Escape Level : "Upsetting Marble Puzzle" by Brian Potetz

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"Upsetting Marble Puzzle" by Brian Potetz

added 05 Feb 2005 00:59

Solved 6/6

Cooked 0/6

Difficulty 8.00

Style 7.33

Rigidity 6.00

Shortest Solution
Name Speed Record

Length 1140 moves

By wowei

On 18 Dec 2006 18:28

Comments (turn spoilers off)

7327 Upsetting Marble Puzzle bpotetz (144) Mon 18 Dec 2006 19:55

Impressive speedrun, wowei. BTW, I found out the name of the puzzle whose vague childhood recollection semi-inspired this level - it was called "Great Gears" by Tomy. Better yet, I found a Java implementation of the game on a very cool website:
www.geocities.com/jaapsch/puzzles/gears.htm
This full version of the game is even more dizzying.

7326 Upsetting Marble Puzzle wowei (685) Mon 18 Dec 2006 18:28 SPOILER

Added speedrun: 1140 moves (old: 2246).

7325 Upsetting Marble Puzzle wowei (685) Mon 18 Dec 2006 14:23 SPOILER

Added speedrun: 2246 moves (old: 4009).
all you do is turn turn turn around, think am getting dizzy of running in circles. ;)

4233 Upsetting Marble Puzzle bpotetz (144) Sat 10 Sep 2005 04:05

Thanks, mjn! I wish I could have seen your approach.

4220 Upsetting Marble Puzzle mjn (118) Wed 07 Sep 2005 23:13 SPOILER

Whoops, I'm over the maximum alternate solution length! Anyway, my method was pretty different--I moved the reds out to the corners and lined up everybody else in the inner ring, then moved the ring around, swapping in reds temporarily to displace the other guys relative to each other.

4219 Upsetting Marble Puzzle mjn (118) Wed 07 Sep 2005 23:04 SPOILER

Hey, this isn't so hard once you get going--once you figure out how to move things around, it's all downhill.

And it really feels like a physical contraption, too. This level rocks.

1569 Upsetting Marble Puzzle bpotetz (144) Tue 05 Apr 2005 02:37 SPOILER

Added solution "Original."

1568 Upsetting Marble Puzzle bpotetz (144) Tue 05 Apr 2005 02:35 SPOILER

Aw, nine kilomoves is not THAT much.

Well, at least I'll have a copy. I'll try anyway.

1567 Upsetting Marble Puzzle Tom 7 (1) Tue 05 Apr 2005 02:30 SPOILER

On second thought, that might not work because there's a limit on the size of a solution that's not the smallest (I don't want to fill up the database!). Oh well...

1565 Upsetting Marble Puzzle Tom 7 (1) Tue 05 Apr 2005 02:29 SPOILER

Brian, you could save max's solution by doing this:

Download his to your computer
Rename it ("Max's Crazy Solution")
Upload your own solution ("Original")
Upload max's solution (not as speedrun)

1563 Upsetting Marble Puzzle bpotetz (144) Tue 05 Apr 2005 02:04 SPOILER

Wow, Max - that is some solution. It's pretty different from mine. I'm curious how you went about solving it. My general approach was to choose a set of atomic "moves" that made predictable changes to the board, and then plot out a path to the goal state on paper. I had to use longer & longer atomic moves before I got it to work. I could probably do it a lot faster if I tried again, now that I see your approach. Definitely I suffered from the false mindset where I had to put the grey spheres over the inner panels.

I would like to upload my solution, but then yours would be gone.

1318 Upsetting Marble Puzzle Max (61) Fri 01 Apr 2005 16:13 SPOILER

Added speedrun: 9270 moves (old: 999999).

255 Upsetting Marble Puzzle Max (61) Mon 07 Feb 2005 20:01

Whew, that was pretty frustrating! At least I'm no longer upset. ;) Tricky!

254 Upsetting Marble Puzzle Max (61) Mon 07 Feb 2005 13:46

I am upset.

251 Upsetting Marble Puzzle Tom 7 (1) Sat 05 Feb 2005 12:45

Oh, man, this IS upsetting!

250 Upsetting Marble Puzzle bpotetz (144) Sat 05 Feb 2005 01:01

This level reminds me of a ball-bearing puzzle built into a coaster my dad had when I was little.

It was exhausting!

Now my bittersweet childhood memories can be yours!

Enjoy!

Comments (turn spoilers off)

7327	Upsetting Marble Puzzle	bpotetz (144)	Mon 18 Dec 2006 19:55
	Impressive speedrun, wowei. BTW, I found out the name of the puzzle whose vague childhood recollection semi-inspired this level - it was called "Great Gears" by Tomy. Better yet, I found a Java implementation of the game on a very cool website: www.geocities.com/jaapsch/puzzles/gears.htm This full version of the game is even more dizzying.

7326	Upsetting Marble Puzzle	wowei (685)	Mon 18 Dec 2006 18:28	SPOILER
	Added speedrun: 1140 moves (old: 2246).

7325	Upsetting Marble Puzzle	wowei (685)	Mon 18 Dec 2006 14:23	SPOILER
	Added speedrun: 2246 moves (old: 4009). all you do is turn turn turn around, think am getting dizzy of running in circles. ;)

4233	Upsetting Marble Puzzle	bpotetz (144)	Sat 10 Sep 2005 04:05
	Thanks, mjn! I wish I could have seen your approach.

4220	Upsetting Marble Puzzle	mjn (118)	Wed 07 Sep 2005 23:13	SPOILER
	Whoops, I'm over the maximum alternate solution length! Anyway, my method was pretty different--I moved the reds out to the corners and lined up everybody else in the inner ring, then moved the ring around, swapping in reds temporarily to displace the other guys relative to each other.

4219	Upsetting Marble Puzzle	mjn (118)	Wed 07 Sep 2005 23:04	SPOILER
	Hey, this isn't so hard once you get going--once you figure out how to move things around, it's all downhill. And it really feels like a physical contraption, too. This level rocks.

1569	Upsetting Marble Puzzle	bpotetz (144)	Tue 05 Apr 2005 02:37	SPOILER
	Added solution "Original."

1568	Upsetting Marble Puzzle	bpotetz (144)	Tue 05 Apr 2005 02:35	SPOILER
	Aw, nine kilomoves is not THAT much. Well, at least I'll have a copy. I'll try anyway.

1567	Upsetting Marble Puzzle	Tom 7 (1)	Tue 05 Apr 2005 02:30	SPOILER
	On second thought, that might not work because there's a limit on the size of a solution that's not the smallest (I don't want to fill up the database!). Oh well...

1565	Upsetting Marble Puzzle	Tom 7 (1)	Tue 05 Apr 2005 02:29	SPOILER
	Brian, you could save max's solution by doing this: Download his to your computer Rename it ("Max's Crazy Solution") Upload your own solution ("Original") Upload max's solution (not as speedrun)

1563	Upsetting Marble Puzzle	bpotetz (144)	Tue 05 Apr 2005 02:04	SPOILER
	Wow, Max - that is some solution. It's pretty different from mine. I'm curious how you went about solving it. My general approach was to choose a set of atomic "moves" that made predictable changes to the board, and then plot out a path to the goal state on paper. I had to use longer & longer atomic moves before I got it to work. I could probably do it a lot faster if I tried again, now that I see your approach. Definitely I suffered from the false mindset where I had to put the grey spheres over the inner panels. I would like to upload my solution, but then yours would be gone.

1318	Upsetting Marble Puzzle	Max (61)	Fri 01 Apr 2005 16:13	SPOILER
	Added speedrun: 9270 moves (old: 999999).

255	Upsetting Marble Puzzle	Max (61)	Mon 07 Feb 2005 20:01
	Whew, that was pretty frustrating! At least I'm no longer upset. ;) Tricky!

254	Upsetting Marble Puzzle	Max (61)	Mon 07 Feb 2005 13:46
	I am upset.

251	Upsetting Marble Puzzle	Tom 7 (1)	Sat 05 Feb 2005 12:45
	Oh, man, this IS upsetting!

250	Upsetting Marble Puzzle	bpotetz (144)	Sat 05 Feb 2005 01:01
	This level reminds me of a ball-bearing puzzle built into a coaster my dad had when I was little. It was exhausting! Now my bittersweet childhood memories can be yours! Enjoy!