Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day
In my opinion the biggest aspect of the game's success was the fact that it did what few other titles had done before it. Promoting puzzles, math, and other various activities to get that cortex rolling, Brain Age succeeded where others failed; it broke the gamer stereotype. Gamers as well as non-gamers found themselves picking up DS's with stylus in hand to tackle the title on long trips or random intervals during the day (bathroom breaks for instance). Between the Sudoku puzzles and other ways to kill time Brain Age became a sensation both in Japan and America.
It should be assumed going in that the sequel, Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day, that there's more of the same here. You know the old saying, "If it isn't broke, don't fix it"? Well, the brains behind Brain Age took that to heart. The same formula is here and if you played the first game you'll feel right at home. In fact that only thing different this time around is the assortment of mini-gam...ahem, I'm sorry... brain exercises at your disposal.
Gameplay
When you fire up the title you'll be asked once again to tell your dear friend Professor Kawashima who you are, what hand you use, and when your birthday is. Once this deeply personal information is locked into your DS forever (I kid by the way) you can get started with your Brain Age 2 life.
As was the case with the first Brain Age, the sequel offers up two styles of gameplay: spoken and written. An example of the spoken form comes from the "Rock, Paper, Scissors" opener where you're required to shout out the appropriate response. The trick here is sometimes the game wants you to loose on purpose. Your instinct may be to shout "Paper!" when you see your opponent has a Rock but if you don't call out Scissors you'll loose. Once again I found the voice recognition to be wonky in this regard and it's a shame really. I'd sit there for ten to fifteen seconds shouting Scissors like an idiot only to have the game fail to understand anything I said. You'd think Nintendo would have improved that aspect from the first go-around.
In terms of the written content that you use the stylus for Brain Age 2 really spruces things up. Apart from Sudoku just about every game here is something new. From making change to counting blocks, perpetual subtraction, and tracking the place of a sprinter, everything here is an original experience.
There are a few games that stand out apart from the rest thanks to their uniqueness. The piano one comes to mind where you have to use the DS stylus to read sheet music and press the appropriate piano key. There is also a word scramble that will mess with you, a word blender that will really rack your brain, and the spinning clock may become your nemesis. Throughout it all the challenges are fun, frantic, and addictive; in other words the sequel lives up to the expectations set by the original title.
Now, what if you haven't played the first Brain Age? In that case you're probably wondering what the game's structure is like. Basically you create a profile, take a test that measures your brain's age, and go through daily exercises to get the noggin working. Once you played the game you'll receive a stamp on a calendar that signifies you played and as you collect more stamps you'll unlock games. You can play the games as often as you like and if you feel like simply attacking the Sudoku you can do that to your heart's content.
Brain Age 2 is not the revolutionary experience that the original was but in fairness it doesn't need to be. The formula has been established and with a few of the kinks worked out along with new mini-games it's definitely worth buying if you own a DS. It's not necessarily superior to the original but it's a great accompaniment. That is to say if you enjoyed the first Brain Age at all then you'll love the sequel.
Graphics
With numbers, words, and simple graphics blanketing every nook and cranny of Brain Age 2 it's safe to say that the game isn't a visual powerhouse. Everything is generally black and white though a few splotches of color make their way onto the palette now and again. This is one of those titles that simply doesn't need more than that. Given the material of the game this type of presentation is perfect but it's not going to win anyone over for its technical merits.
Sound
Again, the audio is very much like the visuals. Brain Age 2 offers clear and concise sound, the occasional snippet of music, and fine voice work to present its mini-games. The quantity of what's here is very minimalist but the quality is quite good. To be honest there really isn't a lot to talk about in this regard and if you played the original Brain Age then you already know what to expect.
Conclusion
DS owners have yet another "must buy" game to add to their collection. Brain Age 2 succeeds just like the original did. It provides a simple, yet addictively fun, round of mini-games and daily training exercises for gamers on the go. There's just something widespread and convenient about the pick up and play mentality surrounding this game. It literally is the title that anyone can/will play anywhere and at anytime. If you haven't picked it up already then you should consider it highly recommended.