Big Brain Academy [DS]

One of the most original titles that Nintendo is releasing for the DS is Brain Flex. Although it's already a hit in Japan, this type of gameplay really hasn't been seen in the U.S. before. It's a series of brain exercises that tests your intellectual skills in five areas: thinking, memorizing, analyzing, computing, and identifying. Think of it as a sort of brainy WarioWare, and you're close to understanding what it's all about.

Once you pick a category of brain power to improve, you are presented with a series of brain teasers. You have a set amount of time to solve as many puzzles as possible. Once time is up, you're rated on how many you got correct and the speed in which you got the right answers. Based on you skills, you are given a score of your brain's "weight." Odd, to be sure, but it's actually quite a bit of fun.

The questions start out deceptively simply. What is two plus eight? Look at two simple shapes and recall what they are when one is removed. But as you progress, the puzzles get much more difficult very quickly. The added pressure of time doesn't make things easier, either.

Although testing your skills is fun enough, the multiplayer mode is even more fun. Up to eight people can compete off of one cartridge, and during this mode, everyone is simultaneously presented with the same puzzles. You're ranked on how quickly you complete them. Trying to quickly think of a solution when you hear the sounds of other people solving the puzzle around you really gets you fired up.

It's good to see that Nintendo is willing to take a chance by releasing such an unusual game in the United States. Sure, doing math on your DS might not seem like the best game out there, but you might be surprised how exciting it can be when there's a little pressure placed on you (and the weight of your brain on the line).

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