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Time for a DS brain boost: Dr Kawashima's back in town

More brain training from Nintendo's favourite medical man

Time for a DS brain boost: Dr Kawashima's back in town

With the brain training market swamped in an avalanche of me-clever-too titles, it must be time for the master to return. Roll up Dr Kawashima.

Yes, the man who's convinced over ten million people to buy DSs because playing games every day is good for you (especially his own Dr Kawashima's Brain Training: How Old Is Your Brain?) is back.

And the sequel is sure to get your little grey cells working thanks to the length of its title, if nothing else.

More Brain Training from Dr Kawashima: How Old Is Your Brain? revisits the breakthrough game's system of giving your brain an age score based on the daily use of touchscreen and microphone-based mini-games.

The tests are all-new. You'll have to memorise a 5x5 grid of numbers, play Speedy Symbols, which gets you to associate numbers with symbols, and most strangely perhaps, try out the old Rock-Paper-Scissors. It could be about pattern recognition – the AI might not be very random – or maybe the Dr's just trying to make you more lucky.

Other tests include Missing Symbols, which is a twist on the classic 20 calculations test from the first game, and Masterpiece Recital, which invites you to follow a music sheet shown on one screen and touch the corresponding piano keys on the touchscreen.

Some features are less abstract. For example, there's a Correct Change option, which challenges you to work out the right amount of change to hand a customer. Playing that should be a legal requirement for every market trader.

A further aspect that's been improved upon is the multiplayer mode. Using a single game cartridge, you'll be able to mini-games like Word Scramble, Memorise 5x5, or Correct Change with one or up to 15 other players. Another option here is the Picture Quiz, where you have to draw certain objects, and the other players then mark your artistic endeavours.

Of course, it wouldn't be Brain Training without a version of touchscreen sudoku – there will be over 100 puzzles and three difficulty levels.

More Brain Training from Dr Kawashima: How Old Is Your Brain? is bursting to show you how clever you could be. Catch it instore from June 29th, at the very reasonable price of £20 (€30).

Jon Jordan
Jon Jordan
A Pocket Gamer co-founder, Jon can turn his hand to anything except hand turning. He is editor-at-large at PG.biz which means he can arrive anywhere in the world, acting like a slightly confused uncle looking for the way out. He likes letters, cameras, imaginary numbers and legumes.