Swinging in the drain

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Drain Mania is the latest offering from Icon Software, which is proving to be a supplier of good arcade games.

This one is a platform game with a difference, and is most suited to Status Quo fans who are fond of sewers.

The game starts with a scrolling instruction screen that looks pretty but is harder to read than a stationary one. Accompanying this is some very good Baroque-ish three-part music.

The main game involves moving a brightly coloured little fellow with a flat head (Aren't they all?) around the platforms. The surface of each platform is meant to be slippery, so you have to take account of your braking distance when trying to turn and run the other way.

You can jump for rotating coins which hang from the platform above your head, but the main aim is to dislodge the monsters that appear from drains at the top of each screen and make their way down to similar outlets at the bottom. If you can head-bang the platform directly beneath their feet they will fall over. You can then destroy them by running over or jumping on them. If you touch them while they're upright, however, you lose a life.

Playing Drain Mania is a bit like playing an inverted version of Monsters but much more enjoyable. It's easy to play but hard enough to be addictive.

Simon Williams