Big Brain Academy is a game that will have you coming back to increase your "brain weight" over and over.
The presentation of this game is very attractive. Dr. Lobe is such a classy character, and can leave anyone chuckling or smiling after a quick "conversation" with him. He talks about everything from "noobs" to breakfast. Sadly though, there is no voice acting. However, to emphasize the good nature of the game, there is a "blablabla" kind of noise whenever Dr. Lobe talks. Also, the quirky and catchy music is very fun to listen to, and will entertain players. The variety of audio in the game is excellent, and there are even exercises that focus on it. The graphics are pretty classy for the DS, and can entertain the player for quite awhile. One funny feature is the opening screen, where you see various people (and cats) run across the screen acting confused. Inside the testing zone the graphics look very professional (for a DS) and will give the player a casual sense of being tested.
Gameplay is extremely innovative for its time. This is one of the first games of its kind, and unlike Brain Age it is focused more towards having fun then training your brain. First you tap the screen to enter the game, then you choose which account to get on. The game allows for four players, so you should find enough space for your family to play on it too. Once you choose an account it gives you three options: exercises, testing, and multi player. The exercises are very helpful, and can keep you occupied trying to earn gold in all of them. There are 5 categories, and each of the categories focuses on one type of skill, like computing or analysis. Each category has 3 exercises, in which you can choose the difficulty. This leads to about 45 different exercises to master. After the exercise you get a medal and a score. Try to get gold in everything! The testing section is fun. It's the original 5 categories from exercises, but it randomly chooses an exercise. This is why it's a good idea to master them all. After all five sections of the quiz, you get your brain weight (in grams), grade, and type. It will leave you coming back over and over to see how high you can score.
The multi player in this game is pretty fun. You get a group of friends (i believe 4 is the max), then send out the multi player request. Then via DS download play, your friends can link to your game. Then you'll all be battling for brain supremacy! You can also send out a demo to friends. This is basically the game without multi player or exercises. The demo also lacks the abilities to save, have multiple players, or send out the demo.
Overall Big Brain Academy is a great game, and if you want one of those DS "brain games" get this one. It'll provide hours of fun that won't hurt your brain. The interesting graphics and characters. Nintendo and Edutainment did a very good job. 8.5/10