Rubik's Games (UK Version)

Requires: Windows 95/98, Pentium 133, 8X CDROM, 32 MB RAM, video card with 640x480x32,000 colors

Description:

The infamous Rubik's Cube has made it's way from your hand to your computer. Rubik's Games provides more endless fun and brain stretching than is found in most computer games. Solve your own hand-held Rubik's Cube, play a variety of games, download more games, and have hours upon hours of fun with Rubik's Games.

Features:

• Colorful crisp graphics
• Rubik's Classic Games
• Cover Up Game
• Playground game
• Zig Through Game
• Paint War Game
• Website for posting scores, downloading and uploading new games
• Detailed manual

Technical Aspects:

Report and Conclusions:

We borrowed a Rubik's Cube from a friend in order to try out the How To Solve Rubik's Cube option. You can paint the cube on the screen according to the colors that are on the cube sitting in front of you. Paint each side and then the software will lead you step by step through the process of solving your cube! We, however, found out that in order to try to solve the cube...someone had actually peeled off the stickers and placed them where they wanted them, thus making the cube impossible to solve even with the computer's help! We got a good laugh on that one.

We enjoyed the Cover Up game which entailed laying towers for bricks down on a board in various formations to cover the board. This was fun and a definite twist to the Rubik's Cube concept. Playground and Zig Through Game each provided fun and interactive moving parts on a board. Combine all these with the option of creating your own game variations, going to the website and uploading high scores, games you have created, and downloading other players' games and you have an unbelievable amount of games! The only thing we didn't care for was when you lost a game, You Lose is prominently displayed on the screen. Our 12-year-old tester said "I don't like that!" and I must agree with him as well.

The games provided are varied and will keep your brain working to the max. However, based on the complexity of most of the games, we would recommend this software for a minimum age of 12 years. We also tested the software with two 16-year-olds, both in accelerated classes in high school. Their comments were that most of the games were difficult to solve and they thought it should be rated closer to 16 years and up.