[next] [prev] [up] Date: Sun, 23 Jul 95 14:12:48 -0400
[next] ~~~ [up] From: Nichael Lynn Cramer <nichael@sover.net >
~~~ ~~~ [up] Subject: Rubik's Race

[I don't know if this has been discussed before. Maybe some of the old
timers know about this --the copyright on the box is 1982-- but I don't
recall having seen it mention since I've been on the list...]

Anyway, Saturday we hit a rumage sale at the next town over (Hinsdale VT)
and I picked up an interesting game in the "toys" section. It's called
"Rubik's Race". (It was put out by Ideal and seems to be reasonably well
made, so I assume it's "authorized".)

The main "board" is about 18in long by about 7in wide. The players set at
either end and their section of the board has a recessed area that holds 24
plastic pieces (about 1in square) aranged in a 5X5 grid with one empty
space.

(The square pieces are divided into six groups of four, each four-group
being one of the standard colors on the side of the Cube.)

At the start of a game, one player picks up a small box that contains nine
small "cubies" (about 3/8in on a side), shakes the box and sets it down.
The cubies settle onto the bottom of the box in 3X3 grid (thereby
resembling the face of cube). Each player then proceeds to slide his
pieces around (using the blank as maneourvering space) until the center 3X3
grid (out of the original 5X5 grid) matches the 3X3 "face" in the small
box.

The board is also divided between the two players' area by a vertical,
hinged piece which can fall towards either end, and which has a "window" in
the center. When the player finishes his central 3X3 grid, he pulls the
hinged pieces towards himself --the window of which exposes his central
grid-- and declares himself the winner.

An obvious variation is for one player to scramble a cube, set it on the
table and have each player try to match the topmost face.

So, as such the games provides an interesing combination of the Cube, the
15-puzzle and Battleship. ;-)

(But probably the most amazing part is that, given that I picked this up at
rummage sale, *all* of the nearly sixty small plastic pieces were still
there! All in all not a bad investment for 10cents.)

Nichael - "...did I forget, forget to mention Memphis?
nichael@sover.net Home of Elvis, and the ancient Greeks."


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