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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed games.
Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day!
Generally favorable reviews
Based on 58 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 41 votes
Read user comments
Rate this game >
Game Info
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
Genre(s): Trivia, Edutainment
Players: 16
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Release Date: April 16, 2006
Summary
(Also known as "Brain Training For Adults" and "Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training") 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. Brain Age presents quick mental activities that help keep your DS brain in shape. Activities include quickly solving simple math problems, counting people going in and out of a house simultaneously, drawing pictures on the Touch Screen, reading classic literature out loud, and more. You can also play sudoku, the number puzzle game which has become an extremely popular feature in U.S. newspapers. On your first day of exercise, you will take a series of tests and get a score that determines how old your brain is. This number is called your "DS Brain Age". By performing daily exercises just minutes a day over weeks and months, the better you'll get at the exercises and the lower your DS Brain Age will become. [Nintendo]
Cheat Codes & Hints: GameSpot Hints & Cheats
Also On The Web: Official Website
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Detroit Free Press
What impressed us most was the possibility that a player just might get hooked on Conrad or Bronte and this little handheld game might actually spark someone to put down the electronic gadget for a while and pick up a literary classic.
Read Full Review >WHAM! Gaming
The game is such a blast because you only have about ten minutes each day to prove that you really are as quick and sharp as you were the day before.
Read Full Review >IC-Games
Dr Kawashima’s Brain Training: How Old Is Your Brain? is unique, compelling and in the long run, ultimately rewarding. The end result is a game that whilst graphically inept, deserves to be scooping up awards at the end of the year regardless.
Read Full Review >Sydney Morning Herald
A simple idea brilliantly executed. Perfect for newcomers to gaming.
Read Full Review >Gamezilla!
Be careful should you choose to pick this up, it has a nasty habit of making addicts out of your family members that normally don’t care for games.
Read Full Review >Eurogamer
Whether it works or not, you'll have fun playing it; lots of fun; and that, more than anything, is why you should buy it.
Read Full Review >Computer and Video Games
However, if you're looking for another fix of Nintendo's knack for genius game design - with the added benefit of potential brain flexing thrown in - you owe it to yourself to check this out.
Read Full Review >Gaming Target
Brain Age isn’t really a game and it’s gimmick will eventually wear thin. But it’s also an excellent piece of software for those that like a good puzzle game.
Read Full Review >eToychest
Even so, the mini-games are excellent and really do provide a quick, painless focus for the mind.
Read Full Review >Play.tm
Prof. Kawashima's Brain Training: How Old is Your Brain is an intriguing 'program'. This is not a game for Mensa geniuses, but is ideal for those of a general intelligence.
Read Full Review >Digital Entertainment News
For DS owners that haven’t played Brain Age yet, it may be hard to understand what the hype is about. Let me give you a word of advice – take your DS to one of those demo download kiosks Nintendo has in game stores, or find a friend with a copy of the game and download a demo from them. Only after trying it will you have an idea just how fun this title is.
Read Full Review >Deeko
Crosses the border between being a game and a unique application. In both respects, it somehow succeeds and is an amusing way to keep those brain waves going.
Read Full Review >NintendoWorldReport
The polygonal, disembodied head of Ryuta Kawashima acts as your personal coach, and his quips are actually pretty amusing. Challenges are stripped down to just include what's necessary, and there's not much to fault, in that sense.
Read Full Review >Console Gameworld
Number one in Japan for 46 weeks and counting. That's got to mean something.
Read Full Review >netjak
It's interesting to watch your progress after a couple of weeks of daily play. Who knew that math could be this much fun?
Read Full Review >Electronic Gaming Monthly
I just wish the game offered a wider array of activities...simple arithmetic has only so much staying power. [Jun 2006, p.120]
Game Informer
It might sound dry, and there are some issues with the voice and handwriting recognition(it frequently struggles to detect that you've said "blue"), but you'll be surprised how addicted you will become. [Jun 2006, p.119]
Cheat Code Central
I know it sounds like work, but this is way more fun than flossing. It's like playing a bunch of puzzle-based mini-games.
Read Full Review >AtomicGamer
For $20, you get some fun minigames to play that will track your progress along with 100 Sudoku puzzles.
Read Full Review >Thunderbolt
It is ideal for those looking to further develop their mental alertness, or wanting to take a break from gaming-overdose, or simply anyone who feels like a quick, productive coffee break.
Read Full Review >PGNx Media
An extremely unique product that has since spawned off countless imitators on the Nintendo DS and even some on the PSP. At its budget price, it’s a great way to use a few minutes a day.
Read Full Review >AceGamez
If you're looking for something different and stimulating, something that could even, perhaps, improve your thought process, Brain Training achieves that very well and does exactly what it sets out to do.
Read Full Review >NGC Magazine UK
Like nothing you've ever played before and, for that reason, a great talking point in the pub. Plus, it's good for you. [June 2006, p.40]
Games Master UK
Genuinely strengthens your mind, and does it well. That's it, really. [June 2006, p.66]
DarkStation
With your brain getting older by the minute, Nintendo lets you reverse the flow and makes it younger. Fun exercises to stimulate the mind while on the go.
Read Full Review >GameBrink
Brain Age is truly a pseudo game. It’s Wario Ware meets Tamagotchi meets further education. If you want to give your brain a workout and get a fun number puzzle game to boot then picking up Brain Age is a no brainer.
Read Full Review >1UP
It's not a game, and because you're never taught anything new, it's not really even "edutainment" -- Brain Age is a tool, one that sharpens your mind not just for playing real games, but living real life as well.
Read Full Review >GamerFeed
I'm not sure whether my brain's actually benefiting from this special treatment, but I do know that Brain Age is fun to mess around with for several minutes a day.
Read Full Review >Games Radar (in-house)
The fact that you can only test for your age once a day gives you incentive to keep trying, and with the floating head of Professor Kawashima offering suggestions, there's a sense of a persisting, updating world every time you play.
Read Full Review >IGN
But like a gym membership, it's completely up to the player whether a group of mind exercises is considered "fun." At the very least, Nintendo's wrapped everything into a fulfilling package to make these tasks as enjoyable and replayable as possible.
Read Full Review >Play Magazine
Effective or not, this is a uniquely engaging piece of interactive software--and it's 20 bucks. [Jun 2006]
Armchair Empire
It’s pretty amazing that one can actually see how much they are improving over time if they play the game regularly.
Read Full Review >Edge Magazine
The fact that it’s just mental arithmetic simply doesn’t matter: all it makes you realise is that most games are mental arithmetic one way or another. [May 2006, p.95]
Electric Playground
Yet another odd and unique one from Nintendo. Not for everyone, but it does your brain some good.
Read Full Review >Jolt Online Gaming UK
Don’t expect it to raise your IQ, but do expect it to kick off a long, long line in copycat titles.
Read Full Review >The Onion (A.V. Club)
The handwriting and voice recognition are great features, except when they fail; it takes practice to retrain your writing and pronunciation to Brain Age's expectations, and in the meantime, your DS just thinks you're stupid.
Read Full Review >Entertainment Weekly
Now that I've gotten my brain age down to a respectable number, I'm waiting for Nintendo to come out with "Body Age."
Read Full Review >Gaming Age
I enjoy playing the game daily since it keeps a chart of my progress. Does the game make me any smarter? I doubt it, but the bottom line is I’m having fun.
Read Full Review >GameZone
If you’re searching for a hearty, unique puzzler for your DS, Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day may just be a perfect match.
Read Full Review >The New York Times
Brain Age is meant to be played only a few minutes a day; the exercises lack enough variety to be played for very long.
Read Full Review >GameSpot
Does Brain Age actually make you smarter? We have no idea, but it's still an interesting puzzle game available at a budget price.
Read Full Review >N-Insanity
Perhaps the greatest asset of Brain Age is the addition of Sudoku, a famous number puzzle that is gaining popularity quickly. It contains a wide range of difficulty, meaning it can be fairly simple or very difficult.
Read Full Review >VGPub
With a budget price of just $19.99, this game has done something I thought I’d never experience or see: a fun video game that also educates. In your face, channel four evening news!
Read Full Review >GameSpy
Brain Age is a remarkably accessible game that just about anyone can pick up and get something out of.
Read Full Review >Yahoo! Games
The technical issues are frustrating to be sure, but Brain Age is a surprisingly engaging puzzle non-game.
Read Full Review >Da Gameboyz
Regardless if there is any truth to the belief Brain Age is a great game of puzzles and logic that will keep fans of these exercises playing for quite sometime.
Read Full Review >VideoGamer
You can't compare this to the GTAs and the Tomb Raiders of the world, but as a fun way to spend a few minutes every day, it's worth considering.
Read Full Review >Pocket Gamer UK
If you're committed to the cause, Dr Kawashima's Brain Training will give your grey cells a daily workwork for weeks, but it ain't no game.
Read Full Review >N-Europe
If you aren’t into logic puzzles and memory tests, and you’re a man of action rather than one of thought, this game is definitely not for you. But playing this – for however long you do end up playing it – is a pleasure, albeit a guilty one.
Read Full Review >PALGN
Brain Training sounds pretty promising as a concept, and there is some impressive technology behind the game, but portions of the title are noticeably rough.
Read Full Review >Total Video Games
As expected Doctor Kawishima's Brain Training: How Old is Your Brain is a wildly different type of "game" to those that typically adorn TVG pages. What you should know is that Brain Training is far more entertaining and addictive then we initially thought.
Read Full Review >RewiredMind
Good, but not nearly as great as the entire world would have you believe.
Read Full Review >Modojo
Brain Age is a decently amusing distraction, but without the fun and variation of the minigames found in "Big Brain Academy" and with many questions about the actual impact the training has on your brain, its tough to recommend the software too highly.
Read Full Review >games(TM)
Its unique Nintendo appeal and our own innate yearning for self-improvement make it a worthwhile little curio. [June 2006, p.117]
G4 TV
Although Brain Training asks you to figure out increasingly intricate problems in a short amount of time, there's something quite relaxing about the whole thing. Not worth full price, since there are only nine different games to play here, but definitely a fun time-waster. [JPN Import]
Read Full Review >Game Revolution
If you’re looking for a way to make yourself smarter, start by saving your money for a better investment, like a book.
Read Full Review >Computer Games Magazine
Don't be fooled: Your score is not an accurate measurement of intelligence. But whether you buy this game is. [July 2006, p.91]
What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this game is 8.2 (out of 10) based on 41 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Janne K. gave it an8:
It keeps your brain sharp!
William T. gave it an8:
Clever, addictive and a lot more fun than you might think.
DJ T gave it a3:
Do you have a job? How about a significant other? A pet? Bills to pay? Other responsibilities that occupy a lot of your time? THEN DON'T BUY THIS GAME. Seriously... the last thing you want in your stressful life is a nagging video game scolding you when you haven't picked it up everyday since you bought it. Before you pick this one up... just understand the responsibilities surrounding this tite. Stick to Brain Academy.
Evan B. gave it a10:
This game is worth getting just for the Sudoku puzzles alone! The training is unlike any other DS game out there...I still go back to this one after months of having it unlike an adventure game that I have conquered! Great family game!
Steven L. gave it a9:
Excellent game... well worth the time and money.
Caz C. gave it a4:
Don't bother buying this game unless you are really serious about having the time to sit down each day and do the same thing day after day to "train" your brain. You would think that you would descover more exciting things while playing but about the most thrilling thing is the game is being able to design your own stamp to mark off days that you have used the game. Also the fact that when you say the doctor in the games name in the title screen he jumps.
Eric gave it a7:
Addiction at first, later boredom.
