Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Gaming grows up ?, 10 May 2006
Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars
Brain Training could be loosely termed a puzzle title, with its many mini activities you can choose from; including basic arithmetic, counting numbers, colours, syllables, reading aloud, etc. The aim is to complete the tasks as quickly as possible, with as few mistakes as possible.
The faster the tasks are completed, the younger your brain age; 20 being the best.
The title uses the DS touch screen, and handwriting recognition, which takes a little getting used to, as well as the microphone, and some honesty, when doing the reading tests.
It even limits the amount of training you do on a specific item, on a particular day, though completing more of the mini-games unlocks additional tasks to choose from.
Additionally, you get over 100 Sudoku puzzles, which may be the real attraction for the people who are seen scribbling on newspapers on public transport; and these get gradually more difficult; the learning curve is pretty good.
All in all, good value, considering it's priced below the usual DS title. I can't see it having great lasting appeal, but for something to do whilst spending 10-15 minutes on the bus or tube, it's great to keep your mind working.
And it allows for left and right handed users...
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21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fn brain exercise!, 12 May 2006
Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars
I bought this as the US version, Brain Age. The whole point is pretty simple, for example answer 20 simple sums as quickly as possible (13.46 is my best time!). But the interface is so good that it has long lasting appeal, especially as you are given more things to do as you get more in to it. My 8 year old daughter loves the tests and is now working on learning Sodoku, which is also included.
Does it increase your brain power? Maybe. Is it good fun? Definitely.
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54 of 71 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Japanese Brain Training Craze Comes To Europe, 6 Mar 2006
After decades of exercising players' thumbs, Nintendo is now moving to their minds. Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day for Nintendo DS will help players flex their mental muscles. Brain Age represents the first in a series of UK brain-training titles that already have taken Japan by storm. Brain exercise has been a hot topic lately. Baby Boomers and test-prepping school kids alike want to challenge themselves. In fact, a recent Time magazine article cited Brain Age in its exploration of the trend of people looking for ways to exercise their brains. But Baby Boomers picking up a video game system? It's not as far-fetched as you might think. Three separate titles in the brain-training series are currently a huge craze in Japan. Each of them has achieved sales of more than 1.5 million units, with the most recent title hitting that milestone in less than a month. The craze has been fueled largely by older players, many of whom had never played a video game system before. Brain Age (known as Brain Training in Japan) was inspired by the work of Professor Ryuta Kawashima, a prominent Japanese neuroscientist. His studies evaluated the effect of performing reading and mathematic exercises to help stimulate the brain. "Young or old, everyone looks for ways to get a mental edge," says Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of sales & marketing. "Our brain-training series, led by Brain Age, builds on the popularity of word and number puzzles and acts as a treadmill for the mind." Brain Age presents players with a series of fun mental brain-training challenges that incorporate word memorization, counting and reading. It even includes sudoku number puzzles, which have become extremely popular features in newspapers around the country. The distinctive touch screen of Nintendo DS lets users write their responses, just as though they were using a PDA. Players even turn the Nintendo DS sideways to make it feel more familiar, like a book. The more often users challenge themselves, the better they become at the tasks and the lower their estimated DS "brain age."
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