Dr Simon instils more brain training into mobile gamers
Can your IQ get any higher?
The brain training game phenomenon has surely now passed fad status and become a bona fide genre, with an evergrowing percentage of the nation seeking to stimulate their grey matter on handheld or mobile.
Just as well then that there's an ever-growing range of options. Whilst Nintendo's Doctor Kawashima's Brain Training and Big Brain Academy head the pack, the chasing body grows larger daily.
In the last week alone we've heard news of Mind Quiz on the PSP and The Professor's Brian Trainer on DS. Meanwhile on mobile the competition's even stiffer, with most major publishers from Digital Chocolate to Gameloft getting in on the act.
Yet this hasn't put off HandyGames from using its head with Dr Simon's Braintrainer. Moreover, the German publisher thinks it can add something new to the formula too, by combining the standard issue brain busting quiz and puzzle elements with the company's trademark humour (see Townsmen, Porn Manager and Flitzer).
We're told resident boffin Dr Simon (we've yet to see his official credentials) will continually offer wisecracking comments as you progress through the 50 levels, going from unicellular organism to a genius, and in tandem with simple controls and colourful visuals he promises to bring a sense of fun to proceedings.
The inclusion of a multiplayer option and various difficulty levels should also be a boon.
Whether or not Dr Simon can entertain as well as inform remains to be seen, of course – think back to any funny teachers you've experienced. We'll be putting him to the test soon enough.
