Z-Cube Rainbow 3x3x3

Z-cube Rainbow 3x3x3

Z-cube Rainbow 3x3x3 is a 3x3 cube with an unusual sticker layout. The faces are not single-coloured. Instead, they are covered with diagonal stripes in four colours. Each colour has its own corner, and the colours share the remaining four corners. The mechanism and shape are the same as on a regular 3x3 cube, so this is a sticker mod, not a shape mod. The only things that change are how the solved cube looks and how you work out where each piece should go.

What makes it tricky

Your usual 3x3 solving methods still work, but you have to read the colours differently. The centres and corners have stickers in several colours, so their orientation matters too. On a regular cube a rotated centre makes no difference, but here it does. If a centre is turned the wrong way, the pattern won't come together, even when every piece is in its correct position. If you know the regular 3x3 well, you'll usually pick up the idea quickly. For beginners, it makes a better second or third cube than a first one.

How it turns

This is a simple, non-magnetic cube with no tension adjustment or compression adjustment. According to user reviews, after a short break-in it turns smoothly and is fairly controllable without feeling heavy. It is not meant for timed speedcubing, though. It's a puzzle for casual solving and for your collection. Some buyers point out that the sticker colours are rather muted and not as vivid as in the product photos.

Who is it for?

For anyone who can solve a 3x3 and wants a new take on the same cube, one where you have to keep track of piece orientation. It also works well as an inexpensive addition to a collection of puzzles with modified patterns, or as a gift for a child who has already mastered the classic cube.

Specifications

• Type: 3x3x3 cube, sticker mod (modified sticker pattern)
• Manufacturer: Z-cube
• Plastic colour: black
• Pattern: 4 colours arranged diagonally, with centre and corner orientation
• Size: approx. 60 mm
• Weight: approx. 76 g
• Magnets: none
• Adjustment: none