GENRE
	Edutainment
	DEVELOPER
	Nintendo
	PUBLISHER
	Nintendo
	LOCAL WIRELESS MULTI-PLAY
	No
	Wi-Fi/GLOBAL ONLINE MULTI-PLAY
	No
	MICROPHONE
	Yes
	EXPECTED RELEASE DATE
	April 17, 2006
	BUY NOW AT

For those who have been keeping track of the Japanese sales charts via our own Weekly Japan Report (it would be safe to assume that's everybody), the Brain Age series needs no introduction. The original and its many iterations have helped the DS conquer the charts across the Pacific for months and don't show any signs of slowing. It only makes sense, after the Nintendogs world domination, that Nintendo should try again to enslave the world through the success of another Japanese hit. Enter the Brain Age.

media

Not available at this time.

impressions

The idea behind Brain Age, subtitled Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day, is just like it sounds: exercise for your brain. As the theory goes, just as a body can get out of shape, a mind can as well. Nintendo and respected neuroscientist Professor Ryuta Kawashima teamed up to deliver the solution to whip those flabby noggins into shape with a series of exercises designed to sharpen intellect and keep it that way. From math and logic activities to reading aloud, Brain Age is sure to tone long neglected mental muscles, and perhaps even flex brain tendons players didn't know they had.

word on the street

It's hard to argue with millions of Japanese gamers. They were right about Nintendogs, so it would be safe to assume they know what they buy. For those still teetering on the fence concerning Brain Age, perhaps they should wrap their cynical craniums around this: it's going to be $20. That's right, a budget price for a brand new Nintendo game. To sweeten the deal, Nintendo has included the popular puzzle game Sudoku in the Brain Age package. There's no word yet as to whether kitchen sinks will be given away with the game, but we’ll keep you posted.

press release notes

Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day for Nintendo DS is a fun, rewarding form of entertainment everyone can enjoy, as it helps players flex their mental muscles. Brain Age is inspired by the research of Professor Ryuta Kawashima, a prominent Japanese neuroscientist. His studies evaluated the impact of performing certain reading and mathematic exercises to help stimulate the brain.

The Brain Age exercises are designed to stimulate your brain. Solving simple math and logic problems quickly, and reading aloud, have been proven to be effective methods of achieving this goal.

The distinctive Nintendo DS Touch Screen lets users write their answers with a Stylus pen, just as though they were writing on paper or using a Personal Digital Assistant or PDA. Furthermore, the Nintendo DS's voice input identifies particular words you'll speak during the Stroop Test.

Brain Age tracks your progression through each exercise with easy-to-read line charts. Consistently using Brain Age each day will open new exercises to test your ability.

overall

Brain Age looks to be yet another foray into the mainstream world by Nintendo. Not only is it a (non)game that's accessible to everyone with simple-but-stimulating activities, but it's available with the incredibly popular Sudoku--which has earned its very own GBA game recently--all for a penny less than a sawbuck. Nintendo needs another Nintendogs-style hit to start gaining momentum against the PSP in the US, and it certainly looks like Nintendo intends for Brain Age to be just that when it hits our shores in April.