This is one puzzle a little enigmatic: first, for his interesting structure; second, for the numerous versions that have been made, and, above all, for the unusual amount of unsolvable versions.
The original puzzle is a work of the chinese Big Panda, and in the remodels intervened York Shen, LZY and may also others. Most versions were published in the old forum chinese SuperSoko, toward 2003 or 2004. I've entertained in: 1) to collect all the versions (if you know some version not collected here, please send me it); 2) to solve the puzzles; 3) to establish a logical ordering of versions. I lost a lot of time to make sure that the unsolvable puzzles, indeed, have no solution. However, I may be wrong: if you find a solution of any of these "unsolvable" versions, please, send me it or post here.
In the series I have also included the remodels made by Marko Dzekic (which gave the name "Submarine" to this puzzle). Almost all of the remodels of Marko are arrangements of unsolvable versions.
It is not a difficult puzzle, and it's nice and fun to solve. Most of the versions are similar, although all of them are interesting. In my opinion, the best is the latest version ("p"), of LZY and York Shen: is the version more tighter, and therefore is also the most difficult.
If you have more information regarding this puzzle (date on which was published, authors of versions...), you could write a comment on this post.
You can download this set here:
Author: Big Panda
Title: (untitled) a
Source: Dzxmer Panda 92 #1
Date: c. 2003?
Best moves/pushes: 698/257
Author: Big Panda
Title: (untitled) b
Source: Dzxmer Panda 92 #2
Comment: posted in SuperSoko
Best moves/pushes: 1109/459
Author: unknown
Title: (untitled) c - UNSOLVABLE
Source: posted in SuperSoko
Author: Big Panda + Marko Dzekic
Title: Submarine re-1
Set: Remodeling #7
Date: January 2010
Best moves/pushes: 1725/727
It is a remodel of the previous "c" version.
Author: Big Panda + Marko Dzekic
Title: Submarine re-2
Set: Remodeling #8
Date: January 2010
Best moves/pushes: 1720/719
Version almost identical to the previous re-1.
Author: unknown
Title: (untitled) d - UNSOLVABLE
Source: posted in SuperSoko
Author: unknown + Jordi Domenech
Title: (untitled) d arr.
Comment: delete a wall
Date: 2013.1.12
Best moves/pushes: 1461/583
Author: Big Panda + York Shen?
Title: (untitled) e
Source: Dzxmer Panda 92 #3
Comment: posted in SuperSoko
Best moves/pushes: 1411/565
Author: Big Panda + York Shen? + Big Panda?
Title: (untitled) f
Source: Dzxmer Panda 92 #4
Comment: posted in SuperSoko
Best moves/pushes: 1583/641
Author: Big Panda
Title: (untitled) g - UNSOLVABLE
Source: posted in SuperSoko
With respect to the previous "f" version adds 3 boxes, but the box in (22,14) closes the way.
Author: Big Panda + Marko Dzekic
Title: Submarine re-3
Set: Remodeling #9
Date: January 2010
Best moves/pushes: 1671/669
It is the same previous "g" version, arranged.
Author: Big Panda
Title: (untitled) h - UNSOLVABLE
Source: posted in SuperSoko
Author: Big Panda + Marko Dzekic
Title: Big Submarine re-1
Set: Remodeling #10
Date: January 2010
Best moves/pushes: 1885/707
It is the same previous "h" version, arranged.
Author: unknown
Title: (untitled) i - UNSOLVABLE
Source: posted in SuperSoko
Author: Big Panda + Marko Dzekic
Title: Big Submarine re-2
Set: Remodeling #11
Date: January 2010
Best moves/pushes: 1989/764
It is the same previous "i" version, arranged.
Author: Big Panda + Marko Dzekic
Title: Big Submarine re-3
Set: Remodeling #12
Date: January 2010
Author: Big Panda + Marko Dzekic
Title: Big Submarine re-X
Set: Remodeling #13
Date: January 2010
Author: Big Panda + York Shen
Title: (untitled) j
Source: Dzxmer Panda 92 #15
Comment: posted in SuperSoko
Best moves/pushes: 2135/804
Author: Big Panda + York Shen + LZY
Title: (untitled) k
Source: Dzxmer Panda 92 #16
Comment: posted in SuperSoko
Best moves/pushes: 2088/823
Author: Big Panda + York Shen
Title: (untitled) l
Source: Dzxmer Panda 92 #17
Comment: posted in SuperSoko
Best moves/pushes: 2693/892
Good version! Similar to the previous "k", but harder.
Author: Big Panda + York Shen + LZY
Title: (untitled) m
Source: Dzxmer Panda 92 #18
Comment: posted in SuperSoko
Best moves/pushes: 2202/746
Author: Big Panda + LZY + York Shen
Title: (untitled) n
Source: Dzxmer Panda 92 #19
Comment: posted in SuperSoko
Best moves/pushes: 2381/791
Version more tighter than the previous "m".
Author: unknown
Title: (untitled) o - UNSOLVABLE
Source: Dzxmer - SuperSoko Box #23 (original)
Comment: posted in SuperSoko
Author: Big Panda + LZY + York Shen
Title: (untitled) p
Source: Dzxmer Panda 92 #20 / Dzxmer - SuperSoko Box #23 (corr.)
Best moves/pushes: 2629/864
Arrangement of the previous "o" version. It is still more tighter than the "n" version, because it is necessary to take out all 7 boxes from the bottom center.
New additions
Přemysl Zíka sends me this fantastic version, with *one more box* (!) over the last "p" version. I confess that I have not found the solution on a first try... :s
####
# ##
## ## ###############
# $ # #. #
# $ $ # ##. $.########.#
###$ ###.***#.* ..#######
# # *..##..######. # #
######.***.#.##.*# ## $ $ #
# ###*...*..*.*.#$ # ### ##
# $ *.#.*.*...*. # ## ## #
# #*.. $ #########$ $ $ #
#### #.***.## # # # ## ###
##$ ## ### $$$ #### ## ## #
# ##.### $@$ # $ #
# $ ## . $$$ # # ####
# $###.### . #$#$######
# # # ######### # ####
# $# # $ $ # #
## # # $ $ # $ $ $ #
# $# # $ $ ######### #
# # # $ # ####
# ## ## ##
#### #####
Author: Big Panda + LZY + York Shen + Premysl Zíka
Title: (untitled) p2
Comment: + 1 box
Date: 2013-02-02
