Droplitz Delight

I couldn't be a plumber. For one thing, I haven't perfected the knack for having my arse crack on show at all times.

If poking at pipes and plugging up leaks in any way resembles the challenge presented by Droplitz Delight, however, then it's probably just as well I gave plumber-training a miss at school.

That's because, just like Droplitz's respective splashes on PC, XBLA and PSN, managing to get its pipes in order is an especially tricky business.

The aim of each level is to turn a number of dials in order to connect up a series of pipes to guide droplets that fall from the top of the screen.

With the clock ticking – and it really does tick at some pace – creating a successful path relies on your ability to spot routes that take each droplet either to the bottom of the stage via a series of exit pipes, or to a neat little end - or 'U-Dial' - pipe.

Each successful route you make is handily highlighted for you once it's brought into line, the game as a whole filled with Namco-esque rainbows and notably brighter palette than previous editions.

Managing to set up paths that incorporate numerous drops ups your score (although attempting to link up multiple routes by connecting the entry pipes at the top of the map sadly isn't possible), but, even with its bright and breezy approach taken into account, it's questionable just how satisfying any of this is.

A little drippy

Such is the pace of play that it's almost impossible at times to catch every drop that falls.

That's a setup that existed in Droplitz's original form, and one that continues to grate purists today. Indeed, in every mode but Free Play (where you're allowed to play a little more at your own speed), no sooner have you scrambled to complete a level than you're onto the next.

Whether that's a fault or not depends on how much fun you find Droplitz Delight's stern task in the first place, with Target Quest mode – where collecting red target dials along the way is the aim – adding an extra element that will keep masters of its maze engaged for longer than usual.

Others, however, will find proceedings a little less fruitful. Any attempt to incorporate a plot of sorts would have been unwise, but as it is play feels a little routine and, at times, more of a job than a joy.

When compared to similar puzzlers, Droplitz Delight is a little loose - an inventive task with no real motivation or resolution. A solid mobile debut, then, but one that will ironically prove a little dry for many tastes.