Rubik's Cube 4x4
by Winning Moves
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Toys and Games Reviews of Rubik's Cube 4x4
Customer Review: Great If You Can Modify It
Summary: 3 Stars
I received a Rubik's Brand 4x4 cube for Christmas this year. I can solve the 3x3 in about a minute and a half each time, I was looking for something harder and this new cube fits the bill perfectly. Up to a point, it is not like a 3x3, and is entirely intuitive. However, you can eventually turn it into a scrambled 3x3, and you solve it the same from that point on. Except for parity. Parity is a situation that can occur on a 4x4 but is not possible on a 3x3, and it requires at least two huge, horrible, difficult, chalenging, and crazy algorithms that you must memorize. But, it is very fun to solve and I recomend every Rubix enthusiast to get one.
Now, about the quality of this particular cube. My problem is with the stickers. The internal mechanism, a sphere, is fine. The physical construction of this thing is great. It moves well, and is very sturdy. But the stickers are not durable. Within three days, they began to peel. I then decided to take a risk, and customize it. I took it apart, and painted each piece individually with epoxy, then I scraped the excess epoxy off the insides of each individual piece once it dried. I then lubed it with WD40 and Vaseline, while putting it back together. The result, a professional looking and moving cube. It took a lot of time, but I think it was worth it. However, that amount of work would not be necessary if Rubik's were to spend about 5 cents more on each cube and get better stickers. The quality of the stickers deduct two stars from this otherwise five star cube.
I would recomend that you look at other brands for you 4x4, like Eastsheen, or maybe a tiled cube. Or, you could purchase better stickers for about a dollar and put them on yourself as soon as you get this cube. Or you could turn it into a frankencube as I have done with mine. But except for the poor stickers, this is a great cube, very chalenging and fun, and anyone will enjoy it.
Customer Review: Be a Sherlock Holmes, and keep going strengthen your Mind
Summary: 5 Stars
I believe that this cube may hold the answer to one in terms of one finding a good game which does not promote bad competition. Chess, Checkers, Bingo, Poker, American football, Rugby, hockey, squash, Domino's and others are games that pretty much just promote bad competition. People may disagree, but i have played Chess, and even though the game is stimulating playing with people is not the best in the world.Chess has to many bitter people... (But back to the cube)
One can mix the cube and then set yourself on a course in solving the it (Rubix cube). No one is rushing you, and you are not in competition with anyone else but alone by yourself and thinking and thinking about finishing it. Keep your mind challenged and young with a puzzle that will take you to different levels and angles of intellectual thinking. Grow intellectually/mentally with a good clean toy that promotes growth in the good way and not with bad experiences. Yes, be your own Sherlock Holmes and solve the mystery, and get all colors to match on your item. No rushes, no hate, but all winning at the end at your own pace but solving the mystery to this cube. Even if you don't solve the piece, keep on trying and trying, and always get your mind to think always-that is also another goal.
Customer Review: Great fun until it falls apart
Summary: 3 Stars
I bought the cube, and it was in ruins a week later. One of the center pieces broke off, and it's irreparable. I saw it coming, though, because the cube started showing signs of flakiness by the second day: some of the stickers (mostly the orange ones) had begun peeling off, and the pieces were getting very loose, very fast. The cube burst side pieces out on two occasions before its final destruction.
I was being as gentle as possible, but if you learn how to solve the cube, then you'll be performing thousands of turns on it. Both the 3x3 and the 5x5 cubes seem to hold up a lot better than the 4x4.
I'm hoping I can find another manufacturer. I've played with 3x3 cubes from many manufacturers over the years, and some are obviously better-made and more durable than others. This isn't one of the good ones.
If you're going to make serious attempts at solving your 4x4, I recommend lubricating it with something. The cube-solving sites seem to recommend silicone spray (whatever that is). When I was in high school I'd take them apart and put vaseline in them, which smooths over the "catches" that happen as you turn rows that are slightly misaligned, and also has a slightly glue-y effect that holds it together better.
Customer Review: Easier than the Rubik's 3x3...
Summary: 4 Stars
The Rubik's 4x4, earlier called Rubik's Revenge, is 56 pieces: 24 center pieces, 24 edge pieces, and 8 corner pieces. Although that's 30 pieces more than the 3x3's 26 peices, the 4x4 is actually easier!
The reason for this is that the mechanic of the 4x4 leads to an intrinsic mechanical solution that any fan who has solved the 3x3 would enjoy, and easily discover. I belive it is also thus more educational for younger minds, maybe 7 and up.
I would give Rubik's 4x4 5 stars if it were slightly more durable. The 3x3's six core peices really never move along the core, but the 4x4 has 24 core peices, the center ones, and each is attached by only one millimeter thick piece of plastic.
With heavy twisting, which is necessary, it may break. Once one of the core peices break off, the whole cube falls apart, and is beyond repair. I've had to purchase one replacement so far. This time I'll know not to lend it to my destructive nefews, unlike the harder, but more durable 3x3.
Overall, this is a great toy, especially for 12+, but I think even the gifted 7 year odl could solve it if really dedicated. That is if he didn't break it first. :(
Customer Review: Terrible construction
Summary: 2 Stars
Rubicks brand cubes are good for the 3x3x3, not the Rubicks revenge. This cube is has several deep flaws. First of all, the stickers aren't on very well. they will start to peel at the edges after about two weeks. The construction is also bad. The pieces come out so easily that if you are performing a complex algorithm and a cublet pops out, you have to put it in and possibly start over. I by no means am rough when i turn it, I generally don't "speed cube", and the cubes STILL pop out- terrible. It does not turn very well, and you are constantly getting annoying pops and clicks when you turn it. It is not very sturdy either. It feels like it will come apart if you turn something the wrong way. In fact, it did this once to me. I turned a side when the rest of the cube was slightly ajar, and five or six pieces just pop out and scatter across the room! Once one piece pops out, the whole construction goes limp, and even MORE pieces FALL OUT. Reconstructing this cube is not fun. Do not buy this product. Get the V-Cube 4x4x4, they are much better and don't have any of these problems.