commentary in his distinctive little accent.

Notice how Hexacto designed Bob to have no menu bar cutting into your
game-play area? I think you’ll agree that this helps even the smallest
screen look larger. In addition, the colors used for Bob are bright and
multi-layered. This game is a visual treat!

This is probably a good time to back up and talk about exactly how
you play this game…

 
bob th7
 bob th8    
bob th9
After the initial splash screen, you will be directed to a
Menu. You will need to choose the Options button, and then you will
see the Sounds screen. Decide whether you want to hear as well as see the
game and then Click the Controls Setup button.
This is the place where you assign your Pocket PC’s
hot-buttons to a specific function tied with the game, right, left, or down.

Since there are so many PDA button layouts out there, you will be able to
choose the one that makes your game-play most comfortable.

My favorite setup on the Casio E-200 is to assign all of the functions to
the D-pad. This makes the game much more intuitive. More intuitive equals
more fun, so I am glad this is an option.

The object of this game is to put at least four pipes together, upon
which time they will clear away. The more pipes you manage to string
together before they are joined and cleared, the better.

bob th10
 
bob th11  

As you can see, I am just getting started…and Bob
is getting bored. Notice he’s taking a nap?

He’ll soon wake up and either say "Speed Up!" or "You can do
better than 4 pipes
!"

Every once in a while, after at least 5 pipes are cleared, you’re
rewarded with a "Not Bad!"

bob th12
 
bob th13 The more intricate our pipes get, the better you will score
as they drop away and clear. One good way to take out many pipes at once is
to create what’s called a "pipe bomb". That’s what results from four pipes
being joined together in a circle. When you get a "pipe bomb," the
neighboring pipes are cleared away as a result of the explosion.

In his own little way, Bob will also comment on the fact that you have
made a "pipe bomb." Even though he looks concerned and grimaces when he says
it, I think he is secretly pleased…

Unfortunately, his comments occur so quickly, I was not able to get
screen snaps!

 

As with Tetris, the game will get faster and faster as you play and if you
are too slow, you’ll be dog-piled under all of the falling pipes and the game
will be over.

If you happen to be any good, you will have the option of saving your high
scores and then sharing them with other players on the Hexacto web site. As of
today, a player named HUGO has the posted high score of 1650. I can’t get
anywhere near that score – yet!

I suggest that you not play this game if you need to be somewhere in a
hurry. Bob is addictive and almost guaranteed to make you late. :0)

Price: $12.95
Also available bundled with Slurp (another great game) for $19.95

Pros:

Excellent eye-candy graphics that look FAB on the Pocket PC’s screen
Great combination of Tetris and Pipe Dreams
Addictive pipe-fitting fun!

Cons:

None

 

Product Information

Price:12.95
Manufacturer:Hexacto
Pros:
  • Excellent eye-candy graphics that look FAB on the Pocket PC's screen
  • Great combination of Tetris and Pipe Dreams
  • Addictive pipe-fitting fun!
Cons:
  • None

5 thoughts on “Bob the Pipe Fitter Pocket PC Software Review”




  1. Gadgeteer Comment Policy - Please read before commenting
  2. Hi,

    Just wondering when the Gadgeteer of the Month will be updated again?

    The current guy’s been there for six weeks.

    Thanx
    Db

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