Mirror Blocks

From Speedsolving.com Wiki

Mirror Blocks is a 3x3x3 cube modification where each of the three layers on each axis has a different thickness. It is usually unstickered or stickered with only one color, so that rather than solving it based on the colors of each piece, the solver must go off of the shape of each piece, to return the puzzle to its solved, cubic state.

Originally known as the Bump Cube, it was invented by Hidetoshi Takeji, and appeared at the design competition during IPP26 (International Puzzle Party 26) in Boston in 2006. Rubik's and MegaHouse then mass-produced the puzzle starting in September 2008. That mass-produced version was renamed Mirror Blocks.

Manufacturers

Solving

The puzzle consists of:

  • 1 large cubie (3x3x3 units*) corner piece
  • 1 tiny cubie (1x1x1 unit) corner piece
  • 3 1x1x3 corner pieces
  • 3 1x3x3 corner pieces
  • 3 1x1x2 edge pieces
  • 6 1x2x3 edge pieces
  • 3 3x3x2 edge pieces
  • 6 center pieces
  • plus the core

Adding up to the 27 pieces of a 3x3 cube.

As the similar pieces can be interchanged, the "place for every piece" theory of a colored 3x3 no longer applies. It is possible to complete most of the cube by any method, leaving four unsolved pieces. These last pieces affect each other's orientation, and may be solved through trial and error, or through developing algorithms.

Applicable methods would include the Sexy Method, CFOP, and CFEC (Cross, F2L, ELL, COLL). One method involves solving the cube to the point where the 1x1x3 or 1x3x3 corner pieces are in place but not necessarily oriented, and then orient them, changing the orientation of the 1x1x1 or 3x3x3 cubie (respectively) as required to accomplish this last step.

External links



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