SengSo Crazy 5x5 v3

SengSo Crazy 5x5 v3

Mechanically it's a regular 5x5, but every face has a circle cut into it that changes the way you solve it. SengSo Crazy 5x5 v3 by ShengShou is part of the Crazy series. The pieces inside the circle don't turn together with the face, so elements you solve on autopilot on a classic 5x5 have to be tracked separately here. This puzzle is the stickerless version in the bright colour scheme.

What makes it tricky

The moves are the same as on a regular 5x5: you turn the outer and inner layers. What changes is what happens to the colours. The circular cut splits some of the pieces into a part inside the circle and a part outside it. Because the circle doesn't follow the face turn, solving the layers alone doesn't mean the cube is solved. You also have to sort out what's inside the circles. The reduction method you use on a 5x5 still comes in handy, but you'll need to add new observations and your own algorithms to it.

How v3 differs from other Crazy 5x5 versions

The versions in the series differ in the size of the circle, meaning the number of pieces within it. In v1 the circle covers only 4 pieces, while in v3 it covers 21. Almost the entire face is within reach of the cut, so the difficulty rises noticeably compared to v1 and v2. Version v4 has 24 pieces inside the circle. If you want to check first whether this type of puzzle suits you, you can start with v1. If you already know the regular Crazy, v3 will give you a much bigger challenge.

Who is it for?

For people who solve the 5x5 without looking at a tutorial and are looking for something new, and for collectors of shape mods and ShengShou puzzles. This is not a cube for setting times. It has no magnets, and what counts here is figuring things out, not TPS. For a child's first cube, a regular 3x3 is a better choice. Without knowing how to solve a 5x5, the Crazy 5x5 v3 is likely to be frustrating.

Specifications

• Type: 5x5 cube with a circular cut on the faces (Crazy series), shape mod
• Manufacturer: ShengShou (SengSo)
• Version: v3, 21 pieces within the circle
• Size: approx. 70 mm
• Weight: approx. 180 g
• Magnets: none
• Colour scheme: stickerless bright
• EAN: 6923039191539