A Huge 1980's Fad Revisited
Written: Oct 15 '03 (Updated Oct 15 '03)
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Pros: Great for killing time; gives the mind a good workout
Cons: It's easy to get frustrated and give up before learning to solving the cube
The Bottom Line: If you love puzzle games, the Rubik's Cube is a fantastic mental workout and a fun way to pass the time.
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| princesssuzy's Full Review: Hasbro Rubik's Cube |
History
The Rubik's Cube was invented by Erno Rubik in 1974 in Budapest, Hungary. Erno Rubik was a teacher of Interior Design with a passion for Geometry. He did not discover the cube by accident, but rather through intense exploration of how each smaller cube could unite with and separate from the cubes around it in various patterns to become one, unified puzzle cube. After various failed attempts at methods of holding the cube together while allowing each row of cubes to turn independently, Erno Rubik found a working construction method and applied for a patent on the cube in 1975, though the first cubes were not made until 1977.
In 1978, the cubes had been tested and a hot new craze was just around the corner. Distribution of the cubes began and the cube's popularity quickly grew. By the beginning of 1980, the cube had rather impressed buyers at that year's Toy Fairs of London, Paris, Nuremburg and New York. The cube was picked up and mass-produced by the Ideal Toy Corporation and renamed from "Magic Cube" to "Rubik's Cube" and sold to the masses.
The Basics
The Rubik's Cube looks simple enough at first glance. It appears to be a small, six-sided cube with each face being a different color. The idea of the puzzle is to turn the sides of the cube to mix up the pieces, then simply put all the pieces back into place.
Each side is divided into nine smaller squares. Each side of the cube is "cut" into nine smaller cubes, or mini-cubes. The center slices contain eight cubes plus the one, hidden center cube which all the other cubes move around. Each cube ultimately moves around the center at ninety degree angles in two directions. With any movement of one of the sides, nine cubes and up to twenty-one squares change position. It is this constant movement that makes the cube seem so difficult to solve.
Solving the Cube
Solving the Rubik's Cube seems to be about thinking ahead. At first, most people try to put the squares back in order on the cube one by one, often trying to make one whole face the same color, thinking the other faces will automatically fix themselves. This method will almost never work. This is because whenever you try to move a square, that square takes a number of squares with it, wrecking the progress you just made. After a while, most people just give up. It is at this point where planning ahead comes in. If you can think ahead a few steps and concentrate on switching positions of squares instead of just putting them next to other like-colored squares, you will find the cube much easier to solve.
If you're still having trouble and wish to avoid the popular "sticker peeling" and "screwdriver" methods of solving your cube, there are websites that will help you in your quest. At the official Rubik's website, there is even a "Paint Your Own Cube" feature that will show you the exact steps to solving your cube for a small fee. (Five solves for $2.99, ten solves for $4.99.)
The official Rubik's website is located at: http://www.rubiks.com
Speed Solving
I am not an expert at speed solving, having just picked up a Rubik's Cube for the first time in almost fifteen years. My personal best time is a pathetic four hours. The current record time for speed solving a Rubik's Cube is less than 17 seconds. Speed solvers spend many hours memorizing cube positions and patterns and make movements that put a number of mini-cubes in their proper positions simultaneously. With practice and a good amount of thinking ahead, anyone with the drive to do it can become a speed solver.
Tips on Purchasing a Cube
An official Rubik's Cube is worth the money if you want a cube that will last a long time and twists smoothly. However, a number of "off-brand" cubes are available today. I recently bought a cheap Japanese version on eBay at well below the retail price. This is a good idea if you want to try solving the cube but you aren't sure you'll really get into it. After all, ten dollars does seem to be a high price to pay for all that frustration. But if you'd like the best quality cube or want to try your hand at speed solving, go for the official Rubik's Cube. Each cube comes with a booklet containing tips on solving to help you along, as well as advertisements for other Rubik's games.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 9.99
Type of Toy: Puzzle
Age Range of Child: Whole Family
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princesssuzy
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Location: AK
Reviews written: 17
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"It's better to try something and fail than try nothing and succeed."
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