Upon firing up Brain Training for the first time we are greeted by the multi-faceted digital face of Professor Ryuta Kawashima. He gives us a quick run down of what’s to come, asks our name and birth date and off we go. The first test was a quick run through “calculations x20”, which is exactly what it sounds like, 20 simple math problems (addition, subtraction, multiplication) thrown at you rapid fire. You are graded based on the time it takes you to complete all 20 and a 5-second penalty is added for every wrong answer.
Next comes “Lowest to Highest” where a cluster of numbers is displayed in boxes on the left hand screen (did we mention you hold the DS sideways - text-book style?) for a few seconds and then you are charged with tapping the squares on the touch screen side in order from lowest to highest. Again overall time is counted as well as deductions for failed attempts.
Then comes our least favorite "game" of all, in which a list of about 50 words is displayed on both screens for 2 minutes straight and you are tasked with remembering as many as possible and then writing them in afterwards. Generously though our feeble 6 words actually rewarded us with a decent score, but also left a great deal of room for improvement. Now that our three initial tests were complete it was time to calculate our brain age. Drum roll please….. "78!" What?! No way. We can’t possibly be that slow in the head. Test again! Nope, sorry, can only test once a day. Why not try some exercises in the mean time? Fine, we’ll show you digital doctor head; we’ll show you how smart we are!
It is at this point that we realize the genius of the whole thing. No flashy graphics, no complex button combinations, not one virtual shot fired, and we are hopelessly hooked. It’s not dissimilar from gaming back in the good old 80s when all that mattered was beating the high score. Except the only difference of course being the years of clinical research saying that this particular quest for the ever-unattainable highest score is actually "good for you"! Think faster, think clearer, be the best. We have been suckered, and we love it.
So we try the training. Made up of many of the same games included in the "Brain Age Check" as well as several other options, the training games offer a good variety of problems each designed to help you in a different way. Also in order to complete your daily training regimen you only need do three of the available games, allowing those who detest even the simplest of math to instead focus on visual, or memorization based challenges. Or, if you’re a masochist like us you will be inclined to continually attempt those challenges you are worst at in hopes of improving. Thankfully, you will make progress!
And of this progress is tracked in a nice graph form, which readily allows you to see your continued success, as well as compare with other profiles saved on the same cartridge. In fact one of the cleverest features of the game is that it allows for multiple game saves on a single cartridge, which helps to encourage even those who don’t own a DS in your house to train regularly. Just 10-15 minutes a day is all it takes so you wont be annoyed if your family ties up your system on occasion because the fun of comparing scores makes those few lost minutes more than worth it.
Now, nearly three weeks since we initially received our final version of the game we still play on an almost daily basis (hangovers tend to impede our progress enough that we usually take Saturday and Sunday off). This particular reviewer’s current brain age is now hovering around a much more desirable 32 (20 being the optimal goal) and we can say with great certainty that we do indeed feel fresher in the head than we have in a long time.
SPOnG Score: A
A videogame that is fun to play and actually good for you. The future of edutainment? Unquestionably.
Unlockable games and extra options greatly extend the life of the product and drive you to continue playing on a daily basis. Handwriting and speech recognition can be a bit of a hindrance on occasion but generally perform well. A great method of self-improvement and a yet another reason why the DS continues to dominate the handheld market. Plus, why aren’t more DS games sideways? It’s by far the most comfortable method for holding the thing!
