Pwned
Each side has valid arguments, but one reason the anti-learning clan has acquired so much power is because learning frequently becomes boring for those who engage in it. Often times using your mind is all about studying random facts or obscure equations. While that is important, learning needs something more. It needs to not only be about what to think, but also how to think and how to use your mind in a way that is both beneficial and entertaining.
And that is what Big Brain Academy is all about. Instead of taking the traditional approach to bolstering your brainpower, it uses a unique formula of mentally trying games blended with simplistic amusements to make learning how to learn fun.
Initially, it is easy to see differences between Big Brain Academy and the already prestigious Brain Age. Brain Age has a refined, intelligent feel to it, while Big Brain Academy appears to be geared towards youngsters from your local KinderCare. Yet when it comes to sickeningly difficult challenges, both games are neck-and-neck.
The area where you will spend most of your time in Big Brain Academy is Practice, which features 15 separate mini-games that cover the 5 areas of the brain: Identify, Think, Memorize, Compute, and Analyze. Each category has 3 mini-games, and that makes for plenty of variety.
Every single game is controlled by a 60 second time limit. Instead of trying to complete a set number of problems as quickly as possible, you try to complete as many problems as you can in 60 seconds. This sometimes becomes annoying when the game stops you while you are working on something, but overall it functions well. For each correct answer, your brain's weight increases, and for each wrong answer it decreases. At the end of 60 seconds, Dr. Lobe -- the bodiless blob that guides you through the game -- will announce your brain weight and will award you a medal.
The medals make Big Brain Academy particularly interesting. Depending on your success, you will receive a bronze, silver, or gold medal. The bronze and silver are fairly simple to earn, but it will take some skill to acquire the gold. Since each mini-game has an easy, medium, and hard mode that you can play through, there are a total of 45 gold medals that you can strive for.
But of course, some exceptionally talented people might have little trouble earning all gold. Perhaps you will be one of them. Fortunately, Dr. Lobe also has platinum medal, which is constructed with a rare metal more valuable than gold. Because of its value, he will only part with the platinum medal if you do astoundingly well on a challenge. Even on easy mode this medal is nearly impossible to get, as you have to do each game virtually perfectly if you want to acquire it. Prepare for dozens of retries.
Since there are 45 platinum medals you can earn, and since each medal takes at least a minute to earn, it will take you 45 minutes to play every game on Practice. But, when you consider the amount of times you might have to play a specific game to earn the perfect medal, it is easy to see how much value you can squeeze out of this game. It does not matter whether you are a master or a novice; Big Brain Academy has enough difficulty to keep you on your toes for a lengthy period of time.
To acquire the medals, you will have to play the mini-games. So what exactly are the mini-games? Well, it would be too tedious to name all fifteen of them, but here are examples from each area. In the Memorize section, one of the games is entitled Flash Memory, and in it you must memorize a lengthy number as it flashes onto the screen. Once it disappears, you will have to input the number into a keypad on the touch screen. You only have 60 seconds to do as many as possible, of course, so you will be hard pressed to be rapidly accurate.
Analyze offers another unique game called Missing Link. In this game, an image of several connected dots will appear on the top screen, and some of the lines connecting the dots will be red. On the lower screen, you have to draw those same lines. It starts off easy, but it quickly turns challenging -- especially when the array of dots on the lower screen is rotated in comparison with the picture on the top screen.
If you like matching, Matchmaker in the Identify category should strike your fancy. All you do in it is find pairs amongst an assortment of cards. As the number of cards you must look at and the number of pairs you must locate becomes larger, it becomes increasingly difficulty to move speedily from one problem to the next.
When you are ready to put your basic match skills to work, Compute offers several activities that deal with numbers. One of the more intense mini-games in that category is Written Math. In it, math problems will appear in written form on the top screen, while a calculator keypad hogs the touch screen. The goal: answer as many problems as you can before time runs out. While its varying degrees of difficulty make it excellent for all people, it still offers a challenge for those who want to receive a platinum medal on hard. Can you solve sixty-three times nine with only two seconds remaining? You are about to find out.
The final area, Think, has three unusual yet entertaining games. Heavyweight is perhaps one of the most peculiar, as you have to look at a scale and determine which animal on the scale weighs the most. At the beginning, it is really easy since there is only one scale. But when more scales emerge onto the screen and multiple animals start cluttering a single scale, it can be quite taxing on your mental abilities.
Keep in mind that these are just a sampling of everything the Big Brain Academy offers. There are many more games to explore, and all of them are chock full of quality fun. Once you have spent some time in Practice, you will want try Test. Basically, Test is an extension of Practice. It requires you to perform five random activities (one from each category), and after you are done the good doctor will announce your overall brain weight. Dr. Lobe will even give you a grade and an occupation. While there is nothing scientific about any of the results, it is entertaining nonetheless.
The game also features a versus mode, where you can compete with up to 8 other players to see who has the biggest brain. Because it is download play, you only need one cartridge to get the game going, and from there you can battle it out against your friends in the various mini-games.
Beyond gameplay, there are also graphics. Honestly, they are terrible. The game designers spent little time working on them, and it shows. Dr. Lobe is a humorously hapless blob, and most of the animals are poorly drawn. True, the animation does add to the light mood of the game, but it is still horrible. If you find the graphics amusing, that is great. However, if you were initially turned away by the graphics, realize that they do not accurately represent the quality this game provides.
Music is another unique area of the game. It is well done, but it is definitely not outstanding. Instead, it is casual, light-hearted, and very catchy. The music is delightful, but in a disturbing sort of way. Since the music plays a minor role during the brain activities, it is not a major concern in the game. Rather, it is more of something to please you as you browse the various menus.
On the outside, Big Brain Academy looks like nothing more than another quirky DS title. On the inside, it is nothing less than a gem. With a horde of innovative ways to increase your brainpower and provide enjoyment, it is a unique find in the world of gaming. Combine that with its $20 price tag, and Big Brain Academy is a steal.
Now, many people have one burning question in regards to this game: Is it better than Brain Age? Frankly, that's not an easy question to answer. Big Brain Academy and Brain Age are like the DS and the PSP, both are good, but each one is good in its own way. Some people will find maximum satisfaction in Brain Age's professional appearance, while others might prefer Big Brain Academy's laid back approach. It would be best if you simply purchased both games!
Controls: 8.7
Gameplay: 9.3
Graphics: 6.8
Sound: 8.6
Replay Value: 8.9
Multiplayer: 8.1
Overall: 9.0