RTFA: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/lifestyle/4412176/Rubik…

Now the reclusive Hungarian inventor hopes to recreate the buzz of Rubik’s Cube with his new game, featuring six balls trapped within three transparent plastic spheres.

The puzzle, shown to the Sunday Telegraph ahead of its unveiling at a toy industry fair in Germany on February 5, confronts users with the same frustrating challenge – a task that is simple to understand, with only one possible solution, yet extremely difficult to execute.

Players must get the coloured balls from an inner sphere into matching slots on the outer sphere by shaking them through a middle sphere that has only two holes.

The new puzzle is already arousing interest among Rubik’s Cube afficionados. Ron van Bruchem, 41, the Dutch co-founder of the World Cube Association, said: “Our community is very interested in the upcoming release of Rubik 360.”

Student Joel Gouly , 18, from Leeds, who can solve the Rubik’s Cube blindfolded in under one minute, said: “It looks like more of a physical game that requires dexterity whereas the Cube is something to ponder but there’s no reason it can’t catch on.

“It would be hard to beat the original Cube though.”

The Cube was an instant success when it was first exported from Communist Hungary in 1980, becoming the world’s fastest-selling toy and a must-have accessory in the school playground as well as the home.

More than 350 million have been sold worldwide and the Cube retains a cult following, with almost 40,000 entries on YouTube featuring tutorials and video clips of quick solutions.

Described by its creator as not so much a toy as “a work of art”, it earned a place as a permanent exhibit in New York’s Museum of Modern Art and entered the Oxford English Dictionary after just two years.

Since 1980 Professor Rubik has released other toys and games but none have become as famous as the Cube.

The 64-year-old sculptor, engineer and architect has not been interviewed for 10 years and rarely attends any of the worldwide ’speedcubing’ competitions organised by fans, but released a statement which said: “I feel that the 360 is one of the most innovative and exciting puzzles we’ve developed since the Cube – adopting elements of my original design, challenging the solver to use skill, dexterity and logic.”