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Brain Training Coming To The West

Posted by Zonk on from the wacky-world dept.

Kotaku reports that Brain Training, *the* hit DS title in Japan, will be coming to Europe after some tweaking for Western audiences. From the article: "The software was developed with Japan's Tokuhoku University and uses touch and voice control to complete various tasks that aim to improve your gray matter. Nintendo has yet to announce the US release. Should be interesting to see how well this localized version will be received in the Western world." A big here's hoping on that U.S. release.

21 comments

  1. Sorry by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    All your brains are belong to us...

  2. Slashvertizement by Atlantic+Wall · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Why should this be on the front page, or any page. It is just a game being released. I dont know why people go looking for something to submit when there is nothing to learn from.

    --
    To Hell with the Queen of England!
    1. Re:Slashvertizement by Eightyford · · Score: 1

      Why should this be on the front page, or any page. It is just a game being released. I dont know why people go looking for something to submit when there is nothing to learn from.

      I agree, but this is also somewhat of a unique game. It also has some interesting technology behind it, I presume.

      --
      Religion for nerds. Stuff that really matters
    2. Re:Slashvertizement by Atlantic+Wall · · Score: 1

      in my opinion it is reaching though.

      --
      To Hell with the Queen of England!
    3. Re:Slashvertizement by vertinox · · Score: 2

      Why should this be on the front page, or any page. It is just a game being released.

      Actually, I've been following this game for a while. I don't know Japanese very well or at least able to translate it and the concept of actually playing mind games on my ds seems something I am very interested in.

      And don't you think it's unique that there is a game that is coming out that is more than just an average mash the button game and involves *gasp* learning and improving intelligence?

      --
      "I am the king of the Romans, and am superior to rules of grammar!"
      -Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor (1368-1437)
    4. Re:Slashvertizement by Red+Flayer · · Score: 1

      "the concept of actually playing mind games on my ds seems something I am very interested in."

      Get married and have daughters, then you'll have all the mind games you can handle. Not that I'm speaking from personal experience, or anything...

      --
      "Trolls they were, but filled with the evil will of their master: a fell race..." -- J.R.R. Tolkien on Olog-hai
  3. Hurry up Nintendo! by pnice · · Score: 1

    If they don't announce a US release sometime soon I will be picking up a copy from Europe before I wait for it to come here. I mean, I really want it to come to the states but if a version is already out in English I probably won't bother waiting. I've played around with the Japanese version and the only thing keeping me from owning it already is the whole me-not-knowing-Japanese thing.

    --
    My Xbox Live Gamer Card
  4. Bush should be worried by luder · · Score: 4, Funny
    "The software was developed with Japan's Tokuhoku University and uses touch and voice control to complete various tasks that aim to improve your gray matter."
    A big here's hoping on that U.S. release.
    U.S. citizens getting smarter? Now that's a matter of national security!
    1. Re:Bush should be worried by Directrix1 · · Score: 1

      Yeah, Nintendo this Nuke's for you.

      --
      Occam's razor is the blind faith in the natural selection of least resistance and in universal oversimplification. -- EF
    2. Re:Bush should be worried by Supurcell · · Score: 1

      if taht hapins he mite not win the neckst electian

    3. Re:Bush should be worried by Zepalesque · · Score: 1

      Really? I thought most of us were smarter than him already...

  5. US Release by Mekabyte · · Score: 3, Informative

    While there is no official US release date, the games definitely have been mentioned by Nintendo of America. The kids English version of the game was demoed months ago to press. Also, the names of the games, Brain Age and Brain Flex were mentioned in a NOA press release 10 days ago. Nintendo of Europe and Nintendo of Australia have actual release dates listed, but do not use either of those names for their version of the game.

  6. Tohoku University by mhtmartins · · Score: 3, Informative

    You mean Tohoku University?

  7. Is this for kids only? by SmallFurryCreature · · Score: 1
    http://www.revo-europe.com/screenshots.php?gid=dsb rain has some more screenshots and well I am not exactly pushed to limits of my mental capacity to answer those sums.

    Is this just because game journalists have the IQ of a diseased rodent or is this really the limit of the game?

    Brain teasers can be a lot of fun but answering 5x5 is a bit ehm. Well lets just say that if you get that wrong the game better come with GPS so the caretakers from your mental home can find you.

    --

    MMO Quests are like orgasms:

    You may solo them, I prefer them in a group.

    1. Re:Is this for kids only? by pnice · · Score: 1

      The game isn't Brain Teasers, it's Brain Training. The point is to stimulate your brain every day with small exercises. At least I think that is the point. It's not supposed to be super hard questions. I know it has things like memorization and multistep mental math. It even has a multistep mental math hard version which might make it a little more of a challenge...but you have to have 17 stamps in your stamp book.

      --
      My Xbox Live Gamer Card
    2. Re:Is this for kids only? by WaterBreath · · Score: 1

      Not for kids. For old people.

      The idea is that performing these little mental activities, and trying to do so quickly, will help stave off the many neurological and psychological conditions that can arise in old age due simply to a lack of appropriate mental stimulation.

      People in their 20s and 30s really probably don't need it. The inactivity that spurs these disorders usually tends to set in after retirement.

      http://www.tdctrade.com/imn/05112204/toys081.htm

    3. Re:Is this for kids only? by Psykus · · Score: 1

      There's an adult version of the game too, in Japan, though I haven't heard anything about a US/Europe release of that version. So far, it's just the Kid's one.

  8. I'm pretty sure by shoptroll · · Score: 1

    I thought it was a given that this will be coming stateside after the success of Nintendogs. Nintendo has been lauding it's selection of cross demographic appealing games, notably Nintendogs, Electroplankton and the Train Your Brain series.

    Nintendo has been lately giving the Europeans second dibs on certain games. I know they got F-Zero GP Legend for GBA before the US.

    --
    Insert Sig Here
  9. It's a Fun Game by oni · · Score: 1

    Brain Training is fun, but the end guy is really hard. Fortunately, there are cheat codes you can use.

  10. I thought Nintendogs was THE hit DS title in Japan by pappy97 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    "Brain Training, *the* hit DS title in Japan"

    Huh?

    I thought Nintendogs was THE hit DS title in Japan???? I know Nintendogs is popular in the US, but it was released earlier in Japan to rave reviews and reports were coming out that the Japanese were buying DS just to play Nintendogs.

  11. check yer facts by muel · · Score: 2, Informative

    Not quite. From an IGN report that quotes Famitsu:

    "The biggest game of the year, according the tracking service provided by Famitsu's parent company Enterbrain, was the DS installment of Animal Crossing, which sold 1,169,757 units. Gran Turismo 4 for the PS2 placed second with 1,066,749 units sold. Nintendo took the next two slots, with Train Your Brain for the DS selling 1,011,341 units and Nintendogs, also for the DS, pushing 965,665 units across its three versions."