Brain Age is an unusual game in respect to its unique concept.
Brain Age is an unusual game in respect to its unique concept. Some scientists claim that playing this game for just a few minutes per day will not only entertain you but also make your brain feel physically sharper; these same experts say that the game is designed to stimulate your prefrontal cortex and boost your intelligence in the process. It’s hard to say whether the game achieves any of those things or simply makes you more adept at completing the activities on offer, I guess that’s not for us to decide.
The main portion of the game is based around you completing a number of these activities which come in the form of basic puzzles and exercises, plus an overall test at the end of each day which ultimately decides your brains age. These scores are all stored in your personal profile and can be used to charter your progress; the only problem is once you reach the ideal age of 20 and remain consistently at that level it kind of loses it’s appeal.
All the activities make use of the DS and its unique abilities, whether that is basic math calculations and you’re writing numbers onto the touch screen or taking part in one of the games memory exercises which require you to speak your answers. The problem is there aren’t all that many activities to choose from, the game also restricts you from playing through each one more than once a day which is absolutely ridiculous. Sadly that’s not the only thing of fault here; the writing and voice recognition systems are very sketchy. Unless you write or speak in a certain way then the game often misinterprets what you’re trying to input and gets quite frustrating after a while.
Perhaps the best thing about this game is the addition of Sudoku puzzles; there are more than enough to keep you busy for quite some time and you probably won’t stop until each and every one has been conquered. The superb use of the touch screen and the addictive nature of the puzzles themselves make for a truly rewarding experience.
The game also includes a multiplayer mode, if that’s what you can call it. With one cartridge you can play a calculations contest with up to 15 other people, this sees you completing a set number of sums before your opponents. While this can be a lot of fun at first it soon becomes very repetitive.
This game really does have a quality about it though. I don’t know whether it’s because you hold your DS like a book to play it, the addictiveness of the puzzles on offer or that it possibly is stimulating your brain but it’s definitely worth taking a look at. While it does have its flaws it also has strongly addictive elements to it and while there isn’t a whole lot here its budget price provides just enough incentive to keep you satisfied.