BIG BRAIN ACADEMY for NINTENDO WII Game NEW and Sealed

Totaly disagree with the last persons review,this is a good family game and well worth the money I spent on it,my Daughter and I have had hours of fun with it(she is 9)it has different types of games on it which get you thinking,you have to memorise,visualise,identify and add and subtract,it has three diffrent levels and I would recomend it for parents who want to sit down for an evening with their children and have an hour or two of fun.It probably suits children between 8 and 14.

This is one of those train your brain type games, and it was originally a DS brain training release which has been improve (in my opinion) for the Wii. The overall objective of the game appears to be to increase speed of thought, comprehension of recognition, puzzles and calculations, as well as reflexes and coordination.

First you have to enrol in the office of Professor Wormy's Academy (I know he has an official name but I can't remember it and this is the best description of him I can come up with). You use your own mini-Mii as your representative character and you can create separate ones for guests.

Games are put into five main groups: Analyse, Compute, Identify, Memorise and Visualise; three games per group.

Analyse - match blast, speed sorting and block spot;
Compute - balloon burst, mallet maths, and colour count;
Identify - whack match, fast focus and species spotlight;
Memorise - covered cages, face case and reversed retention;
Visualise - art parts, train turn and odd one out.

Levels start at Easy, Medium and Hard, however, if you score a gold medal or above at hard you unlock the expert level.

Medals are awarded Bronze (100-199 points), Silver (200-299), Gold (300-399) and a special platinum for (400+). This is the way that they keep you playing when you are alone - if you are competitive (or self achieving) then you will want, or should that be need, to get that higher score, that better medal.

Scores are calculated using a combination of accuracy and speed.

Once enrolled you have the choice of SOLO or GROUP activities.

SOLO ACTIVITIES

This is where you get to Practice the different games and take the Test to see how you are doing overall.

Within the practice area you are (initially) allowed to select any game within the five groups at any level except expert.

When you use the test facility you will be given a random selection of 10 activities for each of the five practice groups (total of 50 puzzles). These activities will get harder the more accurate you become so that it pushes your thinking process, rather than just leave you with a very basic and easy selection. However, if you start getting the answers wrong the system will recognise this and will reduce the difficulty level for the next one of that sort. So, for example, if you got a balloon burst question wrong at medium level the next balloon burst question to appear would be at easy level.

If you are using the system as a family or as a party game with friends you can compare your results with those for other people. This is not always advisable as it can cause upset if someone thinks they are being singled out for humiliation.

Average brain score is give as around the 1400g mark though it does point out that the beginner tends to score around the 750g mark. From the "brain weight" it then gives you a grade (for example B- or A+). The annoying squeaking worm then gives you a mini breakdown of where you did well and where you need to practice more - unfortunately it is extremely tempting to just keep pressing the "A" button to try to by-pass the worm.

Your score will also be converted into a "job" type. More often then not it is difficult to understand how they reach the conclusion they have, for example, a B-- is given as a doctor or Leonardo da Vinci, whereas an A minus is given as a menial worker.

There is also a breakdown of the scores from the test next to the "office door" on the "student scores" notice board. I have to admit I found this far more helpful than the worm's breakdown of the scores.

GROUP ACTIVITIES

This is the area of the greatest fun, where you play against your own previous record, friends in the room with you at the time, or imported scores.

There are three areas to play in: Mind Sprint, Mental Marathon and Brain Quiz.

Mind Sprint - allows you to play against up to 4 pre-existing records, or to race against up to 4 players in the room with you at the time. You can choose either a specific category or a mixed selection and a choice of either 12, 16, 20 or 24 questions. The game requires that you try and beat the opposition to the end of the series of questions as quickly as you can with accuracy. If you get a question wrong a replacement question will be set and you will have to answer that before you can move on.

Mental Marathon - try and get as many questions as you can correct in sequence, one wrong answer breaks the chain and stops the game. This is made harder as the entire competition is against the clock, you start with 10 seconds on the clock and each correct answer adds a few seconds to the clock. The game is a little unfair, however, as the more answers you get right the faster the clock ticks down until you are fighting a losing battle were no matter how fast you are with the answer you will not regain the time it took for the puzzle to appear.

Brain quiz - you are presented with a board of 12 puzzle types in a 3 x 4 rectangle. The puzzles which appear within the squares are randomly selected by the Wii game and the levels at which you must contest them are not shown until after they have been selected.

When playing in a group you must try and get to your favourites before somebody else does because once a square has been selected it is then removed from the game completely. If you are playing alone you can pick them off in the order that you want and then answer the questions within the square in the given time provided. Once again if you get the question wrong that section of the quiz comes to an end and the next square must be selected.

There are new games within this section that do not appear anywhere else within the Big Brain Academy such as the directionality and angle game "true view", the restaurants orders game or the card order game.

The creators have put in a nagging female voice when playing the Brain Quiz that starts repeating the same three lines over and over again in quick succession. So if you pause for a drink or you are having a laugh at your previous results it can be extremely irksome; and I have to wonder is it really necessary, when playing the brain quiz alone, to repeatedly have to click okay on a main screen in order to access the board after every puzzle group.

The wormy professor can be extremely annoying. He has a truly irritating series of squeaky meep noises, which are supposed to represent his voice, and you can't just skip passed him.

There is also a voice from the Wii remote which is supposed to be a supportive coach for the player, but can be extremely off-putting when you are going for the record number of points and it suddenly shouts "go for the record" or "great speed" or something similar, and you find your concentration has been punctured and your rhythm has disappeared completely.

As well as the multi player option you can play over the Wii-net link with friends and family by swapping records with them..

As a brain training game it's not too bad, but its greatness lies in its multiplayer party mode, and when added to the likes of Mario Kart with Wii Wheel (Wii) - Wii Remote Not Included, Wii Sports Resort (Wii) with Wii MotionPlus Accessory, Family Ski And Snowboard (Wii), etc, it only increases the fun and enjoyment of the evening while giving a different type of game to concentrate on. I have both versions of Big Brain Academy (DS and Wii) and I much prefer this version mainly due to the great multiplayer game play.

We purchased this game and are very, very disappointed with it. It is geared for the very young. It is so boring and the little professor that comes on all the time talking by lines and lines of typed conversation. It is a horrible game. Do not buy it.