bit-tech Shopping: Nintendo Brain Age 2 More Training (DS)

Rating: 8

Time with product: 3 Days

Strengths: Improvements on the original game, more challenging mini-games

Weaknesses: Voice and handwriting recognition issues, not that different from the previous title

Summary: Brain Age 2: More Training is a sequel to the previous title on the DS. It adds in some new, more challenging games into the mix, as well as correct some issues with the previous titles. The issues with voice and handwriting recognition are still present, unfortunately. Most of the other issues from the previous title have been fixed. It's a great game for the causal gamer and the non-gamer alike.

Rating: 8

Time with product: 2

Strengths: More varied activities than its predecessor

Weaknesses: Limited number of activities

Summary: Brain Age 2 is a substantial improvement over the original Brain Age game. The training exercises are generally more challenging and provide more variety, and the handwriting and voice recognition is better, as well. Definitely the best of the many brain training games on the DS.

Rating: 8

Time with product:

Strengths: New games are clever, best sudoku, non-gamers enjoy

Weaknesses: not for kids

Summary: I played a friend's copy of the first game, and it seemed like a fun game. I enjoyed getting the "brain age" and we had contests. The new game is more of the same, but it adds a few new games for variety. The sudoku program is very good, and the games are still challenging weeks after I first played them. This "game" though is intended for adults and not kids, so do not get it for the kiddies unless they specifically ask for it (you will not win them over with this game).

Rating: 8

Time with product: 3

Strengths: Better games, more Sudoku, still cheap

Weaknesses: Still brain age...

Summary: If you liked the original Brain Age, you'll like this one. There really isn't much more to it than the original though, so if you didn't like the original you most likely won't like this sequel either. There are all new games to play and I think that most of them are more fun than the games in the original Brain Age and there is still Sudoku just like in the original, which is actually one of the best reasons for buying the game in the first place. It would've been nice if there was some Wi-Fi capability, but sadly there is not, not even for a scoreboard or anything like that. So I don't think this will really improve your brain, but it's still a fun game with some nice mini-games and Sudoku.

Rating: 6

Time with product: 1

Strengths: More mini-game goodness.

Weaknesses: Doesn't present anything that the first Brain Age offered.

Summary: Brain Age 2 brings more mini-games to train your brain on the DS. Some of the games are seem like variations on the first one, such as the one where the user counts the number of people leaving and entering the house. Here you count the place a runner gets after s/he finishes a race. Although I didn't enjoy the voice recognition from there first game, this one made it more enjoyable. In a game of rock, paper, and scissors, the user is presented with a hand signaling one of the three items and has to shout out what will win or lose the game. Brain Age 2 also presents more Sudoku and the same stamp date feature in the first one. Nothing much changed at all except for the mini-games. Overall you'll like this game if you enjoyed the first one and vice versa.