Kotaku: Brain Age

Brain Age Doctor Is More Than Happy To Drink Your Radiation Milk

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 05:00:00 EDT

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In Japan, trace amounts of radiation are being found in vegetables and milk. People are obviously concerned, but fret not, because the guy from Brain Age is here to relax all fears. More »

Brain Age To Outsmart The 3DS?

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 06:00:00 EST

Just because Nintendo's Brain Age took Japan by storm in 2006, that doesn't mean it can't do it again. Neuroscientist Dr. Ryuta Kawashima spills the beans that a new Brain Age is in development. More »

The Red DSi XL Is Official

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 10:00:00 EDT

After images of the snappy red DSi XL popped up on a U.S. retail site, it seemed like the handheld would be coming to the States. Today, Nintendo made it official. More »

Yes, Kinect Is Getting A Brain Training Game

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 04:00:00 EDT

In 2005, Nintendo published Nintendo DS game "Brain Age" in Japan, a title that claimed it could train players' brains. In 2010, Microsoft's Kinect is getting its own brain game. More »

When Cheating Makes Brain Age Fun

Luke Plunkett — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 01:30:00 EDT

Brain Age isn't the most enjoyable of DS games played straight. Playing it through an emulator that lets you substitute answers for stupid doodles sure fixes that. More »

Yet Another Study: Brain Training Games Don't Improve Intelligence

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 05:00:00 EDT

First it was French scientists who said brain training games like Brain Age do not work. Now, it's UK scientists. More »

Scottish Prisoners May Get DSes For Brain Training

Stephen Totilo — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 15:00:56 EST

The Sunday Times reports of a plan by the Scottish prison system to raise "literacy" and "numeracy" skills among its prison population by giving the inmates access to Nintendo DS systems. More »

Nintendo: Not Everyone Has Played Brain Age

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 03:00:00 EDT

With the gajillion titles of Brain Age and its sequel Nintendo has sold, you'd think pretty much everyone has played the game. You're wrong. More »

DSiWare Brain Age Makes Beautiful Woman Laugh Maniacally

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 01:00:00 EDT

Actress Miho Kanno appears in the DSiWare Brain Age ads. She's asked to make a face like she's seen something that she shouldn't have seen. She does and lets out a frightening laugh. More »

Osaka Schools Passing Out DSs

AJ Glasser — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 20:20:00 EDT

Reports say that about 10 middle and elementary schools in Osaka will start handing out Nintendo DS consoles to students next January. Nintendo's plan to control the world: 80% complete. More »

Another Brain-Age-Doesn't-Work Study

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 07:00:00 EST

Did you hear for the umpteenth time Brain Age doesn't really help your brain? No, really. More »

Brain Age Does Not Work Say French Researchers

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 04:00:00 EST

Just as researchers in Scotland say Brain Age works, researchers in France say it doesn't. According to data from University of Rennes, Brittany, Brain Age failed to show any significant jump in memory. More »

Brain Age Works, Says Science

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 20:00:28 EDT

Researchers in Scotland have tested the effects of Brain Age on schoolchildren. The results? Good! The organization Learning and Teaching Scotland tested daily usage of Brain Age — known there as Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training — on some 600 students at 32 schools throughout the country, tasking them with 20 minutes of (non-)gameplay prior to standard lessons. More »

Brain Age Breaks UK Sales Record

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 07:00:00 EDT

British people, hello! Apparently lots of you own Brain Age. Like a lot a lot. According to compilers Chart-Track, the game has spent 80 weeks in the UK's top ten. 80. Eighty. 8. 0. The gray matter DS title has now surpassed the original Tomb Raider's benchmark. More »

Brain Age Gets Japanese Adult Video Homage

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 09:05:00 EDT

We're not really surprised that Brain Age got a dirty movie, we're just surprised it's taken so long! Originally released in Japan as Touhoku Daigaku Mirai Kagakugijutsu Kyoudoukenkyuu Center Kawashima Ryuuta Kyouju Kanshuu Nou o Kitaeru Otona no DS Training, the DS game was a smash hit back in 2005 and 2006. This August, naughty video company Moodyz is releasing adult video parody Chinpo o Kitaeru Otona no Ingenware Training (or "Dick Drilling Adult's Lewd Word Self Training"). The DVD stars Moodyz actres Hikaru Wakana (her blog, maybe NSFW), and the box features a label that says this DVD is for "One Player" and that "Ultimated Continues Are Possible." More »

Zelda Team Working on New Games

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 04:00:22 EDT

Don't forget. Nintendo doesn't just make Wii Fit and Brain Age. It makes other games, too. Games like The Legend of Zelda. About which, Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto says: More »

Forbes Predicts Future Classics

Mark Wilson — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 14:00:56 EST

The financial minds at Forbes have taken off their big business hats for a moment to focus on a more pressing topic: classic video games. Which of today's titles will become immortalized in our hearts, marble statue-ized into our next Super Mario Bros 3s that we can't put down a decade later? Well, they've compiled a list of their top ten and it's...actually not that bad. And of course, Mario has made an appearance. More »

Brain Age Creator Creating Intelligent Toyotas

Mike Fahey — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 21:30:55 EST

Professor Ryuta Kawashima is the master of brain training. Having trained the brains of millions of gamers, he has now taken the next logical step - training the brains of Toyotas. Toyota and Kawashima are currently together on various technologies to help older drivers drive safely. Technologies such as intelligent systems that monitor a driver's behavior in order to curb dangerous behavior, such as sudden increases or decreases in speed, falling asleep at the wheel, or getting in the car in the first place.

"We envision future cars will be able to monitor brain and emotional activity to back up elderly drivers," said Kawashima, a Tohoku University scientist who worked on Nintendo Co.'s best-selling "Brain Age" games _ and whose smiling image is the guide in the series.

Brain Age on "Adult Version" DS

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 07:00:06 EST

Sure, Nintendo is releasing a Brain Age pack that has Brain Age, a DS and a case. Another opportunity to introduce to the great unwashed what Japanese housewives were doing ages ago! In the clip linked below, TheStreet.com has respected tech journalist Gary Krakow ramble on about seeing some old lady on the plane playing Brain Age on that "adult version" red and black DS Lite. Gary also points out: More »

Boozin' It Up With Square Enix

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 04:00:29 EST

What's better than launching a game? Launching a game totally shitfaced! A "Beaujolais Nouveau Countdown Party" at Tokyo's Shin Marunouchi Building for, well, beaujolais nouveau as well as Square Enix's new title Wine no Hajimekata DS. (Beaujolais nouveau officially goes on sale the third Thursday of November, which is known as "Beaujolais Nouveau Day.") Demo kiosks were balanced by a free flowing beaujolais nouveau and a jazz band playing standards like "The Days of Wine and Roses." The Square Enix game quizzes players on basic wine info to increase their knowledge of the drink. Think of Wine no Hajimekata DS as like Brain Age-type game, but with even more "blue" slurring. Buroooooooooooooo. More »

Does Brain Age Actually Work? No, Apparently.

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 04:00:49 EST

Last year was all about the Brain Age. That title took Japan by storm and drove DS sales in the region. Consumers wanted to exercise their brains. Math problems and saying the word "blue" seemed like the answer. Or is it? An opinion piece over in The New York Times points out that those types of games are "inspired by science" and not actually proven by it. Brain Age and the like train users to be go at very specific tasks. Instead, brain power is actually improved by exercise. From the article: More »

UK Snatches Up Four Million DS

Michael McWhertor — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 16:40:24 EDT

Gamers across the pond have proven their love for the Nintendo DS to the tune of 4 million dual-screen handhelds sold. The combined sales of the original Nintendo DS and the Nintendo DS Lite crossed the four mil threshold recently, according to European sales watchers Chart Track. More »

It's Nintendogs Meets Brain Age

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 07:00:02 EDT

IQ Breeder is a pet sim mashed with a brain training game. The game features three animals (dog, cat, pig) whose IQs can be raised when players get things like math problems correct. The mini-games include puzzles, rhythm games, mazes and whatnot. It's even possible to pit your pet against a friend's. A marketer's wet dream! More »

Nintendo Shows How Greek Advertising Is Done (With Sexy Nurses)

Michael McWhertor — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 18:20:34 EDT

The first rule of Greek game advertising: do not serve your target market meals culled fresh from the innards of a freshly slaughtered goat, regardless of whether the dish is merely implied to have been harvested from said carcass. The second rule: hire a team of pleasantly attractive models in crisp, clean cotton nurse get-ups, then have them hit the beach for sun, fun, and a second round of brain massaging Nintendo-designed exercises. More »

Nintendo Invades NYT Crossword

Brian Crecente — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 10:00:51 EDT

The June 29 New York Times Crossword sought to test readers' mental acuity with a question about a mental acuity-testing video game. More »

Jessica Alba Has A Brain Age Of 82

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 22:40:14 EDT

Did you know that Jessica Alba is partially responsible for the Nintendo DS shortage? Believe it! In her exclusive interview with Yahoo's Celebrity Byte the actress reveals that she's not only a DS and Wii fan, but quite the Brain Age addict. More »

More Brain Age in Europe

Kim Phu — Wed, 16 May 2007 12:40:00 EDT

Europe is set to get another round of brain traing games from that light-hearted doctor with More Brain Training from Dr Kawashima: How Old Is Your Brain? More »

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 04 May 2007 17:40:01 EDT

With four hours of airline travel ahead of me this weekend, I knew that I'd need to equip myself with my Nintendo DS to stave off the boredom. Normally, listening to the person next to me breathe, counting every inhalation, is enough to keep me occupied, but I decided to get some gaming in. Therefore, I packed a ton of games, including Dragon Quest Heroes Rocket Slime, Elite Beat Agents, Mario Kart DS and Rhythm Tengoku. More »

More Brain Games Coming. Ungh.

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 02:00:51 EDT

How 2006! Last year, brain games were all the rage. Or the year before that for Japan. Don't tell Ubisoft, though! The publisher is bringing Sega's Atama Scan ("Brain Scan") to the West, redubbing it Mind Quiz: Your Brain Coach. Sega is no stranger to brain games, making some of the first ones so many moons ago. Info about the Ubisoft import: More »

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 18:00:30 EST

Bad news, folks. You won't have me to kick around next week. Tomorrow, I head to sunny Ireland for a week's worth of heavy vacationing, basking in the glorious sunny weather typical of Dublin in March. Don't worry. I'm bringing my sunblock. Plus, I'm bringing games! More »

Nintendo Honored At AIAS Awards

fdemarco — Sat, 10 Feb 2007 17:00:00 EST

Hot on the heels of the Twilight Princess' 1 million sales news, comes Nintendo's honors at the recent AIAS awards at DICE. Nintendo received nineteen nominations in eleven different categories eventually going home with five awards. The list of honors are as follows... More »

Southwest Airlines Gifts Travelers with DS Lites

Brian Crecente — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 18:00:23 EST

Southwest Airlines, famous for their no-frills flights and cattle-call boarding procedures, have teamed up with Nintendo to hand out free DS Lites and copies of Brain Age to some of their frequent flyer members. More »

Korean Brain Age Hits Snags

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 13:22:16 EST

For English speakers, it was the word "blue." Brain Age just didn't like it. But what about for Korean folks? The game just launch there and is apparently having localization issues as well. According to The Korea Times: More »

Nintendo Honors Ageless Americans

Mike Fahey — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 17:40:35 EST

Nintendo has chosen 100 Americans between the ages of 54 to 104 to receive their 'Ageless Award', which honors the type of people who don't let age get in their way, like teenagers with fake I.D.s, only older. People like Rubin G. of New York, a 54 year-old professional racquetball player, or Waldo M. of Kansas, a 104 year-old beekeeper and author. Each of the 100 winners are receiving

a DS Lite and a copy of Brain Age.

Why Video Games Are Hard To Give Up

Michael McWhertor — Wed, 27 Dec 2006 22:20:47 EST

Sometimes you just don't want to stop. I know that I've sunk weeks of my life into playing Starcraft, Tetris, and Advance Wars. So why is it so hard to separate oneself from the keyboard or cross pad? Because it "fulfills basic psychological needs." More »

Brain Age Rip-offs Come To PC

Michael McWhertor — Sun, 29 Oct 2006 09:32:59 EST

While trolling the lovely NeoGAF this morning for my pre-breakfast news, I came across this shameful Brain Age cash-in for Windows. More »

Brain Age, The Snow Globe

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 25 Oct 2006 14:22:52 EDT

What better way to promote a game than by with a brain suspended in swirling white crap? Wired's Chris Kohler shows this Brain Age Nintendo sent him. Odd. But Cool. In an odd way. Brian Ashcraft More »

Brain Age and DS Lite Sales Skyrocket Due to Spokesman's Marital Infidelity

egauger — Thu, 21 Sep 2006 17:40:13 EDT

Chris Tarrant, British radio personality best known for hosting Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, has also appeared in advertisements for Brain Age. More »

Clips: Brain Age Pwned?

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 19 Sep 2006 12:21:50 EDT

There are tons of these vids floating around the Intertubes, making me think that there either a lot of people really good at math or a lot of people good at cheating. Regardless, I'm amazed the game can read this guy's chicken scrawl, because mine causes it to go haywire. That, and when I say "blue." Brian Ashcraft More »

Rumor: Wii To Have Voice Recognition?

brownlee — Tue, 15 Aug 2006 12:40:15 EDT

Interesting. An IGN Insider forum member who previously established some cred as a Nintendo insider by predicting the Wiimote speaker says that voice recognition technology is coming to the Wii. More »