brain-age-2 posts(Subscribe to this feed)
Professor: suggesting Brain Age helps is 'charlatanism'
by Chris Greenhough 
{ Jan 26th 2009 at 6:00PM } 
Brain Age games don't necessarily make you smarter, and it is "charlatanism" to make such a claim. Those are the conclusions drawn by one Alain Lieury, professor of cognitive psychology at the University of Rennes. The professor's findings were picked up by The Times, which loves itself a good story (from 2006).Lieury surveyed 67 ten-year-old kids in his study, which compared the impact of Brain Age on intelligence with pencil and paper-based puzzles and going to school (in case anybody was seriously entertaining the thought of homeschooling their child with a DS).
The Times covers the precise results of the study in its article, but the long and short of it is: Brain Age won't help you raise an army of miniature geniuses and take over the free world. Boo. "The Nintendo DS is a technological jewel. As a game it's fine," writes Lieury in his new book, Stimulate Your Neurones. "But it is charlatanism to claim that it is a scientific test."
Which is great and all, but is anybody terribly surprised by this?
Gallery: Brain Age 2
[Via GamePolitics]
Practice crashing planes in latest downloadable demos
by Chris Greenhough { Aug 11th 2008 at 6:00PM }
DS demo updates on the Nintendo Channel often get a disappointed reaction from us, but this week's batch does contain at least one interesting addition: Sonic Powered's Air Traffic Chaos, as localized (complete with generic and terrible boxart) by Majesco. At the very least, we're hopeful that the game can replicate the frenzied, panicked pace of a Trauma Center game.The rest of this week's update is fairly humdrum, consisting of a Crosswords DS wordsearch, a Pictoimage demo, and a chance to try out Carnival Games, which has stuck around like a bad smell. The full list of both old and new demos is past the break!
Gallery: Air Traffic Chaos
Nintendo Channel video updates plus one mom's Brain Age 2 experience
by David Hinkle { Jul 28th 2008 at 4:30PM }
This week's video updates had a pretty interesting inclusion. The above video follows a mom and how much she loves that DS game, Brain Age 2. Along with this video, there are a bunch of other things you might want to watch. Head past the break for the full list.
Carnival Games makes its return to the DS Download Service
by Candace Savino { Jul 28th 2008 at 3:01PM }
Nintendo also extended the availability dates on three of the existing demos, probably because offering three new ones would have been too satisfying (/bitter). The good news is, you have another week to try out Trauma Center: Under the Knife 2 and Contra 4 if you haven't done so already.
Click past the break to see yet another underwhelming list of demos.
DS Download Service updates with old demos
by David Hinkle { Jul 21st 2008 at 3:30PM }
Another unimpressive week of Nintendo Channel demos
by Candace Savino { Jul 14th 2008 at 7:00PM }
With Trauma Center 2 and Contra 4 on the Nintendo Channel's demos list, you may wonder why exactly we're unimpressed. Perhaps it's because there's nothing new offered this week, unless you count the reappearance of certain demos on the list as "new." We don't.To see why we're thoroughly uninspired, check past the break for the full list of "been there, done that" demos.
Searching for more than words in Nintendo's latest demo offerings
by Candace Savino { Jun 17th 2008 at 2:00PM }
Since things always look better in list form, check out the full list of demos available for download after the break.
New, colorful demo this week on the Nintendo Channel
by Candace Savino { Jun 9th 2008 at 1:15PM }
There's only one new demo available on the Wii's Nintendo Channel, but it's a title we've been wanting to try for a long time. If you guessed Space Invaders Extreme, well, we wish. It is the next best thing that Taito and Square Enix have to offer, though: Arkanoid DS. Should you happen to be unfamiliar with Arkanoid, we have to ask -- where have you been the last twenty years? In all seriousness, we're sure you've encountered this Taito classic in some form or other, which involves breaking blocks pong-style.We have our DS-Fanboy-branded scientific lab monkeys trying out the demo as we speak, so we'll be sure to deliver some impressions soon for those of you without Wiis.
The other games available are essentially the same from last week. Here they are in list form:
- Brain Age 2
- Brain Age
- Flash Focus
- Crosswords DS
- Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
- Worms: Open Warfare 2
- High School Musical: Makin' the Cut!
- The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor
- Arkanoid DS
Gallery: Arkanoid DS
Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 5/5-5/11
by Candace Savino { May 16th 2008 at 7:00PM }
There's no new DS software in the top of the charts to report this week, but that doesn't mean Nintendo's little handheld didn't completely clean house. In fact, nineteen of the top thirty were DS games, showing how gluttonous the dual-screened portable can get when it comes to sales. Some old favorites also popped back up around the bottom, including Brain Age 2, Animal Crossing, and the original Taiko Drum Master DS.
Hardware continues to be a struggle, though. That doesn't mean the DS is doing poorly, because it's not; sales for the handheld even jumped up almost 10,000 units since last week. However, since the PSP and Wii have been doing so well lately, it's hard for Nintendo's handheld to compete:
- PSP: 89,884
- Wii: 67,308
- Nintendo DS: 51,228
- PlayStation 3: 8,054
- PlayStation 2: 7,464
- Xbox 360: 1,298
Professor Layton and the New, Low Price
by Chris Greenhough { Mar 24th 2008 at 12:00PM }
Here's a puzzle for you, and we think you'll find it to be an absolute humdinger: if you haven't already purchased Professor Layton and the Curious Village, then why not? There are several different answers to this brainteaser, but you'll have to go past the break to find them.
Anyway, Level 5's gorgeous adventure is now available at Target for $26, a minuscule price to pay for what is easily one of the best DS games of 2008 so far. Also in Target's bargains line-up this week: Brain Age 2 (for $17), Flash Focus: Vision Training in Minutes a Day (also $17) and, um ... Petz Bunnyz 2 ($26 too much).
Friday Video: Senior version
by Alisha Karabinus { Nov 30th 2007 at 8:40PM }
Rumor: Contra 4 and Ninja Gaiden coming to DS Download Stations?
by Eric Caoili { Oct 22nd 2007 at 11:30AM }
GoNintendo's "inside guy" is usually spot-on with his scouted information on upcoming Download Station games, but keep in mind that this tally is anything but official. According to the mole's report, this Version 7 update to the in-store wireless stations will feature a total of twelve game demos and five videos, all of which you can see after the post break. Playable demos for Contra 4 and Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword top the gossip, promising to bring run-n-gun shootin' and ninja-of-the-night flippin' to our handhelds soon. Once this update hits, we are going to be on these two titles like gravy on mashed potatoes. Who knows, we might even eat some mashed potatoes with gravy while we play the demo. These are crazy times we live in.
Go to Target for the new DS Lite, save $10
by David Hinkle { Oct 3rd 2007 at 10:40AM }
It may not be the biggest sale on the planet, but we can all appreciate a few saved bucks.
[Thanks, Crazylink!]
Get your DS Lite fix without the brain training
by David Hinkle { Oct 2nd 2007 at 10:39PM }
Anyone else planning on picking this beauty up with us?
DS Daily: Can Brain Age take over America?
by Alisha Karabinus { Sep 28th 2007 at 9:00AM }
