Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day is a fun, rewarding form of entertainment everyone can enjoy. Inspired by cutting-edge neuroscience, it`s a full set of reading and mathematic exercises that stimulate the brain. At the start, you`ll take a series of tests and get a score that determines how old your brain is. This is your Brain Age -- by performing daily exercises just minutes a day over weeks and months, the better you`ll get and the lower your Brain Age will get.

 

• The program sets up a specialised regime especially for the user
• Use the built-in calendar to track and record your progress
• Results are displayed in easy to understand graphs
• Obtain a certain number of marks to unlock additional tests and challenges
• Also includes the popular sudoku numbers game
• Voice recognition system
• answer certain questions with your voice
• Play with your friends using the DS wireless communication - only one game card is required, and up to 16 players can join in
• Send a free demo version to a friend through wireless download

In a nutshell:
The portable phenomenon that has taken Japan by storm finally hits the UK. Part puzzle game, part self improvement tool this is the only game that’s both lots of fun and good for you – and that’s before you even start on Sudoku!

The lowdown:
Nothing about this game is ordinary, from the price to the way you hold the DS while playing it (vertically, as if you were reading a book). The basic idea is that you play through a series of puzzles each day, for about 10 minutes, and at the end of each session the "age" of your brain is calculated. The puzzles themselves range from simple maths questions to spot the difference, memorisation and comprehension. All of the answers are inputted either by drawing the answer on the touchscreen or speaking it into the DS’s in-built microphone. There’s also a multiplayer mode for up to 15 people where you can try and compete to record the youngest brain age.

Most exciting moment:
A brand new addition to the game, not included in the Japanese version, is a special DS version of Sudoku. This works great on the DS’s touch screen and is worth the already low price of admission on its own.

Since you ask:
A sister title to Brain Training, named Big Brain Academy, is due for release in July and offers to "weigh" your brain and improve specific skills such as memorisation and analysis. A direct sequel to Brain Training has also been released in Japan but is not yet scheduled for released in the UK.

The bottom line:
The only game that really is for the whole family – from kids to OAPs.
Harrison Dent