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• Inventor: Unknown
• Mechanism: Crazy 4x4x4
• Patents: Unknown
• Producer: ShengShou
• Year: 2023
• Original Price: $17.99 USD
• Current Price: No Data

This puzzle looks very similar to the Crazy 4x4x4 III by mf8/Dayan from 2010 (see the separate entry) but the mechanism and the behaviour is very different.
It can be best described as a 4x4x4 with a Circle 2x2x2 (see the separate entry) inside. The circle is wider than on the Circle 4x4x4 type II - Center Locking
The best paradigm for a Circle 2x2x2 is a Fused 3x3x3 Cube displaying the edges through the circles.
Most 2x2x2 puzzles are implemented as Fused 3x3x3 cubes where the corner pieces hide the 3x3x3 edges.
On this puzzle, two opposing squares inside the circle build as a logical pair an edge of the internal Fused Cube. Three of the 12 edges are bandaged together with the core around one single corner of the internal 2x2x2.
The corners of the internal 2x2x2 are completely invisible.
Compared with the related "Circle 4x4x4 type II - Center Locking" the bigger circles reveal a new piece type:
Two opposing triangular segments within the corners build another logical pair. These 24 new pieces can be divided into three colour sets (white/yellow, red/orange, blue/green).
Turns of the 4x4x4 face layers never move any circle pieces, but whenever a slice layer gets turned containing one of the bandaged edges the circle pieces on two opposite faces turn as well.
When you want to solve this puzzle it is important to find the bandaged corner of the internal Fused Cube.
You can just make two layer turns until you find the single corner around which two layer moves turn the circles as well.
Another helpful paradigm might be the Circular 5x5x5 IV where all pieces of the central layers are invisible and the inner 3x3x3 is a Fused Cube.

Images 13-14 show a sample with custom coloured body.

Links

Thank you to the following people for their assistance in helping collect the information on this page: Konrad.

This puzzle can be found in collections of these members: