MF8 Crazy 3x3 Jupiter

MF8 Crazy 3x3 Jupiter

At first glance, it looks like an ordinary 3x3 cube with a circle cut into each face. MF8 Crazy 3x3 Jupiter belongs to the Crazy 3x3 Plus series: eight puzzles named after the planets of the Solar System that look identical from the outside. They differ in which circles turn together with their face and which do not. You can identify each version by the planet symbol and name on the white center. The mechanism was designed by Daqing Bao, and the series has been on the market since 2010.

How the Jupiter version works

The circle on each face consists of the center and the inner parts of the edges and corners. On a face with a moving circle, the whole circle turns together with the layer, just like on a regular cube. On a face with a fixed circle, only the outer pieces turn, while the middle of the circle stays in place. The inner and outer parts of a corner or edge can then separate.

Jupiter has five moving circles and only one fixed circle. Of the eight planets, no other variant behaves as similarly to a classic 3x3. Still, a single fixed circle is enough to stop the standard layer-by-layer method from working from start to finish. You have to keep track of the pieces inside and outside the circle separately, and commutators and 3-cycles come in handy at the end.

Who is it for?

This cube is for people who can already solve a 3x3 and want to move on to puzzles based on its mechanics. Jupiter is a puzzle for thinking, not a speedcube. It has no magnets or advanced tension adjustment, so what counts here is solving, not TPS. For collectors, it is one of the eight planets, and the whole series is easy to recognize by the symbols on the centers. It is a poor choice as a child's first cube. It is better to start with a regular 3x3.

Stickerless version

The colors are in the plastic, with no stickers. This matters because the circle cuts create very small pieces, and stickers on them can peel off over time.

Specifications

• Type: puzzle based on a 3x3 cube, Crazy 3x3 Plus series
• Manufacturer: MF8
• Variant: Jupiter (5 moving circles, 1 fixed)
• Size: approx. 58 mm
• Weight: approx. 125 g
• Color: Stickerless Bright