Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain

Big Brain Academy is sometimes advertised as a “gym for brains”, but with Brain vs. Brain, Nintendo tried to cut down on tediousness and steer it towards “party game” genre. [Issue#258, p.55]

Short game fun for the puzzle in between, which is fun in the family, but lacks long-term motivation and new ideas.

Big Brain Academy returns in decent shape – it’s still a simple but enjoyable and engaging game that additionally exercises your brain. Possibly. A doctor’s opinion would be welcome.

Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain shines as a party game, adopting a family-friendly approach that evens the playing field regardless of each player's age and experience. We had a lot of fun with our family and friends across the 20 puzzle activities featured in this accessible and budget-priced package. It's just a pity that there aren't a few more minigames (or a slightly more substantial single-player component) for greater replay value.

Brain vs Brain feels more like a collection bringing old content to Switch rather than a new game. Still good, but those who expect more in 14 years may be disappointed.

That simple sense of fun and frivolity is the spirit that runs through Big Brain Academy: Brain vs Brain, and the thing that separates it from more “serious” brain training games. It doesn’t push any boundaries, but what it lacks in a structured training regimen it makes up for in playful energy and a party game touch. Sometimes you want to meticulously practice an instrument, but sometimes you just want to jam—Brain vs Brain is the brain training version of the latter.

Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain really shines due to the well-designed and thought-provoking single-player activities, despite a rather lacklustre multiplayer offering.

Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain is entertaining and will make you have a good time. It's designed to leave you feeling like you can do better, so it constantly motivates you to beat your individual scores or those of other people. Its Achilles heel is that its offer of mini-games is short and lacks surprises, so it is made for you to enjoy it in long sessions for a few days, or in games of a few minutes in the long term.

Ultimately Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain is a fun game and does everything it says on the package. Unfortunately there is always a limit to games of this type, which explains its budget price tag for a physical release. While the multiplayer is fun to pick up and play with friends and family, it does not last very long with fifteen games in total. It is a game that need to be repeatedly played to try and beat the high score which can be fun for short bursts, but not something that will stay in the brain for a long time.

Brain Vs. Brain proves the most accessible and competitive Big Brain Academy to date, thanks to asynchronous scoring tables online, but this program lacks some innovation as well as overall content to attract lots of students for a long time.

Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain follows the pace of its predecessors very closely. So much so that you wouldn’t realize there was a gap of nearly fifteen years between this installment and the last one. Like the previous games, it’s a fun distraction if you’re looking for a “brain training" game. Hardly essential, certainly light on things to do, but if you like this sort of thing you’ll likely get some mileage out of its new competitive aspects.

A fun little party puzzler, Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain gives the ol’ neurons a thorough workout in a jolly, well-presented package. While its single-player mode lacks longevity and will only keep the most dedicated brainiacs engaged, the sheer maddening joy of trying to compete in its frantic multiplayer offering is delightful and sure to keep your grey matter nice and juicy. Between its smooth touchscreen controls, charming presentation, and customisable difficulty options, Big Brain Academy provides a solid party experience for the whole family.

Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain recycles much of what we’ve seen before and it still doesn’t have a true online feature, but it’s a step in the right direction given the inclusion of the Ghost Clash mode. There’s plenty of fun to be had when battling against players’ ghost data online, but households with more than one person that can get together face-to-face will undoubtedly find more value here. This is the most accessible Big Brain Academy to date, thanks to its generous difficulty options. Plus, if you care enough for collectable accessories for your avatar, then there’s a lot of replayability to be had, too. Solo players, on the other hand, may be left wanting more as the slim catalogue of mini-games wears thin quickly, moreso if they’ve been under the watchful eye of Dr Lobe before.

Not to be considered as a party-game but a mental training program in the form of a video game, the Nintendo title does the job well if you take it that way.

A lovely learning experience that offers satisfying brain-teasing puzzles, but doesn’t quite have enough to keep players coming back for weeks. Fun multiplayer adds some mileage, though some extra options would really sweeten the deal.

This is an interesting new entry in the popular series, but unfortunately it starts to feel too repetitive too soon.

A good collection of mental agility tests, with which to put in shape the different areas of our brain. Regarding the games that came out on Nintendo DS, Wii and Wii U, it incorporates multiplayer modes, both local (4 players in TV mode and 2 in portable mode) and online against "ghosts" of other players.

Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain is a good workout for the mind, captivating enough to entertain; still, it would have deserved more content.

Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain is a solid collection of brain-teasing minigames that’s enjoyable enough alone but is unlikely to hold your attention for an extended period unless you’ve got some fellow brainiacs to go up against. That competitive drive to improve and beat your friends and family will keep you coming back once the allure of another cute hat wears off. If you’ve got some people to share the experience with, you’ll have a good time with this one.

Big Brain Academy, and the entire brain-training sub-genre of puzzle games, were never as medically precise as they purported to be. But they were always about the fulfillment of self-improvement, not bragging rights. Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain, thanks to its new competition hooks, feels just a little bit coarser. It's still plenty of fun in small doses, and the exercises are well-made and for the most part ramp up nicely. Just don't take it too seriously, and whatever the leaderboards say, remember to run your own race.

Big Brain Academy is back on the Nintendo Switch with a bunch of old and new learning challenges. We're just a little bit disappointed by the multiplayer that lack some options available on the Wii and DS outings.

Nintendo Switch welcomes Big Brain Academy: Brain Battle. The hybrid console adds to its catalogue what is, from now on, one of the most recommended logic and puzzle titles to play with the family or for the youngest audience. A proposal as simple as its predecessors in the saga (of which it reuses activities), but also one of those that have made the best use of the technological benefits of the moment. The title asks for just a few minutes a day to exercise your brain in key mathematical skills in the growth stages of any student, so it seems to us an ideal gift for this Christmas. Identity, visualize, memorize, compute, analyze... And have fun, which is the most important thing, both alone and in company. Its only problem is that it is verry short on content, although its low price compensates for that. For the rest, it is one of those titles that we celebrate for combining learning with perseverance and the importance of training our minds.

Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain is a great party game that will surely give you a few evenings of fun. The minigames, although few, are all fun to play, especially in multiplayer mode. Unfortunately, the lack of content means that the cracking sessions for your brain do not last long and the button controls are a major obstacle.

Training your brain never hurts, and this game on the Switch provides another great opportunity to do so. The game presents you with a series of activities and although some of them can be a bit frustrating, thanks in part to the controller control (play in handheld), it does manage to bring a lot of fun thanks to its diversity and multiplayer features. Not the best game ever in the series, but it is one that will entertain you.

Big Brain Academy: Brain vs Brain is one of the most accessible party games available on Nintendo Switch right now. It might not have much longevity, but it’s affordable, easy to pick up and play, and has the potential for some real competitive party play with the right people.

A fun pick up and play experience that is unfortunately held back by its inability to truly innovate on its predecessors and take advantage of the Switch's hardware.

Despite its smart minigames, Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain offers to the player very little reasons to get back in to the game later. It's a fun experience to play with friends and family, but it lacks replay value and fails in creating something new in the brain games genre.

The small variety of activities and a lack of focus on personal enrichment holds the game back from feeling like a complete Big Brain Academy experience. Multiplayer mode is a stressful joy, and conquering challenges is satisfying, but the excitement and stimulation of Brain vs. Brain doesn’t last long.

When you factor in the £25 price tag, Big Brain Academy: Brain Vs. Brain could be considered a no-brainer, if you’re after a decent party game that’s suitable for everyone. However, the lack of new mini-games and disappointing online features does make this franchise comeback feel more cynical and lazy than it should.

An okay game full of minigames that help you exercise your brain but that, however, does not have much going for itself in terms of variety of content. Nevertheless, it's possible that in a few days you'll just be completing tests non-stop.

Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain delivers an enjoyable – if familiar – assortment of challenging games for all ages that shine best when competing with others. Unfortunately, a general lack of content means you’ll see everything it has to offer within a day or two, mode variety stretching your milage maybe a little farther. A fun, if short-lived experience.

Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain is a pleasant little diversion for your grey matter, but it’s one that doesn’t do enough to justify its asking price.

Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain is a shockingly addictive collection of brain teasers, but a slim package makes it a hard sell.

Big Brain Academy: Brain vs Brain is a puzzle game that is easy to learn but difficult to master. Lone players will unfortunately get tired relatively quickly due to the meager content. As a family-friendly party game, it fits much better, as long as everyone knows the English language fairly well.