This puzzle is made of anodized aluminum and consists of eight pieces. Each piece has three magnets embedded in it. The object if it is to take the pieces apart and return it to the original cubic shape. This puzzle came in the PuzzleMaster packaging,but I have a feeling it was manufactured originally for Bits and pieces. The puzzle itself is quite fun but the construction leaves a lot to be desired.
This puzzle comes packaged with a clear cube inside the crate to help it keep its shape during shipping. When I pulled the puzzle out of the box, it just sort of fell apart on me. Maybe it was put together wrong or maybe it was a couple of weak magnets, I'm not sure. Either way there was no cheating with this puzzle. I had to sort it out to solve it. I would have to guess it took me around 20 minutes of faffing about with this and other things.
Unlike some magnetic puzzles, this one doesn't have that 'strong push/pull' to it. That would have made the puzzle real fun. Nothing like flying pieces! It does snap together rather nicely when you get the magnets lined up, but the repelling force could be stronger. Another drawback of this puzzle is just cosmetic, but the magnets aren't seated properly in some places so they are jutted out in places. There isn't the tight fit I wish it had. Maybe one day if it sits on my shelf long enough and bothers me long enough, I'll dig the magnets out and reglue them. The finish when it came in was scratched in places, and you can see the glue overspill in others. A nice puzzle that could have used a bit of quality control.
One corner has a groove taken out of it that can be used to stand the puzzle on its edge. Surprisingly, it does balance that way. Overall, it's a fun little puzzle. I'm not thrilled by it, but I'm not disappointed either. You can find it at Puzzle Master for around CAD23. Not a bad price for a bit of fun.
