Dr Kawashima’s Brain Training Review

Created by Nintendo with Tohoku University and Dr. Ryuta Kawashima Brain training for the first DS became a real hit by offering an unusual simulator for the brain, using the capabilities of two screens, a wheelbarrow and a microphone.

The first two games sold over 33 million copies. Then came a strange release for a network service. Dsi and full trikvel for 3DS, which has lost relevance for the inhabitants of Europe due to the release … in the summer of 2017 – five years after the Japanese release and four years after the American one. But Nintendo did not abandon the series, releasing another part – for Switch.

Dr Kawashima’s Brain Training for Nintendo Switch – This is an interactive program, a set of tests, mini-games and daily workouts that stimulate certain areas of the brain to improve mental processes and fight aging.

For a full game you need the right one Joy-con: if you have a basic Switch model, then during the passage of a special test, the console will ask you to disconnect the joystick in which the infrared camera is built-in. And if you have a Lite version of the console, then you can skip this test or buy a separate Joy-Con. Naturally, it’s more convenient to play on the base, hybrid, model Nintendo switchwhere everything you need is already included.

The project was created for portable use with a vertical arrangement of the console. The kit includes a stylus, which lies in the box with the game next to the cartridge, but you can use the one that comes with Super Mario Maker 2. Or draw on the screen with your finger, which, of course, is less convenient.

It is worth noting that some third-party styluses, like the official version for the phone Samsung Galaxy Note 10+, may not work with the console.

The virtual professor communicates with the player through the screen, asks questions, talks about tests and offers to go through several trainings a day. They are usually based on stimulation of the prefrontal cortex and require the fastest completion. That is, these are tasks including speed, but no one scolds you if you do everything slowly.

At the beginning, a limited number of tests are available to you. Over time, Brain Training opens up new ones. Almost all tests are very fast and tied to the speed of information processing by the brain, self-monitoring and short-term memory.

After the first task, the game shows the age of your brain. The result can be improved by constantly practicing daily training. This is the meaning of the game – it allows you to keep your head in good shape and improve certain indicators, which will be especially useful for older people.

Dr. Kawashima says that the brain begins to age slowly from the age of 20, so training will be useful not only to the older generation, but also to people who have recently graduated from school.