Sunday, September 10, 2006

Brain Training

We've had so much fun with Nintendo DS's Big Brain Academy! No glitches to speak of and it gets your prefrontal lobes going apace.

We've also gone for Brain Training, which does have at least two potential glitches, (it doesn't like high pitched voices and won't reliably recognise the number 8), but these problems are not overwhelming and the two games work well together.

The most peculiar effect of which I am aware is that they seem to have improved my eyesight, which leads me to the slightly alarming conclusion that the small failings that I had recently noticed with my vision are due to cerebral processing, rather than the more expected (given that my mother has been appallingly myopic all her life), alterations in lens shape.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

we are wondering about games consoles here - would you recommend them then? And if so, what?

Carlotta said...
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Carlotta said...

Ds would defninitely recommend either or both the Game Cube and the PS2. (He's not quite so sold on the X box...says most of the games are very gory.)

For hand-held consoles, he would go with either the Nintendo DS or the DS Lite.

I have to say, I am relying on his expertise here. I couldn't reliably say which was best, but certainly know that the Game Cube looks to leave you with incredibly fast reactions and quick observation skills, and that certain games on the PS 2 do a good deal for a variety of problem solving and logical skills.

Carlotta said...

Meant to add:

Great games:

"Zelda the Wind Waker". (Game Cube.) Great logic puzzles, better if reading is fluent. Graphics initially can appear chunky and awkward, but actually this is deliberate and part of it's charm.

"Rayman 2" and "3" (Hope I am getting these numbers right). PS 2. Great problems eg: plumped into environment and you actually have to find out what problems you have. Complex and charming.

"Jak and Daxter, Precursor Legacy", PS2 as above, but slightly more sassy and funny.

"Ratchet and Clank" PS2, as above.

"Fable" PS2. Odd combination of appalling script and voice-overs, and yet great moral dilemmas and plot.