Brain Challenge

 Xbox 360
Metascore
54

Mixed or average reviews - based on 16 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 16
  3. Negative: 5 out of 16
  1. IGN
    72
    If you have a puny, atrophied brain, spending some time with Brain Challenge will make you feel better about it. The graphics aren't much to look at but the menus are sharp and easy to navigate, and the controls are intuitive.
  2. Talk Xbox
    70
    The puzzles are original, difficult and entertaining, with the sight for improvement ever so addicting, making Brain Challenge a greeted addition to Xbox Live's Arcade for a fit eight hundred points.
  3. Worth Playing
    70
    Brain Challenge is the kind of game that you can play every day or once a month, and you'd still get the same enjoyment from it.
  5. NZGamer
    63
    While being the first brain training title for the 360, it does little to enhance the genre, or make itself stand out from the portable brain training crowd. However, it does provide a solid test of your mettle, and for the paltry price you could do much, much worse.
  6. Eurogamer
    60
    For all my reservations about the format, there's definitely an audience for this sort of thing out there and while 800 Points puts this in the upper price bracket for Live Arcade, it still makes it the cheapest brain game option around. In that regard at least, it gets the job done.
  7. PALGN
    60
    Brain Challenge is a decent game, with numerous brain-teasers to keep you entertained for weeks. However, a few flaws leave the game less polished than it should be.
  8. GameSpot
    55
    The brain-training experience comes to Microsoft's console, but it's unlikely to pass the test for most players' hard-earned dollars.
  9. Gameplanet
    55
    A decent (albeit uninspired) title which, while hardly pushing the Xbox 360 - or your IQ - to its limits, offers pretty good value for money.
  10. Official Xbox Magazine
    50
    You could pursue worse habits than giving your noodle a mild workout, but Brain Challenge provides little incentive to keep the appointment. [May 2008, p.76]
    All this publication's reviews
  11. Official Xbox Magazine UK
    50
    Easy to play, but not a whole lot of fun. [June 2008, p.79]
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Awards & Rankings

96
#96 Most Shared Xbox 360 Game of 2008

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
5.6

Mixed or average reviews- based on 9 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 9
  3. Negative: 4 out of 9
  1. JustinDozier
    Jun 12, 2009
    3
    With the recent boom of IQ testing and brain teasing games, XBLA rolls out it's own. What you get is a failed Nintendo DS game, somethingWith the recent boom of IQ testing and brain teasing games, XBLA rolls out it's own. What you get is a failed Nintendo DS game, something more suited for a bargain bin.

    Off the bat you're greeted by your soon-to-be-very-annoying teacher/scientist/doctor/whatever you prefer, and off you go into a plethora of challenging, fun minigames. Well, not challenging. Or really fun at all, either.

    A few of the categories you're tested upon are visual, logic, memory, and other assorted areas. And the minigames for these areas are either common sense, or simply feel worthless. A few of these games include seeing what ball bounces the highest in a 2D field of balls, simple math activities that seem to be more suited to a 2nd grade classroom, and basic pattern matching games.

    There are minimal variations of these minigames, which make coming back to this game every day more and more of a drag.

    If you're looking for solid Edutainment, you won't find it here.    … Full Review »
  2. David
    Mar 15, 2009
    10
    A great great game! I have played both Brain age games on the DS and this easily beats it because of all the different fun games. Some areA great great game! I have played both Brain age games on the DS and this easily beats it because of all the different fun games. Some are simple and some are not but the 3 different difficulty levels for each will put anyone to the test. The online is a blast!! It's great to be able to get on and see how smart you are compared to all the others :) There is that control issue on only a couple of puzzles but that is not enough to give it a bad score. You WILL have fun with this!! Give it a try.… Full Review »
  3. Scott
    Mar 18, 2008
    0
    Not worth the money by a long shot.
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