Apr 1, 2011

Cast Flag (旗)

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The Cast Flag, an old design back from the 19th century and brought to Hanayama by NOB (Nobuyuki Yoshigahara) with this new updated version, which was released in 1994.

The design is very original, (I've never seen something remotely similar before) and the object of the puzzle is to just take the flags apart. It's that simple... It's smaller than I was expecting, but heavier and sturdier though. You have the flag post, which is divided in two by rotating on its axis, and this will allow you to roam around the puzzle to remove the post, by passing it through the big opening, opposite from where you started.

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The solution is somewhat easy to achieve. This is a level 1 puzzle from the Hanayama rating (1 through 6) and a level 5 from PuzzleMaster (5 through 10). The only part where you might get stuck a little while is to figure out the right path to the exit, which is not so straightforward. After getting the flags out, returning them to their place is about the same, because the process is easy to comprehend. You can get the solution here, if you are out of ideas.

Closing Comments:

All in all, the Cast Flag is easy to pick up and solved in no time, but it feels good to play with. It's stress and frustration-free, although still provides a good amount of thinking, courtesy of the Hanayama minds. The good thing about the easier levels of the Cast Series is that they are easily understood by a wider audience, making them a great choice for parties, to entertain friends.

You can find the Cast Flag, along with the rest of the Cast Puzzle Collection at PuzzleMaster for CAD $12.95.

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Links:

Hanayama's Factory Visit (Many thanks to Roxanne Wong for sharing these pictures)

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