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> Results: Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day
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When is a game not a game? Nintendo answers that question with Brain Age, a mish-mash of training tasks for your mind. You can file this software under the category of game, but the tasks you perform are everything but that. Mathematical calculations, freehand drawing, counting, reading, memorizationï¾—these are among the basic tasks you perform as often as you like but with a graded score only once per day. Your total performance culminates in your brain age, derived from the speed and accuracy with which you complete the tasks.
It sounds like work, and some days it seems like just that. Your interest in the game is derived from your interest in simple brain teasers, math and everyday things like reading and writing. The game offers a number of nifty pointers on how to keep your mind hopping and it often makes the mundane entertaining. It also provides a nice interface for Sudoku, the recent math game fad. Slick packaging and a jovial fellow to guide you on your way help make Brain Age a charming diversion to enjoy for a few minutes every day.  
Children aren't the target audience for this game, but some of them will enjoy its tasks. It all depends on how much they enjoy school work and brain teasers. One cool feature is that a single game chip can record up to four players' progress. This allows you to compare your level of smartyness with your spouse, kids or friends. It all kinda falls apart if people don't participate, though. It's a lot easier to continue recording near-daily brain efforts in the game if others are doing the same.
One downside is you need to be in a quiet place to do some of the exercises and the voice recognition isn't always perfect. That's an interesting point though, because the game definitely recognizes proper pronunciation of words like "blue" but many folks have no idea they're saying it with some kind of accent or lilt that makes the game unable to understand them. Kids will probably have even more difficulty with that part of the program, but it can be used as a tool to get them to pay closer attention to speaking slowly and clearly. Handwriting recognition works well and once again can be used to make both kids and adults take better care to write properly. The bottom line is that adults or kids have to buy into the whole concept in order to enjoy it. If you believe that you're not going to get anything out of it from the start, then you simply won't, much like going to school. You've got to be prepared to improve and learn a little something from Brain Age to make it all it can be. Comments? Chat about it in our forums! Format For Printing | Tell A Friend | Digg | Slashdot | del.icio.us | Buy This Game Browse Amazon.com's selection of "brain age" themed games Home > Review Archive > Video Games > Results: Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day |
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