Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day!

 DS
Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 58 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 40 out of 58
  2. Mixed: 17 out of 58
  3. Negative: 1 out of 58
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  1. GameSpot
    72
    Does Brain Age actually make you smarter? We have no idea, but it's still an interesting puzzle game available at a budget price.
  2. N-Insanity
    72
    Perhaps the greatest asset of Brain Age is the addition of Sudoku, a famous number puzzle that is gaining popularity quickly. It contains a wide range of difficulty, meaning it can be fairly simple or very difficult.
  3. The New York Times
    72
    Brain Age is meant to be played only a few minutes a day; the exercises lack enough variety to be played for very long.
  5. GameSpy
    70
    Brain Age is a remarkably accessible game that just about anyone can pick up and get something out of.
  6. Yahoo!
    70
    The technical issues are frustrating to be sure, but Brain Age is a surprisingly engaging puzzle non-game.
  7. Da Gameboyz
    70
    Regardless if there is any truth to the belief Brain Age is a great game of puzzles and logic that will keep fans of these exercises playing for quite sometime.
  8. VGPub
    70
    With a budget price of just $19.99, this game has done something I thought I’d never experience or see: a fun video game that also educates. In your face, channel four evening news!
  9. VideoGamer
    70
    You can't compare this to the GTAs and the Tomb Raiders of the world, but as a fun way to spend a few minutes every day, it's worth considering.
  10. Total Video Games
    70
    As expected Doctor Kawishima's Brain Training: How Old is Your Brain is a wildly different type of "game" to those that typically adorn TVG pages. What you should know is that Brain Training is far more entertaining and addictive then we initially thought.
  11. PALGN
    70
    Brain Training sounds pretty promising as a concept, and there is some impressive technology behind the game, but portions of the title are noticeably rough.
  12. N-Europe
    70
    If you aren’t into logic puzzles and memory tests, and you’re a man of action rather than one of thought, this game is definitely not for you. But playing this – for however long you do end up playing it – is a pleasure, albeit a guilty one.
  13. Pocket Gamer UK
    70
    If you're committed to the cause, Dr Kawashima's Brain Training will give your grey cells a daily workwork for weeks, but it ain't no game.
  14. G4 TV
    60
    Although Brain Training asks you to figure out increasingly intricate problems in a short amount of time, there's something quite relaxing about the whole thing. Not worth full price, since there are only nine different games to play here, but definitely a fun time-waster. [JPN Import]
  15. Modojo
    60
    Brain Age is a decently amusing distraction, but without the fun and variation of the minigames found in "Big Brain Academy" and with many questions about the actual impact the training has on your brain, its tough to recommend the software too highly.
  16. RewiredMind
    60
    Good, but not nearly as great as the entire world would have you believe.
  17. games(TM)
    60
    Its unique Nintendo appeal and our own innate yearning for self-improvement make it a worthwhile little curio. [June 2006, p.117]
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  18. Game Revolution
    50
    If you’re looking for a way to make yourself smarter, start by saving your money for a better investment, like a book.

Awards & Rankings

13
#13 Best DS Game of 2006
6
#6 Most Discussed DS Game of 2006
40
#40 Most Shared DS Game of 2006

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 64 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 41 out of 64
  2. Mixed: 14 out of 64
  3. Negative: 9 out of 64
  1. agentbinky
    Dec 1, 2022
    0
    If you are old and boring you will love this game. Good thing I am both. The entries in the series are mostly indistinguishable so you'reIf you are old and boring you will love this game. Good thing I am both. The entries in the series are mostly indistinguishable so you're better off going with the most recent adaptation.… Full Review »
  2. AJCk19
    Jul 12, 2021
    5
    DISCLAIMER: If you are going to play this game. Play it simply for fun. Because it will not increase your brain's ability. There was even aDISCLAIMER: If you are going to play this game. Play it simply for fun. Because it will not increase your brain's ability. There was even a law suit over this.

    Other than that, yeah it is a fun game, but won't make you smarter or keep your brain healthy. If you want to keep your brain healthy, cardio exercise is the way to go. Also dedicate yourself within your field.    … Full Review »
  3. storygamer
    Sep 1, 2020
    8
    Dr Kawashima`s Brain Training is more than a game. Its puzzles are challenging and motivating. Especially if you`re a fan of Sudoku, you willDr Kawashima`s Brain Training is more than a game. Its puzzles are challenging and motivating. Especially if you`re a fan of Sudoku, you will have a lot of fun. Very addictive!… Full Review »
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