Video Games : Dr Kawashima's Brain Training: How Old Is Your Brain? (Nintendo DS)

Rating: - Great brain exercise for adults, but not so great for kids
The game consists of mostly mental maths and reading activities.
It's good and addictive in that if you are competitive you will play this regularly to keep your brain age down.

The voice recognition is an interesting feature but not always accurate.
The handwriting recognition is better but frustratingly usually lets you when speed is of the essence.

I assumed that the training programs would vary depending on age but unfortunately this was not the case. The reading aloud program contained words like 'punctiliously' and this was a bit much for my 6 year old.

It's a shame the game is labelled as 3+. Although if your child has the ability it is great for the speed maths, I would give this game a age 10+ rating since it would be much more suitable for older kids. Although some aspects can be done by younger kids, it is not a game for them to enjoy fully.

Overall an interesting fun way for adults to exercise their brains!

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Rating: - Really Really Fantastic!!!
I bought this game before i went on holiday with my family (Im 19 by the way) And it is probably the best DS game i have ever bought.

It contains many short simple exercises that will keep you entertained, yet challenged at the same time.

Plus, the whole family can play, and it can get quite competitive!

Even my brother who is 10 and hates maths wanted to play this game!!!

If you have a DS you must buy this!

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Rating: - Just go and buy this one
Don't bother reading reviews on this one or its brothers. They're all good ... spend 10 mins a day and your brain will get a good toning up and you'll feel better for it. Great to compete with the kids too. If it wasn't for this type of game I wouldn't have bought the kids a Nintendo!

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Rating: - Fun for a few minutes per day
I have to agree with others that say don't expect to sit for ages and bash away at this game/software. It really is best for a few minutes each day.

It is good fun and in my case the speech recognition is generally satisfactory and the writing recognition has never let me down.

On my system, 4 of us have our own separate 'saves' which is good - no kids can hijack my hard work!

I also think it has helped to sharpen my weary brain up in my everyday life, so in that respect, I do think it works!

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Rating: - Brain Training
Brain Training overall is a good game - just don't expect something mind-blowing. The Sudoku functions are really easy to use and fun, but voice recognition could be improved.

Although it can get quite repetitive after a while, it is a good game for all the family.