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Those over a certain age must remember the Rubik Cube; after all over 350 million units have been sold since its introduction in the 1980s, well now we have a follow up product entitled the Revo.  At first glance this cube shaped device with coloured sides could easily be mistaken for a slightly larger, shimmering version of the original Rubik Cube.  However appearances can be deceptive and a closer examination reveals that the central mini cube on each side is missing, so giving access to a pressure pad that is the same colour as the surrounding face.

Rather than twist this cube, the Revo offers six different types of challenges to speed up hand/eye coordination and improve your memory ability.  These challenges are identified by a digitised voice which also offers some basic instructions and provides feedback as to your performance with the various challenges.  Each of the six challenges represents one of the six colours (red, green, blue, silver, yellow and orange) used by the faces of the cube and is activated by pressing the inlaid pressure pad for that colour.

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As you would expect from a digitised talking cube, some form of power is required for the device.  In the case of the Revo, this power comes from three AAA batteries which need to be inserted into a compartment revealed by the removal of a screw (Philips screwdriver required).  Fortunately a set of batteries are already in situ so allowing immediate access to the Revo.  An on/off switch helps conserve battery power.

Select the Blue challenge, entitled Light Speed, and you will be faced with the task of eliminating a random sequence of lights as you quickly rotate the Revo to identify the next light to appear.  Yellow, or Rapid Recharge, requires you to fully illuminate all six sides of the cube by tapping the specific pressure pad repeatedly – definitely a game for those with quick fingers.

Moving on to Pattern Panic, by selecting the green face, involves the player with correctly remembering a light sequence that continues to grow and then duplicating it each time.  The Silver Cube Catcher gives you 30 seconds to remove as many flashing lights as you can while the Orange Code Cracker involves working out, by trial and error, the correct code sequence by pressing the pressure pads.

While five of the games are for single player use, selecting the red option brings Multi-player Madness with up to six players being involved.  Each player takes it in turn to put out a flashing light within a set time limit before passing the Revo on to the next player.  Failure to put out the light in time means elimination with the final surviving player being declared the winner.

Although a little too bulky, it is larger than the original Rubik Cube, the Revo is eminently portable and should provide many hours of fun and entertainment for the younger members of the family.  The Revo has officially priced at £15.99 and can be purchased for £11.48 including shipping from Amazon.

http://www.therevo.co.uk/