| I don't play video games. I am not a gamer. So | | | | reading and mathematic exercises to help |
| when I was asked to try out this new game | | | | stimulate the brain. |
| Brain Ageâ„¢ by Nintendo I was dubious. | | | | "Young or old, everyone looks for ways to get a |
| Will it be frustrating for me? | | | | mental edge," says Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo of |
| After decades of exercising players' thumbs, | | | | America's executive vice president of sales & |
| Nintendo is now moving to their minds. Brain | | | | marketing. "Our brain-training series, led by Brain |
| Ageâ„¢: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day | | | | Age, builds on the popularity of word and number |
| for Nintendo DSâ„¢ will help players flex | | | | puzzles and acts as a treadmill for the mind." |
| their mental muscles. Brain Age represents the | | | | Brain Age presents players with a series of fun |
| first in a series of U.S. brain-training titles that | | | | mental brain-training challenges that incorporate |
| already have taken Japan by storm. | | | | word memorization, counting and reading. It even |
| Brain exercise has been a hot topic lately. Baby | | | | includes sudoku number puzzles, which have |
| Boomers and test-prepping school kids alike want | | | | become extremely popular features in |
| to challenge themselves. In fact, a recent Time | | | | newspapers around the country. The distinctive |
| magazine article cited Brain Age in its exploration | | | | touch screen of Nintendo DS lets users write their |
| of the trend of people looking for ways to | | | | responses, just as though they were using a PDA. |
| exercise their brains. | | | | Players even turn the Nintendo DS sideways to |
| But Baby Boomers picking up a video game | | | | make it feel more familiar, like a book. The more |
| system? It's not as far-fetched as you might | | | | often users challenge themselves, the better they |
| think. Three separate titles in the brain-training | | | | become at the tasks and the lower their |
| series are currently a huge craze in Japan. Each of | | | | estimated DS "brain age." |
| them has achieved sales of more than 1 million | | | | Nintendo's brain-training series of games represent |
| units, with the most recent title hitting that | | | | a cornerstone of Nintendo's aim to expand the |
| milestone in less than a month. The craze has | | | | world of video games to new audiences. The |
| been fueled largely by older players, many of | | | | second title in the series, Big Brain Academy |
| whom had never played a video game system | | | | (known as Brain Flex in Japan) offers players 15 |
| before. | | | | fun activities that test their brain powers in areas |
| Brain Age (known as Brain Training in Japan) was | | | | like logic, memory, math and analysis. Up to eight |
| inspired by the work of Professor Ryuta | | | | people can play with a single game card, and each |
| Kawashima, a prominent Japanese neuroscientist. | | | | activity takes less than a minute to complete. |
| His studies evaluated the effect of performing | | | | |