Superplexus
Encyclopedia
Ball-in-a-maze puzzle
Ball-in-a-maze puzzles are dexterity puzzles which involve manipulating either a maze or one or several balls so that the ball or balls are manoeuvered towards a goal...
or labyrinth game enclosed in a transparent plastic sphere. By twisting and turning the sphere, players attempt to maneuver a small steel ball through an intricate maze composed of 100 steps along narrow plastic tracks. Additionally, some of the steps involve dropping the ball into a cup or through a small rim to take advantage of its three-dimensional nature. There are obstacles of varying difficulty that must be navigated in order to reach the end.
In 2009, Busy Life, LLC became the licensed manufacturer of the Perplexus line of toys. It is exclusively distributed by PlaSmart Inc.
PlaSmart Inc.
PlaSmart is a Canadian toy distributor based in Ottawa, Ontario and focuses on distributing unique, simple, and educational toys for children. Formed in 2003 by Timothy Kimber, PlaSmart launched its first product, the PlasmaCar, to the North American market. The success of the PlasmaCar assisted in...
, a Canadian corporation. In 2009 the toy was available online eg. on ThinkGeek
ThinkGeek
ThinkGeek is an American online retailer that caters to computer enthusiasts and other "geeky" social groups. Their merchandise includes clothing, electronic and scientific gadgets, unusual computer peripherals, office toys, pet toys, child toys, and caffeinated drinks and candy...
, ToysGamesPuzzles.com, Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
or Educational Kids Play http://www.perplexus.net/buy_nowhttp://www.santarosa.edu/~mmcginni/superplexus/vendors.html.
History
Perplexus was co-invented by teacher and sculptor Michael McGinnis and toy inventors Brian Clemens and Dan Klitsner of San Francisco-based KID Group—known for the invention of the games Bop ItBop It
Bop It toys are a line of audio games based on concepts originally patented by Dan Klitsner. Bop It was licensed to Hasbro and further developed there by a number of designers including Bob Welch....
, HyperDash, and other titles. McGinnis first sketched ideas for three-dimensional labyrinths in the late 1970s but it was several years before showing the sketches and rough prototypes to Dan and Brian in 1999. After a year of collaboration and many prototypes later, they perfected the play so that it was easy enough for a young child to start, yet challenging for any age due to its many levels. A version with an electronic timer named SuPerplexus was launched in 2001, but with limited availability. There are currently three kinds of Perplexus—Rookie, Original, and Epic.