Games or homework?

Once upon a time, games were about fun. When you weren’t working, sleeping, or eating, it was time for fun and games. But the latest wheeze from Nintendo is games which seem more like homework than fun. And the surprising thing is in Japan, these new learning games have proved to be very popular, especially with people who don’t normally play games, such as mums and grandparents.

One reason is Nintendo’s marketing campaign, which suggests that like traditional adult thinking games such as crosswords and sudoku, its Brain Training games will stimulate your little grey cells, improve your memory and stop you going senile.

Sceptical? Us too, but soon we’ll be able to find out if such claims are more than just hot air as the first game in the series is released in the UK.

Called Professor Kawashiwa’s Brain Training: How Old is Your Brain? (and if that doesn’t sound like homework, we don’t know what does?), it’s a series of exercises such as simple maths and other vaguely challenging mental problems such as word memorisation, and reading.

At least it uses the DS in a novel way, as you have to hold the unit like a book, with the lefthand screen showing the problem and the touchscreen providing space to write your answer – which is why the screenshots above look small and weird. Some of the puzzles also involve shouting into the microphone.

And coming back to the game’s subtitle How Old is Your Brain?, after you’ve attempted the various challenges, your brain power will be rated with a ‘Brain Age’ score.

Still sitting at the back of the classroom completing its lines, Professor Kawashiwa’s Brain Training: How Old is Your Brain? is due for March release.