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History
Radica Games Limited was founded in Hong Kong in 1983. It started out making electronic souvenir games for casinos, such as handheld poker, blackjack and slot games, before moving into the wider toy market. Its big breakthrough came in the late 1990s with the Bass Fishin’ line of handheld games. It followed with a string of hits: the Play TV plug-and-play systems (later Play TV Legends, with licensed Sega and Taito games), the 20Q electronic guessing game, and Skannerz. By 2005, Radica was a Nasdaq-listed company with around $163 million in yearly revenue, a design and marketing office in Dallas, its own factory in China, and distribution in about 30 countries.
Cube World was not created in-house. It came from Tony Ellis, an electronics engineer from Crowborough, in East Sussex, England. Ellis had spent his early career designing security systems, vehicle alarms and early GPS devices. In August 2001 he founded Conceptioneering Ltd with his wife, Judie: a small “invention house” that designed toy, game and gift concepts and licensed them to big manufacturers. Over the years the couple licensed more than 60 products worldwide.
The idea for Cube World came from an ordinary sight: a block of flats. Looking at the rows of windows, Ellis started wondering what the people living behind each one were doing. That became the concept: tiny “apartments” with an LCD window, each with its own resident, which could be stacked together like a building so the neighbours could visit each other.
Conceptioneering licensed the concept to Radica, which developed it into a product line and launched Series 1 in 2005 under the slogan “Stick People Sticking Together.” The cubes debuted at around US$32 for a pair. The early reviews were mostly about the transfer effect: stick men leaving their own cube on their own, with a blind coming down over the empty window.
Release
The first series of four Cube World games was released in 2005. Each cube is a small handheld video game with very basic gameplay, reminiscent of Nintendo’s Game & Watch. The main selling point of these games was their ability to interact with each other, hence the slogan: “Stick people sticking together”. All cubes had magnetic contacts on all four sides, allowing them to be connected to up to four other cubes. The stick figures inside the cubes would then interact with one another. Up to 16 cubes can be connected and interact simultaneously. Each cube features over 100 animations and a unique mini-game played with the three buttons. The cubes also had a built-in motion sensor (tilting the cube triggers reactions).
In July 2006, Mattel announced it was buying Radica for about $230 million ($11.55 per share in cash), and the deal closed on October 3, 2006. Mattel kept the Radica name on the packaging but used its own worldwide distribution to take Cube World global. In Japan, the line was handled by Bandai. Under Mattel, the line grew from simple character cubes into themed series (Sports), the Jumbo “Places” cubes, and finally the Mods with their plug-in modifiers.
The toy was a real hit for a small inventor’s concept. Ellis has said Cube World sold several million units. It was nominated for Electronic Toy of the Year at the 2007 North American International Toy Fair, and Mattel gave Ellis its Inventor Award for Cube World in both 2007 and 2008.
Against all odds, Cube World survived for three years and spanned 22 different cubes, plus limited some translucent Special Editions for Series 2, 3, 4, and the Jumbo.
Demise
After the release of the Mod series (Series 5) and the Jumbo Cube Series, in 2008, Mattel decided to end production as sales declined and the market shifted toward digital/app-based toys. Remaining stock was cleared through retailers and online marketplaces. Ellis later turned his attention to robotics and assistive technology for people with disabilities, but still talks about Cube World today and has posted original videos of the cubes online.
How does it work
- Every face except the back has magnetic contacts, so cubes snap together side by side or stacked on top of each other, in any horizontal or vertical pattern. Once connected, the stick people notice each other right away. They wave, pester each other, play together, and visit.
- A stick man will, on his own, walk or climb out of his cube and into a connected one. When he leaves, a window blind drops in his home cube to show nobody is home. You can’t force a visit. It happens when the characters decide, so leave a group connected for a while to see the best moments.
- Pulling the cubes apart while someone is visiting will “reset” the cubes. Every visitor instantly “dissolves” and reappears back in his own cube.
- 4 stick people maximum in any one cube (including the Jumbo cubes).
- 16 cubes maximum in a single connected world.
- Shake, tilt or flip any cube and the stick man tumbles around inside it. After about 4 minutes without interaction he lies down for a nap, and one minute later the cube goes to sleep. Press ON to wake him.
Cube World FAQ
- Do different Cube World series work together? Yes. Every series (1 to 5) and both Jumbo cubes are compatible with each other.
- What batteries does Cube World use? Series 2, 3 and 4 small cubes use one CR2032 coin cell, behind a screwed door. The Jumbo cubes (Block Bash, Global Get-A-Way) use three AAA batteries, and the Series 5 modifiers have their own batteries.
- Why won’t my stick man visit the other cube? Transfers happen randomly, so give it a few minutes. Make sure the magnetic faces are touching flat (the back has no contacts). If a cube acts strangely, press the Reset button on the back with a blunt point. Static electricity can freeze them.
- How do I start a Stick Game? Press the ON / Stick Game button once to enter game mode, then again to start. Hold the cube level when starting. The High Score button shows your best score.
- Are there any secret animations? Yes, here’s a list:
- Four in a row: connect all four cubes of the same series in a straight horizontal or vertical line to trigger a special group animation.
- Twins: two copies of the same character interact with each other (e.g., Hans with Hans).
Series
Radica released six series of Cube World toys. The first four series (Series 1 to 4) were sold either individually or in packs of two. The fifth series was slightly different: each cube was sold with a corresponding mod, resulting in four different sets.
The cubes in the Jumbo series were sold individually. Each Series 5 cube came packaged with a “modifier,” a separate battery-powered accessory (Funhouse Mirror, Speaker, Faucet or Particle Accelerator). Connecting a modifier unlocks extra animations, and stick people can transfer into the modifier itself. Mods work with Series 1–4 cubes and the Jumbo cubes.
The Jumbo “Places” are four times the size of a regular cube, with a bigger screen and three game buttons. Small cubes connect to any side, and their stick people move in to hang out. Connecting Block Bash and Global Get-A-Way together (or two of the same) triggers unique animations. Block Bash also hides 21 unlockable animations: during Trash Dash, jump over the rat that runs across the street. The number of rat jumps decides which animation you unlock.
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| Series 1 Dodger (Ball), Whip (Whip) Slim (Stick), Scoop (Dog) |
Series 2 Handy (Wrench), Mic (Music Note) Dusty (Spray Can), Hans (Dumbbell) |
Series 3 Chief (Star), Sparky (Fire) Toner (Cup), Dash (Envelope) |
Series 4 Slugger (Baseball), Slam (Basketball) Kicks (Soccer), Grinder (Skateboard) |
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| Series 5 Dart (Dart) |
Series 5 Hip Hop (Boombox) |
Series 5 Splash (Faucet) |
Series 5 Sci-Fi (UFO) |
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| Series Jumbo Block Bash (Taxi) |
Series Jumbo Global Gat- A-Way (Helicopter) |
Every Cube World Character and Their Stick Game
All 22 Cube World units, by series. Each small cube has one resident stick man with his own hobby, over 100 animations, and a built-in mini-game (a “Stick Game”) played with the middle button.
| Series | Year | Character | Japanese Name | Cube Color | Personality | Stick Game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Series 1 | 2005 | Slim | Slim | Purple | Does tricks with a stick | Pull Up |
| Dodger | Dodger | Red | Kicks and heads a ball | Bounce | ||
| Scoop | Scoop | Orange | Lives with his dog | Keep Away | ||
| Whip | Whip | Yellow | Rope tricks | Jump Rope | ||
| Series 2 | 2006 | Mic | Mic | Pink | Music lover | Spin Off |
| Hans | Hans | Light blue | Works out | Kick-a-Stick | ||
| Handy | Handy | Dark blue | Fixes everything | Go Go Gopher | ||
| Dusty | Dusty | Light green | Keeps things clean | Buzz Off | ||
| Series 3 | 2006 | Chief | Chief | Blue | Police officer | Police Trainer |
| Toner | Toner | Gray | Office desk jockey | Paper Pile-up | ||
| Dash | Dash | Green | Delivery man | Package Dash | ||
| Sparky | Hot | Brown | Firefighter | Fire Academy | ||
| Series 4 (Sports) | 2007 | Slugger | Major | Light red | Baseball | Batting Cage |
| Kicks | Kicks | Green | Soccer | Juggling | ||
| Slam | Pivot | Orange | Basketball | Jump Shot | ||
| Grinder | Grinder | Tan | Extreme sports | Rail Slides | ||
| Series 5 (Mods) | 2008 | Dart | N/A | Purple | Carnivals & theme parks (Funhouse Mirror mod) | Water Balloon |
| Hip Hop | N/A | Black | Urban lifestyle (Speaker mod) | Graffiti | ||
| Splash | N/A | Blue | Surfing the sewers (Faucet mod) | Water Ski | ||
| Sci-Fi | N/A | White | Labs & lasers (Particle Accelerator mod) | Meteor | ||
| Jumbo (Places) | 2007 | Block Bash (resident: Alley) | N/A | Yellow-orange | City block | Trash Dash |
| Global Get-A-Way | N/A | Blue | Vacation spots around the world | Jungle Jump |
Special Edition
Some Cube World series were also released as translucent Special Editions. It has been confirmed that Series 2, 3, 4, and Jumbo all received Special Edition releases. It is currently unclear whether Series 1 and Series 5 received similar versions. The Special Edition is virtually identical to the regular edition, except that the opaque plastic of the cube is replaced by translucent plastic of the same color. There is no information on how limited the Special Editions were compared with the regular editions.
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| Series 2 Mic (Music Note), Hans (Dumbbell) |
Series 2 Handy (Wrench), Dusty (Spray Can) |
Series 3 Chief (Star), Sparky (Fire) Toner (Cup), Dash (Envelope) |
Series 4 Slam (Basketball), Grinder (Skateboard) |
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| Series Jumbo Block Bash (Taxi) |
Series Jumbo Global Gat-A-Way (Helicopter) |
Japanese Release
In Japan, Cube World was distributed by Bandai. While the colors differ, the games and icons remain the same. Most names were also kept, with only three exceptions.
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| Series 1 – Japanese Scoop (Dog) Dodger (Ball), Slim (Stick), Whip (Whip) |
Series 2 – Japanese Handy (Wrench), Hans (Dumbbell) Mic (Music Note), Dusty (Spray Can) |
Series 3 – Japanese Dash (Envelope), Hot (Flame), Toner (Cup), Chief (Star) |
Series 4 – Japanese Major (Baseball), Grinder (Skateboard) Pivot (Basketball), Kicks (Soccer) |
Packaging
Cube World was sold in several package formats.
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| Single Pack |
Dual Pack | Special Edition Pack | Toys “R” Us Exclusive* | ||||
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| Series 5 Series Pack | Jumbo Series Pack | Jumbo Series Special Edition Pack | |||||
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| Japan Pack | United Kingdom Pack** |
* The Dual Mic Pack was a Toys “R” Us exclusive. The Mic cube was available in other dual pack in other retailers.
** The United Kingdom appears to have had this packaging for Series 1 only.
Video
Here’s a few commercials for the Cube World.
| North American commercial for Cube World | Here’s the Japanese commercial for Cube World (In English) |
Cube World by Radica – TV Ad for Series 4 (First Version) |
Cube World by Radica – TV Ad for Series 4 (Second Version) |
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| Cube World by Radica – TV Ad for Series 5 | Cube World by Radica – Series Jumbo – TV Ad |