Rubik's 360
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Rubik’s 360 was designed by the
inventor of the famous Magic Cube, Ernõ Rubik, and released in 2009. Much
different than its cubic predecessor, the Rubik’s 360 promised to deliver a
completely new approach to puzzle solving. The design is very original indeed,
unlike anything we ever saw from the Rubik’s company. But how does it stand
with the current flood of new puzzles? Is it worth your time and money? Read on
and find out.
The Rubik’s 360 has quite a unique
mechanism. It is comprised of three transparent spheres, each moving
independently from one another. The outer sphere is stationary in relation to
the inner spheres. Also, you can only move the inner spheres by moving the
outer one. Each of the inner spheres has a metal ball that acts as a
counter-weight and makes the spheres rotate in the opposite direction. At the
poles of the outer sphere you also see two knobs that rotate in order to open
or close the entrances of the colored compartments. This helps to keep the
balls in place while you try to get the remaining balls in the other
compartments. The puzzle itself is nice to hold in your hands. It’s not very
big either, with a diameter of about 11cm.
The goal of the Rubik’s 360 is very
simple: There are six colored balls (white, blue, red, orange, green and yellow
– the same colors of the original Magic Cube) and six compartments with the
corresponding colors. You start by having all six balls at the center of the
inner most sphere. The goal is to get each ball to the compartment of the same
color in the outer sphere.
Getting the balls to where you want
them is no walk in the park, though. It involves a good amount of dexterity… Actually,
more dexterity than I would like. Prepare to some frustrating moments, because
you’re going to need a lot of patience and practice to solve this the first
time.
As I said above, the two inner
spheres move by getting the counter-weights in the desired positions. The inner
most sphere has one hole and the middle one has two holes. Aligning the holes
of the two spheres requires a lot of trial and error. Sometimes you’re so close
to get one of the colored balls in the corresponding compartment, just to see
it fall to the center in the next moment. I have solved this over two years
ago, and it required more than one attempt. I remember it took a lot of
practice, but I eventually did it.
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Closing Comments:
I
found the Rubik’s 360 quite frustrating to attempt to solve it a second time.
It’s fun at first, but the fun is quickly replaced by frustration. The one
thing that patient players get is a great rewarding feeling when they finally
solve it. You really feel like you accomplished something challenging. So, is
it worth your time and money? – If you like a serious challenge, absolutely!
Availability: You can buy the Rubik's 360 at the Spanish puzzle store PuzzlesdeIngenio.com.
3 comments:
I agree, it is fun to solve the first time but can be frustrating to repeat. It is quite different from a Rubiks cube, which gets easier after you solve it!
I really didn't like it! I solved it a few times and then got rid of it. Not worth buying in my opinion!
I didn't go that far, since I'm a collector and don't like getting rid of puzzles, but I understand you completely. It's not Rubik's masterpiece by a long shot.
George, your comparison with the Rubik's Cube is spot on. It does get more fun after you solve it, and the 360 is the other way around.
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