Kotaku
The success of Brain Age on the Nintendo DS had one very immediate effect on the handheld gaming scene, in that any game with the word Brain in the title and simplistic mini-games was bound to get a green light, whether it deserved it or not. Majesco's Left Brain Right Brain (Use Both Hands - Train Both Sides) teeters precariously between these two classifications. On one hand (ha!) it is a nifty little time-waster that is quite interesting conceptually - using drills to train your off hand to function as well as your dominant one. On the other hand the game boils down to 15 relatively boring mini-games and a simple progress tracking mechanism that are hardly worth $20 of your hard-earned monies.
Don't be fooled by the title. While the back of the box makes allusions to right-brained creative thinkers and the more logic left-brained folks, those two distinctions never really come into play in LBRB. Instead you'll find yourself whacking moles, moving a dot through a maze, tapping the screen to reveal pictures, tracing lines - you know, action games. No real thinking involved. Basically you try things a few time with your dominant hand and then the screen flips, allowing you to complete the same task with the other, comparing your scores and delivering a handy (again!) synopsis of your performance.
After playing the game for hours upon hours, I don't find myself any better at using my left hand, no matter what the game scores say. While some of the games are decidedly harder with my off hand (the maze in particular), most of them are easily conquered with either hand. Tapping the screen repeatedly to unveil a picture? Come on now. An interesting tendency of mine I noticed while playing the game was to actually move the DS with my right hand in order to properly position my left hand to type. This made me realize that my left hand, while getting some of the most important jobs a hand can have, will always be my right hand's little bitch.
Aside fro the standard mode, the game features a R VS L mode where you can race a ghost of your dominant hand's performance through the mini-games, as well as single-card download play, allowing you to share the games with your friends who were perhaps wise enough to read this before going out and picking the title up.
As stated previous, Left Brain Right Brain has a very interesting concept that I would love to explore in more depth - perhaps on the Wii where it wouldn't be as easy to pull off the old dominant hand assist trick - but the depth I crave just isn't here.
Comments
Brain Age is going to be the death of the DS. That death will be long, LONG time in coming, mind you, but it will happen.
Brain Age is like "Survivor," the first big hit in reality shows. Games like this are like the millions to spawn after, like "Joe Millionaire" and "Hell's Kitchen."
And you're surprised? Most of these brain age knockoffs suck a big fat cocksickle.
I played about 30 minutes of this game before I felt like chucking it straight into the bin!
I'm so sick of all these brain training and minigame compilations that everyone, including Nintendo, wants to have on their DS' and Wii's. Fuck Nintendo.
The thing is, the actual Brain Age games are pretty good, including the Sight Training one, but the other games trying to ride the bandwagon are shit most of the time.
Wait...doesn't your left brain control the right side of your body? Not according to the cover...
Sounds positively insipid. ¬_¬
I'm left handed. Due to two separate injuries during high school I was forced to write with my right hand. It's actually a great exercise and brings language to the other side of your brain.
@Apollo:
You know, only brain age is from nintenco. the other stuff comes form other companies, like this one. (Majesco game). So I´m just as sick as you, but I blame the right ones to blame. Stupid producers with huge amount of money who like to rip-off and milk sucesfull stuff by making similar products.
Just watch Eragon after Lord of The Rings, or Alexander after Gladiator and you´ll see what I mean.
I have Brain Age and I never find it that great to play. You get used to the games so quickly I just don't see how it's doing much to train your brain. Left Brain Right Brain I hadn't tried.
I really don't know what are people finding in this, I really didn't think it was that fun, let alone sequel worthy.
no thx!
You hear that? It's the sound of a cash cow being well and truly milked by nearly every game developer in the DS farm.
I wonder how a guy with a commissurotomy would do at this.
Why don't you just create a new player on Brain Age and play with your left hand? You'll still have the scores from your right hand to compete against. Or just play any other stylus-based game on DS with your non-dominant hand.
I remember when I used to get bored in college I'd start taking notes with my left hand. That was probably more beneficial than this game can claim to be. As much as I'd like to be ambidextrous, I don't think a few minigames will cut it. Still, it's an interesting concept.
@Apollo: Why do you keep buying them if you're so sick of them? And if you're not buying or playing them, how exactly is it that they are bothering you?
@waitinthecar: Haven't you heard? You're expected to purchase and play every game that comes out for a system you own.
I don't know about anyone else, but if this is the direction Nintendo wants to establish for gaming... I would have to respectfully ignore them.
I know it is super fun time profits for them... and they are fun once and a while, but overall as a 20+ year gamer, I need more variety and depth in gaming. And this constant pump of mini games is disturbing. And boring!
if a game tells me not to get nervous, ima turn off my DS. too much tension.
@EnigmaNemesis:
umm....I don't think this genre of games is really meant for you....or any of the people that visit Kotaku on a regular basis. And last time I looked there were a slew of awesome games that were coming out for or already have come out for the DS.
A good question to ask is how many people who are complaining about this actually own a DS?
@jp182:
I own one, and have for over a year, just bought puzzle quest.
But more of these come out, than games we are waiting for. My point is, I dont want this trend and sickness to catch on, where developers are wasting precious resources on this garbage for the quick buck, when they could be making super happy awesome games.
@Apollo: Thank You
@EnigmaNemesis: Considering that the same fate befell the Game Boy Advance, you're probably going to be waiting a long time. The vast majority of GBA titles were shovelware.
There are times when I really wished the Nintendo "Seal of Quality" meant something.
Nice shameless rip-off of the Jeopardy logo in the box art.
yeah, they should switch the hands around on the cover...it may look screwy but hey, it's correct AND artistic!
As far as brain training goes, my experience is yelling "Rock" until blue-faced. Then it tells me I'm in my 80's.
I'm not ambidextrous nor do I have two styluses. Using my left hand to write things really hinders me in some respects, because a lot of DS games don't recognize letters correctly due to the fact that my hand starts at different places than a righty. For the life of me, the game can't recognize a D shape, always assumes it's a B or C or O or some nonsense.
Thanks to my flashcard, I didn't pay for this thing and thus just lost 3 minutes of my life instead of 3 minutes of my life AND cash.
My god, such an awful creation...
@PAPABEAR434
I thought the first big hit in reality shows was "The Real World"
Maybe I'm wrong >.> brain age helped my math speed. I used to suck really bad at it. The speed part anyway. Now not so much =X.
Other than the obvious handedness, etc, the whole "LBRB" thing is really only a personality descriptor. If one side of your brain were working harder you'd be pretty fucked up. The exception would be people who've undergone a corpus callosotomy to "split" the brain.
@waitinthecar: I don't keep buying them. I bought Brain Age 2, and that pretty much covers all my minigame/brain game needs.
I know it isn't Nintendo's fault, but it seems that they're more susceptible to more casual games based on the market that they are helping to shape.
@SolCutter:
Your question shall not go unnoticed - My guess is better than any other gamer here. He could probably sell tickets for people to watch, as long as a seizure doesn't break the DS hinges.
Majesco license psychonauts 2 please.
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