Puzz 3-D Millennium Falcon

It's the Millennium Falcon, but does it fly?

• Puzz 3-D Millennium Falcon
• by Milton Bradley
• 827 pieces
• MSRP $29.95

uzz 3-D's Millennium Falcon is not a puzzle for beginners, although it might lure them in anyway. There are hardly any clear edges or patterns to start with, and, because it's a 3-D puzzle, many of the edges that do exist are confusing. The pieces are joined together with traditional, irregular puzzle cuts, but there are also pieces that are squared-off, curved, angled, and even pieces that aren't meant to be fitted into the final Falcon at all. Conveniently, these throwaway pieces are marked with red dots.

Those who have a good visual fix on the Falcon will have a definite edge -- the artwork is the key. Because the art is detailed and fairly true to the actual ship, puzzlers are more easily able to scan for likely matches. Another strong assist comes from the photos of the finished puzzle on the box, and the hint sheets packaged inside (see 48K .GIF of complete puzzle layout).

Even with these hints and aids, however, it is difficult to gain a foothold on the project at first. The pieces are almost uniformly gray, with repetitive right angles repeating all over. If the piece isn't a section of the almost featureless hull, then it's most likely got some sort of tiny grillwork on it. A good way to kick off this project is to work on the cockpit or the engine exhaust port first, or look for pieces with curved lines on them. Another technique is not to dispose of the pieces with the red dots until after the sections of the ship are ready to be put together in 3-D mode, as these pieces largely indicate where these sections are to be joined.

In the beginning, it's easy for puzzlers to convince themselves of the implausibility of finishing the darn thing. The unopened plastic bag filled with the pieces looks more like a throw pillow -- and when they're first out of the sack and turned picture-side up, it's daunting to realize that it will take a banquet-sized table to see them all laid out at once. But this is welcome in a challenge. The only real let-down is that the pieces are paper overlaid on foam, and not very environmentally friendly.

For even mildly addicted Star Wars fans, the reward of a really cool-looking doo-dad at the end of the trauma should be enough to keep them going. As the ship comes together, the ability to discern between light light light gray and light light medium gray is honed to a paper-cutting edge, instilling the confidence needed to complete the ship. When it all finally comes together, an array of stickers ices the cake.

While these pieces are sturdy, they're not cat-proof. Guard them. --Tamara I.

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