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submitted by Justin Davis
posted March 28, 2006Brain Age's training is cool, but the sudoku implementation is even cooler...
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submitted by Dark Hydraposted June 16, 2007
0 of 1 recommend this reviewthis game was fun for a day or two, but after a while, it got pretty repetitive. i went through the same exact problems plenty of times. what happened to two digit multiplication? The sudoku option was pretty cool. if you are seriously trying to train your brain, use a math book. trust me.
submitted by GamerGeorgeposted January 29, 20073 of 3 recommend this reviewOne of the games released for the Nintendo DS from Nintendo themselves in the past year can't even be considered a game in the truest sense of the word, but across the Pacific Ocean in Japan, that doesn't really matter as it's sold over a million copies, becoming yet another DS million-seller in that region. Now, the once Japanese-exclusive phenomenon is no longer exclusive to that place as it has spread to the United States as Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day, and carries a cheap, affordable price tag of only $19.99 at its launch.
Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day is basically a piece of software that is used to calculate just how old (or young) your brain is. It's unique in several different ways, one of which is the way you hold the DS. Instead of holding it like you usually do, with one screen on top of the other, you hold it sideways, like a book. The left screen will show the information you need to complete a particular thing, while the right screen, the touch screen, is obviously used to input your answers. The first thing you are instructed to do is take a test called "Brain Age Check". Through a series of challenges, like a simple row of mathematical equations that you must either add or subtract, or being able to identify how many of a specific color of numbers are appearing on screen, this test, once you are finished with it, grants you your brain age. The perfect score is 20, which is apparently the youngest a brain can get. I usually tend to hover around that range, although partially because there is a hidden, alternate method of being able to choose which tests you want to attempt while using this portion of the game (normally, you're random assigned which test you'll be taking).
There is more to Brain Age, though. When you're not interested in finding out how old your brain is, you can train it with a solid, yet somewhat lacking amount of activities for you to complete, nine in total. I will now these break these down one by one.
Calculations x20 - A basic collection of math problems are given to you here. If you can finish problems like "7 + 1 = " and "5 - 2 = " then you know what to expect here. Obviously, the faster you complete them, the better off your brain is.
Calculations x100 - This mode is just like the prior one, only there are one hundred problems to finish. Also, once you unlock it, you can choose to compete in hard mode, which ups the difficulty by throwing multiplication and division problems at you in addition to the standard addition and subtraction fare.
Reading Aloud - Contrary to its name, you don't necessarily have to be reading aloud. This particular portion of Brain Age simply has you reading some passages of famous writings. Again, the faster you do the better off you are.
Low to High - The left DS screen will briefly show some numbers. Your job is to memorize them and then touch the order they were in on the DS' right (touch) screen.
Syllable Count - The left screen will have a small passage for you to read, only this time instead of merely reading it, you'll need to figure out how many syllables there are in total. Once you determine just that, write the number on the other screen.
Head Count - The DS' "regular screen" (the one that isn't touch-enhanced) will show a house and people either leaving or entering it. You need to determine just how many people are left in the house at the end.
Triangle Math - Triangle math is not your ordinary set of math equations. Instead of the uber-simple "4 + 2 =" and the like, you're now presented with problems of the fashion of "5 + 8 - 3"... but that's not all. Once you're finished with the first row, there's an entirely separate row that you need to add or subtract, using the answers you got from the first row. Once you have the answer in your head, write it down on the DS' touch screen.
Time Lapse - On the DS' left screen, there will be two clocks positioned. The top one shows what time it was, while the bottom one displays what time it is now (not literally, of course). Using that amount of knowledge, you need to figure out how much time has passed.
Voice Calculation - Unfortunately, I haven't been able to try this test as every time I attempt to start it, my DS' microphone doesn't properly work for some reason.
As you can see, Brain Age features an impressive amount of things to train your brain with, but when you consider the fact that you can finish them all in the span of fifteen to thirty minutes (combined, not individually, mind you), you start to feel a bit disappointed that there aren't more. Still, what is there has been nicely-crafted and are good ways to spend some time.
Furthermore, once you complete a single activity you'll be asked to place a stamp on the calendar. If you complete at least three activities, the size of the stamp will double in size. The stamp can be customized if you don't like the default one, which is welcome, although personally, I don't mind the standard one. The game also has a chart that is personalized to your statistics. You can select a test to view your usage for, either for a single month or two months.
If that just isn't enough for you, Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day also possesses a game of Sudoku, which, according to the game, can evidently activate your prefrontal cortex. There are three different stages of it: basic, intermediate, and a third, hidden one that I've yet to unlock admittedly because Sudoku, while it's somewhat fun, isn't something I spent a boatload of time on. The basic gist of the game, though, is filling in these blank squares with a number from one to nine. Of course, it isn't that simple as you need to keep these three rules in mind while playing:
1) Every column must only contain one of each number from one to nine.
2) Every row must only contain one of each number from one to nine.
3) Every 3 x 3 box must only contain one of each number from one to nine.
There are plenty of puzzles here for Sudoku fiends, so those who are active in it will have plenty to be happy about.
Overall, Nintendo has clearly taken a very diverse path with this game (or non-game, as many people seem to like to call it). It's not Mario, it isn't Metroid, and it sure as heck isn't Zelda, but what it is is a cheap, yet enjoyable package of brain exercises for the Nintendo DS. Is this an absolute must-have for owners of the dual-screened handheld? No, but if you happen to have $20 that you're not sure what you want to do with, you could certainly do much worse than get Brain Age.
submitted by Dantasticposted September 6, 20062 of 3 recommend this reviewAfter hearing all the hype about Brain Age, I finally decided to try it. The game meets its goal in that it's accessible enough for absolutely anyone, casual or hardcore. After a few days of "training my brain" I eventually realized that my brain was bored. While the games can be fun, they are not enough to keep you coming back. I can appreciate what Nintendo was trying to do, but this is not a game for everyone.
