Dr Kawashimas Brain Training, How Old is Your Brain, mouthful huh!? After months of seeing this game advertised on telly i finally managed to sweet talk my fella into buying it for me.......along with a ds to play it on! In total a ds lite and the game cost £109.99, which i thought was exensive but as it wasnt coming out of my pocket i didnt bat an eyelid!
--Main Menu-- On the main menu you can choose from: Quick Play - a series of short mini games you can show friends and family in order to pursuade them to fork out £109.99 to play the game. Daily Training - Where most of your time is spent. More below. Sudoko - You can choose from basic and intermediate (and a third choice which i havent unlocked yet!) There are at least 100 different sudoku puzzles to choose from. Download - Here you can download other games not already in the main game, You need a DS Card which im sure costs another few quid!
--Daily Training-- Here is where you spend your 10-15 minutes a day training your brain. The first screen you see when you choose the daily training option is who you are. As you can store up to 4 peoples training on here, you have to pick out yours. Easy enough as you sign your name, which is what you are recognised as. Just click your name. Everytime i open up my profile on the daily training i make poor ole Dr K sneeze,
i do hope hes not allergic to me! If you have been doing your training he wil praise you and say how much of a trooper you are for coming by everyday. If you have missed a day or two he tells you how sad it was not seing you! Actually makes you feel kinda bad! From the second menu, you can choose: Brain age check - You will be given 3 random test, Dr K will tot up how long you take to complete these tests and how many mistakes you make and will give you your brain age. The best you can get it 20, my best so far is 23 :o( Training - Your daily training, you choose the tests you want to complete that day (you can do all of them if you want) and it will measure how well you have done that day compared to the other days and put your progress onto a graph. Graph - This shows you your progress on each of the daily training games. It shows from when you first started playing so you can see how much better your have got. Other Options - Here are 5 more options: Settings, you can change the reading font size, which hand you write with and erase personal data Change Signature - You can change how your name appears on the main menu Stamp Design - You are given a stamp for each day of training you complete, here you can create your own stamp Tips - Every so often the Doc will give you a tip you can use with the software or in your life to help your brain training, here you can read all his tips again Credits - The games makers and directors
--Training-- Here you can choose the training you want to complete: Calculations x20 - This is one of the easiest tests. 20 different calculations to measure how quickly you can add, minus, divide and multiply. Calculations x100 - 100 calculations (DOH!). Same as the above but longer, much longer! After a while my brain gets bored and starts thinking about other things. Needless to say, i dont do very well on this one! Reading Aloud - 2 pages of text which you have to read out loud as quick as possible. Im not a fan of this. Although it doesnt listen to what you are saying, the 'book' you have to read from contains some of the longest words known to man and you'd have to be a member of MENSA to know what they mean! Low to High - Several boxes each with a number inside, you get 3-4 seconds to memorise where the numbers are and then you have to tap them in from low to high in the correct box. Syllable Count - You are given a phrase, you then have to write in how many syllables are in the sentance. Head Count - There are people walking in and out of a house, you have to figure out how many people are left! Pretty hard as the people speed up after a while, leaving you to almost guess how many people are there. Triange Math - 2 numbers at the top of the triangle have to be calculated together depending on which calculation you are given. These 2 numbers then have to be calculated with the number on the middle row and you have to write the answer on the bottom row. Hard to explain, easy to play! Time Lapse - You are given 2 clocks and you have to write down how long has passed from the first clock to the second. Voice Calculation - A bit like the calculations x20 but you have to say the answer instead of writing it.
--Brain Age Check-- After a while of playing the game you are given a 'cheat' which allows you to pick which tests you do in order to calculate your brain age. Until then, these tests are chosen at random, the tests include: Word Memory - You are given 2 full pages of words and you have to remember as many of them as possible in 2 minutes Stroop Test - A series of colours (in words) come up. You have to say the colour of the word instead of the colour the word says (sounds confusing but really isnt!) Speed Counting - counting from 1-120, properly as it listens! You have to do this as quick as possible! Connect Maze - You have the letters A-M and numbers 1-13 you have to link them, A links to 1, B links to 2 etc, as quick as possilble Number Cruncher - Several numbers in different colours moving about on one screen, you have to answer the question on the other screen, eg 'how many blue 2's are there?' Calculations x20 - The same as in the daily training.
Once you have completed the 3 tests you are given your brain age, Dr K loves telling you how much older your brain is compared to your realy age. Sod!
--Problems-- Like most people i have had problems with the voice recognition. It doesnt always seem to recognise what your saying to it. It does say that people with heavy accents may have trouble using the game.....shame they dont say that before you buy the game. There are also a few problems with handwriting. It sometimes mistakes what you have written meaning it accepts the wrong answer and marks you down for it :o(
--All in All-- I would definately reccomend buying this game. It is good fun and keeps you occupied for hours if you like sudoku games. The tests are also quite fun, and keep you quiet for a little while (well unless it makes you talk to the darn thing). Helping your brain cant be a bad thing.........surely!
Also, you dont get everything as soon as you start playing, there are a few things you have to unlock. So please dont shout at me coz it wont let you choose your brain training tests as soon as you buy it! :o)
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
In a nutshell:The portable phenomenon that has taken Japan by storm finally hits the UK. ... more
Part puzzle game, part self improvement tool this is the only game thats both lots of fun and good for you and thats before you even start on Sudoku!The lowdown:N...
Postage & Packaging: £1.85 Availability: Usually dispatched within 2-3 business days...
If you're bored of playing games that don't stretch your brain cells and you'd like to ... more
give your grey matter an extensive workout, pick up the Professor's program. The tests have been devised in cooperation with Prof. Kawashima himself, a renowned neur...
Postage & Packaging: Free standard delivery on all orders over £30 Availability: Stock On Order
In a nutshell:The portable phenomenon that has taken Japan by storm finally hits the UK. ... more
Part puzzle game, part self improvement tool this is the only game thats both lots of fun and good for you and thats before you even start on Sudoku!The lowdown:N...
Postage & Packaging: free Super Saver Delivery Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Take the brain age test and compare the score to your real age!Daily training by quickly ... more
solving simple mathematics, sudoku puzzles, memory exercises and reading aloud can stimulate your brain and keep it fit. Enjoy calculation battles over the Nintend...
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: 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
Apr 12th, 2007
exceptional by (4%):
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