Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day! Reviews

• Great Brain Training for All Ages

  
  By A3V6Z4RCDGRC44 on 2007-08-28
  The first Brain Age on the Nintendo DS spawned a whole generation of brain training games. Now they're back with Brain Age 2 - and I really feel they did a great job of enhancing the game's functionality!
  
  First, the infamous "voice test". In Brain Age 1, it was the classic see-a-colored-word-say-the-color game that so many magazines and websites print. The big problem there was that blue and black always got confused. With this one, they changed it to rock-paper-scizzors. It's just as challenging, and we've never had any problems with it understanding us. Hurrah!
  
  Next, the mini-games. I appreciated the challenge of the Brain Age 1 games, but they were pretty boring. They just weren't much fun to play, especially compared to some of the other games on the market.
  
  They did a great job of revamping the games in Brain Age 2. Some of them are still on the boring side, like the 'running people' game where you try to figure out what place the dark player comes in. Most of them, though, are truly fun to play. The spinning letters game where you try to figure out what word they spell can be quite challenging. I love the piano game where you try to play along with the song.
  
  There are the usual graphing options, so you can see your progress over time, and then the "brain age" with an ideal age of 20. Just like with the first game, I have to protest that it's a silly idea that your brain is best at 20. Your brain can easily be very slow at 20 and much better at 30! They should rate it as a 0% to 100%, rather than pushing this idea that youth is best. What's next, a diet program that gets you to weigh the weight of an "ideal 20 year old"?
  
  Still, it is certainly valid that the more you use your brain, the better it gets. Everyone needs to keep their brains exercised and fresh. Playing this game is far better than sitting back and passively watching TV all night. Best of all, you can bring this along with you and increase your brain power while you ride the bus, wait in line, and do other boring tasks!
  
  Highly recommended!
  
  

• Better Than The Original! Improved Game Play!!

  
  By AC2EGRJTJYVBA on 2007-08-26
  I have to say I like Brain Age 2 more than I liked the original. I found the first version of the game frustrating (yet still engaging) because the handwriting recognition and voice recognition to be problematic.
  
  This new version seems to have improved immensely. I see a few reviews here inidcating that some users are having problems with voice recognition, but that's not what I am experiencing with the game. The Rock, Paper, Scissors game is working flawlessly for me, unless I stutter, stammer, or someone says something in the background. I especially like that the game requires you to answer with EITHER a correct or incorrect answer! Furthermore, I have absolutely awful handwriting, yet the game is doing an excellent job recognizing my chicken scratch!
  
  Best of all, the game is addictive and has me playing constantly. I'm a fan of games like Brain Age and Big Brain Academy where you ultimately compete against yourself to improve your score (or compete against others if you are so inclined). There are enough challenging mini-games (including sudoku) to keep the game interesting for quite awhile. It is certainly worth the price!
  
  However, it would be a mistake to believe these games are any REAL indication of innate cognitive skill and performance. The game claims to help make your brain more agile and that may be possible. Research is, in fact, showing the benefits for people to continue to solve puzzles, read, and perform other complex cognitive tasks to stave off the effects of mental aging and even help recovery from brain injury. I think Brain Age will improve mental agility, but players should not be discouraged if their initial scores are not high. This is a GAME first and foremost, not an IQ test. Play it and enjoy it!! If your brain becomes more efficient at processing information consider it a bonus of playing a very enjoyable game.
  
  
  

• Still the best Sudoku game for DS, but too much Dr. K.

  
  By A1ESUYMIG3TZT0 on 2007-11-08
  
  Brain Age 2, like the original Brain Age, is still the best Sudoku game available on the Nintendo DS. It makes excellent use of both screens (no wasted space or tiny, hard to see numbers that plague other "dedicated" Sudoku games on the DS). As I said in my review of the original Brain Age, I wish Nintendo would come out with a dedicated Sudoku game on the DS using this layout. They could rake in a lot of extra cash.
  
  As far as the "main event", I pretty much agree with what the other reviewers have posted here.
  
  I haven't unlocked all of the games yet, but so far, "Word Scramble" is my favorite.
  
  Some of the new games are improved variations of the original games. "Memory Sprint", where you try to keep track of what place a race runner is in, is more fun than the original game of counting how many people go into and out of a house.
  
  I also like the "Change Maker" and "Sign Finder" games, because they provide some real world practice, although some people may find them boring, or too much like homework.
  
  The "Piano Player" game was a disappointment, because everybody here seemed to be talking it up, including keyboard players, and that's a bit scary because this type of "follow the bouncing ball" music game is available on just about any cheap electronic keyboard out there.
  
  The "Word Blend" game is lost on me - you do need to concentrate to separate the simultaneously spoken words, but it seems to ultimately be a test of one's hearing (and patience).
  
  My major gripes with the Brain Age series are:
  
  1. Like other reviewers have said, the "scoring" implies that a younger brain must be better than an older brain. This is misleading and insulting. If Dr. Kawashima had a hand in this aspect of the game design, well, he needs to grow up a bit.
  
  2. There's too much Dr. Kawashima! Even in "Quick Play" mode, there's "too much fuss" to paraphrase the good Doctor. I don't want to have to tap past the same screens of the Doctor telling me what's good for my brain umpteen times. I just want to play the dang game!
  
  Still, there are worse ways to blow a few idle minutes every day than playing games like Brain Age.
  
  

• More of the same, and that's not a bad thing

  
  By AJKWF4W7QD4NS on 2007-08-25
  Brain Age 2 offers more of the same this time around, and if you played the original, surprise smash hit for the DS, then you'll know that this isn't a bad thing. Brain Age 2 supplies just what the cover of the box says it does: it's more training for your brain. The game is easy to get into for newcomers and veterans alike thanks to offering the same, simple structure as before while offering new takes on the mini-games themselves. Combine that with some solid multiplayer capabilities, more great sudoku, and much more complicated math problems; and Brain Age 2 ends up being a winner. The biggest flaw of Brain Age 2 however remains left over from the first game: the handwriting and speech recognition features are still somewhat shaky. That aside though, Brain Age 2 succeeds by following the same formula as before: addictive gameplay, clean presentation, and a budget price; and in those departments alone, Brain Age 2 is worth checking out.
  
  

• Brain-Twisting Fun

  
  By A3W4D8XOGLWUN5 on 2007-08-20
  Last year, gamers really started to go wild for the Nintendo DS all over again. Not just because of the DS which was redesigned into the DS Lite, but a whole new era of mental challenge games attracted new gamers young and old. Mainly, with Brain Age, the Nintendo DS got older gamers into the scheme of gaming and excitement from verbal memory games, to introducing Su Doku, the challenging puzzle game that have really made gamers go wild. Unfortunately, there have been many knockoffs to Brain Age like Mind Quiz for the PSP, that really haven't delivered and attracted the feeling that Brain Age delivered. Now, a sequel to the original mind bender that started it all, returns to the Nintendo DS, but is it good as it was before, or falls short on memory?
  
  Brain Age 2 for the Nintendo DS tackles on more exciting puzzles than before. The gameplay is expanded nicely, but there are also a lot of changes to the gameplay here in the game. The first main change is that a lot of the verbal games like the color strooping exam were removed, because there were a lot of problems with the microphone use in the game. Instead, there are a lot more games that feed off nicely from Nintendo's other DS mind-bender Big Brain Academy here, where you have to comprehend how much you have to give back as change in dollars and cents, to memorizing a song on a piano. Another new game is called word wheel, where you have a series of letters spinning around, and you have to fill in the exact word, one letter at a time. There are also a few things that have returned here, including the picture drawing challenges, but especially the Su Doku puzzles, withe over 100 new puzzles to test your mind. The graphics are just as simple as they were before, but the gameplay is just even more addictive than it has been before, and the control also handles that just as well.
  
  All in all, with so many mental games in the video game market right now, Brain Age 2 really does deliver nicely for the Nintendo DS. If you haven't tackled the challenges before, you may want a new mind-reading workout. I loved the original one, and I really like the new addictive challenges. I absolutely suggest you buy this sequel, and keep that brain sharp.
  
  Graphics: B
  
  Sound: B 1/2+
  
  Control: B+
  
  Fun & Enjoyment: B+
  
  Overall: B+
  
  
• Extremely boring
  By AW336EUWV1HXZ on 2007-08-31
  This game was extremely boring. You do the same 3 things over and over until you master them. However, what you are doing over and over is:
  
  Rock, Paper, Scissors
  Basic math - addition, subtraction, division, multiplication
  Clicking on piano keys following music
  
  There are many other games out there to stimulate your brain that are fun!! I would not recommend this game for anyone. It was a total disappointment!!!!
  
  
• Brain Age: Version 2.0
  By A29BQ6B90Y1R5F on 2007-08-24
  Brain Age was quite the success on the DS. At the time of its release it was something quite new and unique. An interactive puzzle experience. The game was followed up later with Big Brain Academy and that was also pretty good. Now we've got Brain Age 2 which is more or less an expansion to the first one.
  
  The mini-games here are fun and addictive much like the first one. A lot of it actually comes from the first game but now they've added more twists to the games or updated some of them. Not every mini-game is a winner, but if you liked the first Brain Age game, then this one should satisfy. These mini-games are quite a challenge too. Especially because some of the "twists" they threw into these games really actually makes you start thinking, or better yet, memorizing things.
  
  Nintendo also threw in some multi-player this time. You and your friends can compete and it only takes one card to do so. The rest of your friends just have to bring their DS along.
  
  The two biggest problems of the first Brain Age still exists here however. Games that require you to speak or games that require you to write don't always work in your favor. You could say the correct answer but for some reason the game won't "hear" you correctly and you'll get it wrong and get penalized. Just the same when it comes to handwriting simulation games it might not be able to "read" your handwriting. It's actually pretty annoying and you're unfairly penalized for it.
  
  Despite that, however, Brain Age 2 is still a fun game and a great follow up to the first game. If you liked the first one, chances are the second one will be enjoyable as well.
  
  
• Too similar and inherently flawed
  By A3JUMMIGJ7B38X on 2007-08-22
  I loved the first Brain Age, but this sequel is lacking severely. The games are a little more involved, but they don't seem quite as "smart" as in the first game. It's as if the game creators were searching for just about anything they could use to fill this game. The gameplay is identical to the first one, so in that respect it doesn't feel "new". Almost as if you paid to play a game you already own.
  
  The innovative voice-regonition Stroop test is replaced with Paper, Rock, Scissors (huh???). Only this time, the voice-recognition doesn't work. No matter how close or far you are from the mic, in understands you 25% of the time. It shouldn't have been released like this, but I'm sure they wanted to rush the game out the door. Also, the word mix-up game is fun, until you get a combination of letters that can make multiple words. Since the game is only expecting a specific answer, it counts it wrong if you input a different word (when in reality, you came up with a word, and that's the point of the game!) The music game is fun (I personally play the piano), but it can be agonizing to someone who is not musically inclined (I've witnessed the frustration).
  
  All-in-all, this is a very disappointing game. Too bad you can't rent DS games. At least it's only $20.
  
  
• Know what you're buying before you write a senseless Bad Review.
  By A2T003BEBLJPU8 on 2007-09-08
  I have played and owned both Brain Age 1 and Brain Age 2 and actively use(d) both of them. I am 20 years old.
  
  DISCLAIMER
  I won't point out any other reviewers by name, but it annoys me that people give this product a bad review because its "boring" or because they're "not getting any smarter." And then, they go on to compare it to games that aren't in the same genre or "style" that games like Brain Age were made for. All I am saying is that, before buying this product, know that it is not your average VIDEO GAME. It serves a different purpose by opening the DS to users of all ages. Brain Age is not supposed to "make you smarter" in any sense at all. If you read what Dr. Kawashima says in the game, the game was developed to keep your brain HEALTHY by exercising it with these challenges, thus allowing more blood flow and a HEALTHIER brain (not a smarter brain.) So yes, your average video game fanatic might find it to be less exciting, but just know before you buy it what you're actually buying it for. This is a "tool," in a sense, that will help your brain stay fit.
  
  MY REVIEW
  Brain Age 2 is a good continuation to the first in the sense that it includes more games and is more challenging. In the first Brain Age, I was getting Age 20 (the best score) all the time. In this one, I have been getting between 20-27 most of the time. I find this as a helpful way to know that while my brain may be fit, theres room for improvement. I gave it a 4 instead of a 5 because I think there might be too much number games as opposed to word games. (number games featuring arithmetic problems.) And I feel that all of my work and recordings in Brain Age 1 are now worthless. I was hoping that there was some way to integrate my old recordings of the first game into this new one. That being said, Brain Age 2, while an excellent, easy-to-use tool, is more of a "replacement" for brain age 1 as opposed to a "sequel."
  
  
• Better Than The First!
  By A1PWSA1OJBPJ1R on 2007-08-24
  Brain Age 2 has so many more exercises than the first one. There is a little problem with voice recognition in Paper, Rocks, Scissors- but don't let that stop you from getting it. There are still many, many more games to play. What I really like is that it has it's own version of Dr. Mario! If you click on "training" and scroll down to the last "???" block and click on it...you will find VIRUS BUSTER!!! That alone is worth 20.00! Get this game, it is good!
  
  
• Prefer the original Brain Age game
  By A18J07Q7TL6E29 on 2007-11-25
  My son left "Brain Age" at a friend's house, never to be seen again (the game, not the son). We bought this "Brain Age 2" as a replacement, and the games are just not as appealing as the first version of Brain Age.
  The Rock/Paper/Scissors is really interesting and keeps you on your toes because the wrong answer is required (rock loses to paper!)
  but there is no "word match" where you're given a long list of words to recall later (my absolutely favorite game) and there's no more
  "fast math" to add/multiply numbers in 25 seconds, that the first game offers.
  
  We miss those games.
  
  
  Too bad the first edition could not have been enhanced to fix the voice recognition on the colormatching, and added the newer games,
  instead of entirely replacing the whole thing.
  
  Brain Age II doesn't allow adding your previous scores, and have to start the whole scoring and tracking thing anew. Not something we old brains are good at.
  
  
  
  
• Not What I Expected.
  By A3ESTX69HFXJEX on 2007-11-22
  Before buying Brain Age 2, I read about it and saw commercials for it, so I was pretty excited when I recieved it as a gift. However, the novelty wore off for me after about a month. It soon got to be too boring and tedious. I would definitely recommend renting before buying. I wish I had.
  
  
• Voice game does not function
  By A1WGEPHE7XUP4J on 2007-08-22
  This new game is great. The only problem is the voice game, paper/rock/hand, does not function and it does not recognize any voice, close up or not close up. I have tried it on several different DS systems and it does not function. I am waiting for the recall from Nintendo so they can fix this glitch.
  
  
• Let's call this brain age "squared"!
  By A2K1H0ML6NZPB6 on 2007-10-02
  Just a little humor there - look at the package, the two is a superscript so I like to call it Brain Age squared!
  
  At any rate, this is a wonderful addition to the original Brain Age with some more brain sharpening tools. The same explanation is there at the beginning, i.e. the one where the host presents pictures of MRI images of the brain at "idle", while figuring out a difficult math problem and while reading or working simple problems. It's worth noting that the brain working simple math problems or reading aloud demonstrated more activity on the MRI scans. That said, working out the brain does not have to be difficult or super frustrating and can indeed be fun.
  
  There are some clever additions such as identifying which mathematical symbol belongs in an equation. Again, these are not difficult problems and the goal is to recognize what symbol is needed FAST - just as jogging or doing some other form of exercise daily, these little work-outs keep the mind sharp.
  
  The addition of "Making change" is brilliant! We need more activities like this - not only is this brain sharpening, it is something that can be used in every day life when making purchases. Of note, this reviewer does this regularly - whenever paying for something, my own little game is seeing if I can figure out the change before the clerk tells me (without cheating by looking at their computer)!
  
  The piano playing addition is enjoyable albeit having been a musician for years, I might have just a bit of an edge over a non musician. Nevertheless, I love the connection between music and the mind and hope to see more research in this area.
  
  Admittedly, I have not tried anything that requires the voice. I was disapointed in that regard with the first go round but since I have not tried it, I cannot comment on the quality. Another reviewer comments that it seemed to go well.
  
  Finally, there are new Sudoku puzzles and a new addiiton, virus busters, kind of like tetris in a way. The game instructs that this is not meant for training but more for relaxing. Rather enjoyable once you get the swing of it - your mind works by strategizing where to place the "capsules" and just how to turn them.
  
  Contratulations and kudos to the developers of this fine software - it's a wonderful addition.
  
  
• Addictive
  By A3I8OURC83NM6V on 2007-11-22
  This is as addictive as the first. It is an easy way to challenge yourself without feeling like you're actually doing anything. I've had my family sit down with this and not want to give me my DS back because they are having too much fun playing this. Plus you may sharpen your memory a little. I don't know whether or not this actually works, but it's a load of fun.
  
  
• Crappy Game
  By A1J77TKQ610WOY on 2007-12-30
  This game is very tedious. You have to go through the explaination each time you enter a game. My biggest complaint is the Quick Soduku option which only has ONE game. They are the exact same numbers each time you play. This is not true for the main gameplay, but it is a serious flaw.
  
  
• Another winner!
  By A2KTZULVV6L3Z3 on 2007-08-23
  I played through the first installment (any doubts that there will be a third ?), and found it a fun, stimulating challenge with decent replay value. The ability to set personal bests, combined with the enticement of a normalized ranking (the much ballyhooed "brain age") suits the quantitative, competitive sorts like myself. Some of the concerns voiced above re: BA2 are easily sidestepped: Don't play the voice recognition game. Easy enough, and there's plenty of other places to find fun. One feature I'd like to see are the dedicated Brain Age tests broken out as individual games to play (some in BA2 are a very cool, but you can't play them outside of the BA testing environment) as well as ALL games as possible selections for a Brain Age test. Interestingly, BA2 is more math focused than BA1, which I like. But there are a number of other enjoyable games that will make you think. Anagramming, music composition, information aggregation, memorization, and a host of general executive function tasks come into play. In particular, the piano game is a blast, although if you can read music, play the piano, and best of all, play by ear, you'll have a powerful advantage. It is worthwhile to spend a little time learning shortcuts for handwriting recognition (like a slash for division, rather than a line with dots above and below); this will improve the times and prevent a break in the mental flow as the problems stream by. There are still too many click-through screens of various beheaded ramblings, but the quick fix presented by this quirky edutainment title is compelling. It does seem to me that the brain age rankings are a bit tougher this time around, but maybe it is my lack of familiarity with the games. All in all, the game isn't perfect, but it's perfectly suited to serve up daily dollops of 1-10 minutes of fun. Just don't expect a significant boost in IQ.
  
  
• Get original version
  By A117FYENI6RSPP on 2007-10-01
  I like the original version better. The guy narrating is even more annoying in this second edition. Limited learning options unless you download more.
  
  
• Great follow-up
  By A3TJ7BNDKXQFQH on 2007-09-30
  I played brain age 1 constantly (I still can't say BLUE good enough though). Brain age 2 is a really good sequel. Just as much fun as the 1st one, and you never have to say the word BLUE.
  
  
• I love this game
  By A37WFZEQ7536WY on 2007-10-02
  I have Brain Age 1 and Big Brain Academy. I recently bought Brain Age 2 and really enjoy it. The activities are challenging, especially the piano player one. Twice the notes printed were not on the keys available so I had to adapt, but even having a piano background, it is challenging. The drawback to most of these "brain" games is that you have to move past the 'doctor's' comments before you can go on and they are mostly the same things over and over. I would highly recommend this game for challenging the mind.
  
  
• If you liked number 1, you'll like this too
  By A38BN2FBZ21FP on 2007-11-22
  Brain Age 2 is very much like Brain Age 1--it features the same long-winded floating head, the same music, the same format--the only thing that's changed is the specific exercises, but that's good enough for me! If you liked the original but have played it to exhaustion, then here's a way to refresh your supply of puzzles and tests.
  
  Pros: The games are more varied, now including a musical one, among others. They're also more challenging--on the first one, I'd reached age 20 in about a week. With this one, I'm still hovering around 26 after a month and a half. This gives it longer play value. They've also introduced a tetris-like mini game that's a nice diversion. The handwriting recognition seems to be better, though it's still not perfect.
  
  Cons: Handwriting recognition glitches still lead to the occasional frustration of something getting marked wrong that really isn't. It still has limited replay value, since once you've unlocked all the training modes and reached a certain score on them, you tend to lose interest. And Dr. Whats-his-name still talks too much. Basically it has all the same flaws as the first one did.
  
  Overall, it's still a great game, a much-needed sequel to the original. Don't expect anything new or original when you buy this, because it really is VERY much like the first one, but if you're just itching for some new training modes, this is for you!
  
  
• better than the first
  By AQ74502O0MHM on 2007-08-28
  like this one better than the first. i can never remember what 7X8= but i can remember that 2 PLUS 2 equals 4.
  wish there were games like this.
  
  
• Not Bad...
  By A2JNZM6BZF32LO on 2007-09-19
  I received this game as part of the red DS bundle and thought I'd come give my review on it.
  
  The large majority of games I play are RPGs and/or are originally for the SNES (Mario-type games). So I'm gearing my review to people with interests in that area.
  
  Going into this game I wasn't expecting much and I was pleasantly surprised. It was actually pretty fun. The main problem I had with it was the handwriting. I have nice handwriting, but when in a rush it can get very messy. It's not a big deal because the more you play the more you adjust to what is recognized as what.
  My other issue is the lack of "playability". This is speaking from a gamer point of view. You can play each of the training games once a day and that's it. I understand the reason for this, but it's disheartening to not be able to play the games I like again. (You can, but it's the exact same one you played before.)
  
  I give this game 3 stars because it's not something I would recommend to my friends nor would I would purchase for myself AFTER having played it (if I didn't already own it).
  HOWEVER, if you love puzzles, this might be the perfect game for you. I do play it everyday and when they say "train your brain in minutes a day" tey weren't kidding. The longest I stayed on the game (just in training mode and brain age mode) was 15 min. It has Sudoku as well as a secret mini-game( DS version of tetris) which can be played over and over again and are intended to be more on the fun side of brain exercising. (The others CAN be fun, but they are more intended to work your brain.)
  
  All-in-all it's not a bad game, but is (obviously) more for people who are into puzzles. If you like puzzles, but like to be able to play something again and again, this might not be the best game for you. (Unless, of course, you love Sudoku!)
  
  
• Flexes all the DS's muscles, in addition to your brain
  By A2D2CZEHI7KO76 on 2007-10-08
  This game really shows off all the capabilities of the DS. It can utilize the microphone, the WiFi connection, the touch screen, etc. all in one sitting. It is a very well rounded game, so even if some of the tests/challenges are easy others will be hard. For example, I've taken piano lessons so playing the songs on the piano keyboard is pretty easy; however, I'm not a great speller, so some of entries in the word scramble stump me.
  
  It's great fun competing with yourself and can get really addictive if you start trying to one up your friends. After playing this game, I've been having a hard time deciding what game to pickup next because the all seem too "traditional" now!
  
  
• Way too fun!!! I am always asking for my son's DS!!!!
  By A1NILC205UVQ94 on 2007-09-27
  I love this game but it is not really a game at all!! My husband and whole family enjoy seeing who is better at each of the different mind strenthening tests that there are. I recommend and show this to everyone. Even my 87 year old parents!!!
  
  
• Nancy's Brainage 2
  By A35O8CC27734HE on 2007-09-27
  Great game to exercise brain. It is better than the first version of
  the game. Keeps me interested and does not take a lot of time each day.
  
  
• LOVE IT!!!
  By A115GUP8L1M0TU on 2007-09-29
  I got this one because I have the first one. I love the added tests on this one. My favorite, is the piano. Lots of fun.
  
  
• returned
  By AEM80L3MA5CM9 on 2007-10-10
  this @!&^%$# game requiered a program which I do not have. please clarify thiss.
  
  
• Fun For All The Family
  By AU3QL3HYBCLU0 on 2007-10-12
  This is a really good game for all the family. The twins (aged 11) love it and Dad, well we can't keep him off it! Already an improvement in the boys attention and learning after a few short weeks. I am amazed that they have kept it up but they are playing everyday and keep trying to beat their best score.
  
  
• Great game for your brain!
  By A1S8DUAWE9OW7C on 2007-10-16
  I love this game. It has really helped everyone in the family enjoy the Nintendo DS. Brain Age 2 is a great way to entertain yourself and have a learning moment.
  
  The idea that you can unlock mini games with the more stamps you have really makes this game special. It's a great motivation to keep playing this everyday.
  
  

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