Nintendo DS’ Brain Age to make brain “brainier”

Nintendo is about to evolutionize gaming. Brain Age, a DS game borne on the research of Ryuta Kawashima, is set to develop the IQ (what does IQ stand for again?) of the player (now parents wil surely love this! You wish). Japanese-neuroscientist Kawashima has theorized that rapid activity by the brain thru simple yet continuous problems is better than concentrating on a single, complex feat. Even better than, let’s say, reading a book (Parents: What a letdown…).

Applying that principle, Brain Age was created. The game includes nine different tests, ranging from absurdly basic questions to insanely tricky ones. Simple math problems are a norm but from time to time, a real fiend-of-a-task pops up, like when it flashes a grid of numbers for one second, then hides the digits, you are then to place them back in their former position in the grid, in ascending order. After the game is played, the game will then determine your “brain age”; 20 is the best you can have, because that is supposedly the age the brain is at its best, (I doubt that, cause I’m 20, uhm, nevermind). Ironically, as you play the game longer — which means as you grow older — your brain age gets younger, now I have a gift for my botox-loving aunt.

Although Kawashima’s research is widely debunked by many (especially those who got 78 “brain age” in the game), it is safe to presume that any task that challenges your mind is healthy for your brain (man, that’s what I was trying to explain to my Dad all these years when I play, well, violent video games — that they’re at least mentally stimulating).

I wonder when they will start creating games that would virtually rid you of your hunger, or make you feel like you slept even if you’re awake 24 hours from playing RPGs? That’ll be the day.
Nintendo is about to evolutionize gaming. Brain Age, a DS game borne on the research of Ryuta Kawashima, is set to develop the IQ (what does IQ stand for again?) of the player (now parents wil surely love this! You wish). Japanese-neuroscientist Kawashima has theorized that rapid activity by the brain thru simple yet continuous problems is better than concentrating on a single, complex feat. Even better than, let’s say, reading a book (Parents: What a letdown…).

Applying that principle, Brain Age was created. The game includes nine different tests, ranging from absurdly basic questions to insanely tricky ones. Simple math problems are a norm but from time to time, a real fiend-of-a-task pops up, like when it flashes a grid of numbers for one second, then hides the digits, you are then to place them back in their former position in the grid, in ascending order. After the game is played, the game will then determine your “brain age”; 20 is the best you can have, because that is supposedly the age the brain is at its best, (I doubt that, cause I’m 20, uhm, nevermind). Ironically, as you play the game longer — which means as you grow older — your brain age gets younger, now I have a gift for my botox-loving aunt.

Although Kawashima’s research is widely debunked by many (especially those who got 78 “brain age” in the game), it is safe to presume that any task that challenges your mind is healthy for your brain (man, that’s what I was trying to explain to my Dad all these years when I play, well, violent video games — that they’re at least mentally stimulating).

I wonder when they will start creating games that would virtually rid you of your hunger, or make you feel like you slept even if you’re awake 24 hours from playing RPGs? That’ll be the day.