How to Solve the Crazy 3x3 Plus Cube
The Crazy 3x3 Plus Cube, manufactured by mf8 and DaYan, is a puzzle similar to the Rubik's cube. It has a centre portion on each side that may or may not rotate along with the rest of the layer when that layer is turned, depending on which side of which version of the puzzle it is. This puzzle comes in eight variations (one named for each planet).
Knowing how to solve a normal Rubik's cube consistently is the first step to solving this puzzle. Follow the links to know more:
Notation and terminology
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There are several notations; please refer to this notation guide.
Briefly:
- There are six sides to the cube, presented as Front, Back, Left, Right, Up and Down. They are usually referred to by their one-letter abbreviations.
- In the isometric diagrams below, where a corner points out at you, you see the F, R and U sides. The F faces to the left.
- Quarter-rotations of that face's layer default to clockwise. Counter-clockwise rotations are often referred to as "inverted" and indicated by ′, for instance, R′. (The ′ is commonly read as "prime", "apostrophe", "tick mark", "anti-clockwise", "anti" or "i" for inverted). Half-rotations (180 degrees) are indicated by the digit "2", for instance, R2 (meaning 2 quarter-rotations following the one-letter abbreviation).
- To see what is happening on the sides of the other three colors, rotate the cube as a whole, described as rotating along the x, y, z space axis, all pointing out of the page. x is a cube rotation in the direction of R, y is U and z is F, but since this sort of move also changes the colors of the center-tiles, it is used sparingly.
B 
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F 
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- Notations for slice turns or inner layer turns include M (the slice between L and R, same direction as L), E (slice between U and D, same direction as D, rarely used), S (slice between F and B, same direction as F, rarely used) and M′, M2, etc. That is to say, M is the same as L′ R x′.
- Notations for double layer turns are Fw, Bw, Uw, Dw, Lw, Rw, etc. "Rw" is a turn of the right two layers; that is to say, it is the same thing as L x.
- Pieces of the cube can be referred to using the F, B, U, D, L and R letters. For example, FUR is the corner piece at the intersection of F, U and R and UB is the edge piece between the U and B layers, or either of the corners beside it.
- For these specific puzzles, we will need additional terms and notations to refer to the pieces within the circle. We will call the pieces that belong inside the circle inner edges and inner corners. We will designate their position in the format X(YZ) where X is the side they are on and Y and Z are the other layers that they are on (Z is not necessary for inner edges). For example, F(UR) is the inner corner on the F side which is also a member of the U and R layers.
- Using the terminology on the box that probably came with your puzzle, sides whose centers turn with the layer will be called 1 sides and the other sides whose centers do not turn with the rest of the layer will be called 0 sides.