Bit late on the uptake, but I heard this for the first time today. I've been listening to a lot of OCRemixes, especially lately, and especially Sonic. I don't know of very many songs, mainstream or otherwise, that have the sheer feel-good rush, as told by KogeJoe, that is brought to us by Dream Pipe, nor the tone that makes you smile. You have no choice, you have to. In fact, the first time I heard this mix, I giggled. An eighteen-year-old boy, giggling.
I heard nothing reminiscent of Ice Cap or NiGHTS in this piece, although the care-free sound, I think, would mesh well with NiGHTS as stage music. The one thing that I heard parts of in this mix was another mix of DarkeSword's, Just a Little More (Prime Edit), although I believe that to be a mere similarity between the tunes of both pieces as brought out by Darkesword and not intentional.
Overall, a prime specimen of remixing, and a tribute to what video game music has the potential to be: free-standing and enjoyable, even to people who have never heard the source. Bravo, Darkesword. Bravo.