Just out of Hibernation, what did I miss? 3 reviews done and a list as big as my arm of ones to com...
Just out of Hibernation, what did I miss? 3 reviews done and a list as big as my arm of ones to come! I will read and rate as many as I can as I ease myself back into Ciao life.
Member since:21.05.2001
Reviews:44
Members who trust:74
What's it all about?
Brain Training is a game that is designed to be played for only a few minutes each day. The idea is simple, pick it up, train your brain for 5 minutes, then get on with your life. I'm sure you've seen Chris Tarrant on the adverts, and despite his endorsement the game is well worth a look!
The game is based on a serious of mini games, so it's not hard to get started at all, but unlike games like Wario Ware and Mario Party, these mini games are like eating lots of fish*.
(*In no way are these games like eating fish, other than the fact that fish are good for the brain, stick with me on this one!)
Science bit
From now on I will be referring to "Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training How Old Is Your Brain", as Brain Training, simply because it's hurting my brain to have to try and type all that lot again! However, thankfully the Western name for the game is a lot shorter than the rather snappy Japanese version, "Professor Ryuta Kawashima of Tohoku University's Center for Collaborative Research on Future Technology Presents: Train Your Brain - DS Training for Adults"
The first thing to say about this game is that it's not actually a game at all. Brain Training is actually based on the work of the World renowned Neuroscientist (you may not have heard of him unless you're a Brain Surgeon or member of MENSA, but he knows what he's doing!). Professor Ryuta Kawashima's studies showed that carrying out simple mathematics or reading aloud could stimulate the brain and improve memory by 20% - 30%.
With this in mind Nintendo worked with Dr. Kawashima, using a Topography system, to create a range on mini exercises that are proven to increase brain activity. The Topography creates images of the brain and allowed the developers to identify which activities stimulated the prefrontal cortex, and therefore choose the most effective forms of Brain Training and which ones not to include in the game.
Ok, I know what your thinking, "Ah, that sounds too
complicated!", and you'd be right, the science behind Brain Training is very complicated. Thankfully, the boffins at Nintendo have done all the hard work so all you have to do is play it.
Lefties and Righties
Them main control for the game is the stylus and Touch Screen and to aid this Brain Training uses the DS like a book. The top screen is used to display instructions and information and the lower Touch Screen is the main input for the game.
The great thing about this is that whether you are right or left handed you can go into the options screen and with the touch of the stylus you can set up the DS so that you can play the game in all its glory. There'll be no discrimination on behalf of your handedness here!
Although the main input for the game is the Touch Screen the game also uses Voice Recognition software as well as the standard buttons to give a unique style of play that is easy to pick up and play, for anyone of any age.
Another handy thing is that the game on sale in the UK is a multi-language version and you can simply change between, English, German, French, Dutch, Spanish and Italian from the options screen. I myself have never used anything other than English, but if you have friends who's first language isn't English, why not play on a level playing field?
Getting started
As I just mention getting started on the game couldn't be easier. The on screen Dr. Kawashima (freaky floating head) takes you through a range of questions to set up a data file for you (the game can hold 4 data files at any time, so you can get friends and family on board).
Each data file has 4 options.
Brain Age Check - Complete 3 tests to calculate your Brain Age Training - A range of mini games aimed to Train your noggin Graph - View how smart (or not) you've become against other players Other Options - Change Handedness, Font size, Signature etc.
The aim of the game, as described by the weird floating head is to get your calculated brain age as close to 20 as possible, as this is the optimum Brain Age. Each day you can complete the Brain Training games and the Brain Age Check (only 1 attempt per day will be saved, but you can play as many times as you want!).
Dr. Kawashima even used science to calculate the Brain Age. A Best fit approximation was collected from 120 test subjects of varying ages and the results of these are used to work out your Brain Age.
Brain Training:
When you start the game you will only have 3 types of training available. Each day if you complete 3 exercises or more you will get a date stamp on the built in calendar, and stamps mean prizes! At certain points you will unlock new games, options and tips for passing a set number of stamps. Through most of the menus in the game you can see a calendar on the top screen. From here you can look back on the time you have had the game to see how often you have played on it. If you miss more than a few days of Training you can expect some sarcastic comments from the Prof when you play again!
The 9 games available are as follows, but the more stamps you get unlock Hard versions of the games to keep you on your toes!
Calculation X20 - Write the answer to the 20 maths questions as quick as you can, you will be docked points for every wrong answer!
Calculations X100 - I'm sure you can figure that one out for yourselves!
Reading Aloud - Using the DS exactly like a book read the extract out loud as fast as you can. Extracts like Mary Shelly's Frankenstein!
Low to High - Watch a sequence of number on the screen and then repeat on the Touch Screen, sounds easy, but gets tricky!
Syllable Count - Easy, count the syllables in the sentence on screen!
Head Count - Watch the screen as stick men go in an out of a house, then after the sequence write how many are in the house now.
Triangle Math - Hard to explain, but easy to play. Carry out the on screen calculations to get to a final answer.
Time Lapse - Look at two analogue clocks and write the hours and minutes that have passed from the 1st to the 2nd.
Voice Calculation - As with the Calculation training earlier, but this time you say the answer out loud instead of writing it.
Every now and again the Doc will ask you to Draw 3 images (I was just asked to draw a Collie, a Bulldog
Pictures
Main Screen
and an Armadillo!), which will later be compared against other players efforts, or just to shame you at a later date with just how bad your version of an Armadillo was! Other times you will be asked to write what you had for Breakfast, or what you first said today, this question will then be asked again in a week to see if you can remember what you said the 1st time!Brain Age Check
The Brain Age Check uses 3 random tests to measure your Brain Age. The game asks you if you are able to talk or not. A good feature as you can't always scream at your DS in public, people start to talk about you! Really, they do!
Word Memory - 2 minutes to remember as many of the 32 four letter words as possible, then another 3 minutes to write them all down!
Stroop Test - My favourite. Say the colour of the letters on the screen. i.e. BLUE will appear, but the letter s are RED so you say RED out loud, sounds easy but it can get confusing!
Speed Counting - Count from 1 - 120 as quickly as possible, pronouncing each number properly.
Connect Maze - Draw a line on the screen to link the numbers and letters in order, from A - 1 - B - 2, all the way up to M - 13.
Number Cruncher - Write the answer to the question. Each question is based on the number, colour or movement of a range of numbers on screen.
Calculations X20 - As in the Brain Training section.
Although the game is really aimed at 1 player at a time you can use the Download option to have a Calculation X30 for 2 to 16 players. You can also send a demo of the Quick play game to another DS via Wifi, the demo will remain on the receiving DS until it is turned off.
I had no idea how to play Sudoku until I got Brain Training. It is surprising easy to play with the Touch Screen and quite addictive when you get the hang of it. You start off with Basic Level puzzles, but you can unlock harder ones as you go and there are plenty to keep you going! If like me you don't know your Sudoku from your elbow, there is a tutorial that takes you through the basics.
Brain Aches!
There are a few negative things about the game.
The first is that the handwriting recognition can let you down in the heat of a Word Memory test and can get quite frustrating. Also some people have problems with the voice recognition which can also be a little temperamental and you can be shouting Blue, BALOO, B-L-U-E!, before it picks up what you are saying.
That said if you take a little care with your scribbles and check what you've written before hitting the submit button it is easy and fun to play. I personally have had no issues with the Voice Recognition part of the game; but I haven't got much of an accent so I'm not sure how it copes with any strong accents.
The proof that this "game", can appeal to all is that my wife (who thinks video games are for kids and won't touch them with a barge pole), has played on Brain Training and really enjoyed it too! I have had the game for over 4 months now and I'm still picking it up and playing it on a regular basis. It's a great way to start the day, and I feel like I'm keep the old prefrontal cortex ticking along! Don't get me wrong, this is still a game and won't make you MENSA smart!
Brain Training isn't a game that you will pick up and play for hours at a time, unless you love your Sudoku. However, the fact that it is fun to play and that it is actually beneficial to do so, I think it is well worth investing 5 minutes a day and the £19.99 that it costs. Especially as you can get the game for as little as £16.99 from online retailers. In Europe alone Brain Training sold over 500,000 copies in its first 2 months and in Japan over 2,322,970 copies have been sold, can that many people be wrong?
That is of course a rhetorical question, to which the answer is NO!
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
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Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: Out of stock
Advantages: Training every day actually works, most games are easy to use, price Disadvantages: The best age you can get is 20, certain technological problems
Advantages: Training every day actually works, most games are easy to use, price Disadvantages: The best age you can get is 20, certain technological problems
Advantages: its good at helping your times tables and reminding yourself of what you have forgotten! Disadvantages: It keeps repeating itself and has a limited amount of functions
Advantages: Longevity, good price for what it is, addictive, makes you think, ideal for the commute Disadvantages: Probably won't really improve your brain, my 4s and 9s are confused
exceptional by (19%):
very helpful by (81%):
