Let’s face it. The original 3×3 Rubik’s cube was getting old. As cool as it was and as cool as it still is, it needed a shiny, techy replacement. And what would be better for the 30th anniversary of the original? Come in, Rubik’s Slide! Instead of the original puzzle, this toy/gadget has 10,000, further ensuring you will never solve a Rubik’s puzzle (actually you can). Review of the practically-finished prototype after the break.
Price as reviewed: $17.99 with availability this Fall 2010 at major retailers
Full disclosure: This prototype unit was sent in by Techno Source for review
Looks and Feel Of This New Toy
Well, let’s see here. It’s a Rubik’s cube, only harder or easier, and with more or less plastic. The color that you try to solve in each level isn’t labeled but electronically lit, possibly by LEDs since they’re so bright. In your hand the Rubik’s Slide is considerably smaller than the Rubik’s 3×3 Cube, and instead only has one side for figuring. It’s very lightweight, which is ideal for something that you will be twisting and turning before times runs out, something that’s happened much too often with my time on the Rubik’s Slide.
One thing that I was glad to hear while speaking to my contact at Techno Source is that the Slide will come with a tutorial when it’s launched, so everyone would have an easier start with it.
And before you ask, yes, there are buttons. 4 of them in fact. First is the power/free play/Lightning Round rocker switch, the “play switch”, and finally something I’d like to call a cheating switch. Basically this one will tell you what the final arrangement of the cubes should be, making your work much easier. Full disclosure: I’ve hardly used it.
Two Modes of Gameplay = Xtreme Fun
There’s two modes of gameplay on the Rubik’s Slide: Lightning Round and and Free Play. In Lightning Round you have to solve 10 puzzles in an allotted time (which isn’t that long, trust me). With some practice I was able to solve all 10 (on Easy), so then I went for Free Play when things got boring (or maybe it was because I had to submit some posts here?). In Free Play, you crack open puzzles until your brain runs out of ideas to solve them (which happened to mine at 5). In one word it’s addicting. Really addicting. In fact I started playing while writing this. That’s no good, right?
How You Play
It’s so simple Chris Davies and John Biggs could do it (that’s my payback guys on the Desire and DSi XL unboxings). You place at least one finger on each corner or three on one side and your thumb on the opposite. At first it took some getting used to, but it wasn’t too much of a problem once it started puzzling me mercilessly in puzzles as they got harder.
Something I’d like to point out here is that in order to switch levels of difficulty you simply decide whether or not you’d like the Lightning Round or Free Play (by using the power switch), then place the cube with the logo towards you. You’d then “slide” the cube forward which would change how hard levels are.
According to Techno Source the Rubik’s Slide is for ages “8 to 108″, which seems pretty broad and wide, a reason why Rubik’s products become so successful. I can definitely say I haven’t played enough with it as I should have, but in the gadget blogging world we call that “deadlines”, and right now my deadline is up.
Let’s Wrap Things Up…
I gotta say that the Rubik’s Slide could be to adults and kids 10 years from now what the original Rubik’s Cube is to millions. As technology becomes more tightly integrated in to our lives, our toys and gadgets will become the same as well. And that means that the Rubik’s Slide has a pretty good shot at making it like its ancient ancestor, unless the guys and girls at Techno Source and Rubik’s come up with something even better.
Pros:
- It’s an electronic Rubik’s Cube.
- Fun, brain-twisting gameplay
- Awesome light effects
- It remembers your scores
- Batteries included in retail and review units
Cons:
- Shape takes some getting used to
- That I really can’t say anything bad about it, which should go in “Pros” actually
