First off, I'm reviewing this as a toy on it's own; I'm not comparing it to the original Rubik's Cube since they are two different toys. Comparing the two is like comparing apples and oranges. Now that that is out of the way, I think the the Rubrik's Revolution is a really fun toy for all ages. The games are simple enough for anyone to pick it up and play without much instruction. Most of the game modes are variations of having the player turn off a lit side before the timer runs out. The challenge in turning off the lights is that you can see at the most three sides of the cube at once. The player is required to constantly rotate the cube to see all sides. Although not complex, it's very fun to keep trying to beat a continuously decreasing timer. I'm disappointed in the game modes Rapid Recharge and Code Cracker because are really short and too easy to complete even if it is your first time playing. While I'm not sure if this happens with every game mode, a few of them just end once you get so far. I would have like them to just keep getting faster till I lost and then I could try to beat my high-score.
The design of the cube seems really well thought out. It's approximately the size of a regular Rubrik's Cube with the center cube in each side hollowed out. If you stick your finger about a half-inch in, you can press the light-up button and hear a distinctive click. The buttons always register right away without a problem. The position of these buttons make it pretty much impossible to accidentally press and slightly adds to the challenge. The power switch is inset on the red side of the cube and positioned so that I have never accidentally turned off the device while playing with it. This is quite a feat when you consider that your hands on constantly moving in every direction on the surface of the cube while playing. The stickers on the cube are the shiny holographic type, and they help you recognize the color of the side if you are playing in a dark room and really just make the whole cube seem cooler looking in a techno-futuristic way. The voice and recorded sounds of the cube also contribute to this feeling. Someone in my family commented that the voice is too monotone, but I like it because it seems futuristic like the computer from Star Trek is talking to you. The only major problem I have with the design of the cube itself is that it's impossible to know how to adjust the volume without looking in the instruction manual. It seems like there should be more levels to adjust the volume to because even on the softest level it's still pretty loud, loud enough to prevent me from playing late at night for fear of disturbing my roommates.
Overall, this is a pretty nice toy. It's not going to revolutionize the way people think about toys, but that really not what it's trying to do. I think as long as you aren't trying to make this into the original Rubrik's Cube, most people will have some fun with this cube. This is a game that puzzle fanatics will hate, but people who are into reflex-testing games like early arcade video games will love.
For the best experience, I would recommending playing this game in a darkened room. The cube looks really neat when it lights up and this will actually make some of the games easier since you can look for the lights on the floor and walls instead of having to have to look directly at a face to see if it is lit.
Reviewed By : Jared : Dec 26, 2007
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