This is a guest post by Chloe from Ben 10 Toys And Games.
In the summer of 2009, Rubik released their latest mind bending puzzle onto toy shop shelves. It is called the Rubiks 360
Rubik 360
Rubik may have started world puzzle domination with a cube but the latest toy is spherical. It comprises of six balls, each of a different colour, and three see-through spheres inside each other. To solve the puzzle you have to move the balls through some holes in the inside spheres and then make sure they end up in a matching coloured dome on the outside edge.
The main problem you will encounter when tackling the Rubic 360 is gravity. This is because the inside spheres have a weight on them, opposite to the hole where the balls are supposed to drop through. So whenever you twist and turn the sphere you find that the holes are pointing upwards and the balls are at the bottom. To ensure the puzzle is not impossible, the spheres rotate on different axes. This means that with some gentle coaxing and balance you should be able to guide the balls to their goal.
Rubik’s Cubes
Everyone has heard of the original 3x3 Rubik’s Cube but if you are after a popular puzzle but do not like the sound of the Rubik 360, why not have a look at the 4x4 Cube. Obviously it is bigger than the original Cube and as such is much harder to complete. There are more coloured squares to line up properly and the mechanism is more complex and less stable to manoeuvre. It is a step up from the 3x3 Cube and should not be tried until you are happy with completing the first one. The way to solve this bigger Cube has moved on because there is no longer a fixed square in the centre of each face to keep you anchored.
Hopefully this has given you a bit more information on the more recent Rubik’s puzzles so you can ensure you buy the right one for your gift recipient.
