NASA, 750-Piece Foil Effect Jigsaw Puzzle Orion Nebula Novelty Galaxy Astronaut Space Themed, for Kids and Adults Aged 12 and up

Although we received a puzzle with a different variant of the NASA Orion Nebula photo, the 750-Piece Foil Effect Orion Nebula Jigsaw Puzzle from Spin Master was well made and interesting to put together, with metallic-look "foil effect" lines and lettering overprinted on the puzzle photo. All of the pieces were present, the pieces are a good size and interlock well, and we had fun completing this puzzle.Apparently there are multiple versions of the NASA Orion Nebula puzzle, because the photo on the puzzle we received does not match either of the two "Volume" options shown on the current listing. Our puzzle is similar to the "Vol. 1" photo but with greens and browns instead of reds and browns, with green metallic lettering instead of white, and with many more words and lines across our variant of the photo. In addition to the usual puzzle photos on the front and back of the box, our puzzle also included a 14 x 10.5 inch "poster" which showed the same photo, but with several minor variations of the overprinted lines and wording compared to the actual puzzle, which caused us some confusion until we realized that the poster did not exactly match our puzzle. Fortunately, the box pictures did match the puzzle.At the current listed price of less than $10, this puzzle is a good value.

I'm kind of a space buff, so I was attracted to this puzzle showing a cool photo of the Orion Nebula. Since there are only 750 pieces instead of 1000, the pieces are pretty large and easy to handle. The pieces are made of cardboard that's not the thickest or stiffest I've seen, but they'll do. The pieces fit together pretty well. The printing on the front of the pieces have somewhat of a foil (vendor's term) effect in that they're highly reflective and have a bit of a metallic quality. The high reflectivity means you might have problems with glare if you have a light shining directly on it. I found light hitting the pieces at an angle works best. A nice poster (not full size) is included and the pieces have no helpful region letters on the back so you're on your own with this one. The stars background regions are fairly challenging but the rest is what I consider of medium difficulty.All in all, this is a nice puzzle with a stunning photo at a good price.

This is a top-notch jigsaw puzzle. The print is high-quality with a cool foil effect, and it's exactly the right kind of challenging for moderately-skilled puzzlers. We were able to make steady progress on it in my house—no "false fits" like I see with most cheap puzzles!One small quibble: The poster included doesn't quite match up with the puzzle itself. For instance, the square shapes on the poster are empty, while those on the puzzle are filled. This is probably a side effect of the foil process (the puzzle has foil, the poster doesn't), but it's always a bit frustrating when you can't trust the poster to tell you where a piece belongs. It didn't pose a serious impediment to solving the puzzle, but if the poster were a perfect match for the puzzle, this would be a 5-star review.

I bought this puzzle to dazzle and peak interest in my cosmos loving hubby. He gets agitated by puzzles and since I appreciate the group effort, I thought this would keep him engaged.The LARGER pieces are GREAT! The layers do not pull apart as easily as you progress with the puzzle, which is a big plus, particularly if you choose to pass on the puzzle to another person to enjoy. I figure, why waste a fun thing? I think the layers are more intact in part due to the larger pieces and the better construction materials used in the manufacturing of this puzzle.I also appreciate that there are not "clues" on the underside of the puzzle. Even though it would be tempting if they were there, because this is a difficult puzzle, I feel like it's cheating in some way to succumb to putting letters to give you clues to sections on the underside of puzzles, like some puzzle-makers do. One day, I will solve such a puzzle, and I will review whether that puzzle was so difficult that it warranted such a clue.This puzzle is a real challenge. It was so difficult for me that I was more frustrated doing this puzzle than any other. I believe that this is mostly due to the "foil effect". It really "foiled" me!Because the reflection of the colors change when you are looking at them in different angles of light, it makes it difficult to match up the pieces by color!But I believe your brain is more deeply stimulated with greater challenges. So, bring it on!Puzzles definitely develop your abstract reasoning, color and shape sensibilities and stimulate parts of your brain. We need as much brain stimulation as possible in all the right places. Frustration, agitation and such are a no-no. Use puzzling as meditation. I think I could write a book about it.Tip: When you feel frustrated with your puzzle, stop, breathe, close your eyes, breathe again, and feel yourself sinking into your chair. Take a sip of water, a snack or bite, if needed, and continue to feel that meditative calm as you gaze at the puzzle. In scanning, you will find that you subconsciously stop at your next area of interest. Focus on one area at a time, stopping frequently to take a breather. However, use the puzzle as meditation, and, in so doing, synch the breath with puzzling...My biggest beef is the absence of a LARGE size picture of my puzzle to look at. The photos on the box do not have very visible details! I almost took away a star on this account.Enjoy!

We are jigsaw puzzle fans in this house! Okay, maybe just me and I try to get everyone to help for a few minutes here and there, but still - we all love seeing a completed jigsaw puzzles on the kitchen table on a Sunday evening.Getting a puzzle started on Friday afternoon or evening is a fun tradition and we work on them all weekend, trying to finish them by Sunday night. Otherwise, they stay on the table all week until the next weekend we have to work on them.This puzzle is so magical with the space theme and the metallic accents together - it makes for a really special puzzle. I thought it would make things a bit easier, but it doesn't seem to give too much more advantage than a pattern of any normal color would.The 750 piece size is a good in-between size for family puzzling. 500 piece puzzles can be a day or so, but the 1000 pieces can go on for much longer. This being right in the middle makes it a good size for being a challenge without being overwhelming.A perfect addition to any game closet, a great gift for someone who loves puzzles, or a great family gift for neighbors or extended family members.