06-19-2007, 11:10 AM
Brain Age + Rayman = Big Brain Academy: Wii Degree
Although this is a (kinda) port of DS game, its so much more than that, Wii Degree tests players brains with fun and challenging problems and allow people of all ages and knowledge level to play together.
The thing i like about the best Wii games is the ability to pop it in and just play without reading any lengthy manuals, Big Brain Academy passes this test, just pick up your wiimote and go, its hands-on control makes playing a cinch.
I only played for a couple hours last night, but had blast doing it, and never even scratched the surface of what this game has to offer.
The central experience is still intact: test yourself in five different brain-triggering categories (Identify, Memorize, Analyze, Visualize, and Compute), each composed of a small number of basic, puzzle-based mini-games, to find out the “weight” of your brain. The bigger your brain, the smarter you are!
There are 15 mini-challenges (i hesitate to call them minigames cuz they arent really) divided into five categories:
Identify (Visual-themed questions)
Whack Match: Whack only the moles holding the listed items.
Fast Focus: Guess the animal in a picture that slowly forms into the screen.
Species Spotlight: Use a flashlight in a dark area to identify which kind of animal is in more numbers.
Memorize (Memory-themed questions)
Covered Cages: Keep track of the birds while their cages are covered and shuffled.
Face Case: Watch the children pass through the screen, then recall which faces you saw.
Reverse Retention: Memorize the order of the images appearing on the screen then repeat them in reverse order.
Analyze (Reason-based questions)
Match Blast: Destroy the blocks in the square below, until the pile ends up looking like the figure above.
Speed Sorting: Select from a list of pictures, which ones fit on the category listed.
Reverse Retention: Select from a list of clusters which one matches with the example.
Compute (Math-themed questions)
Ballon Burst: Pop the numbered baloons in ascending order.
Mallet Math: Hit the numbered blocks out of the pile until the sum of the remaining ones match the total required.
Color Count: Keep track of the red and blue balls that fall into a basket and respond which there are more of.
Visualize (Logic-themed questions)
Art Parts: Place the missing pieces so the two figures match.
Train Turn: Guide the train to the exit by placing the correct remaining tracks.
Odd One Out: From the four animations, point the different one.
Each mini-challenge can be played separately, and depending on the results, the player can be awarded with a bronze, silver, gold, or a platinium medal. There are four levels of dificulty: Easy, Medium, Hard and Expert, which is unlocked when gold/platinium medals are acquired on all of the previous three.
This was lots of fun and very reminiscent of the Wii Sports stages (which i also love)
Multiplayer is where this game really steps it up, you get to play against each other or on the same team working toward a common goal. The three multiplayer modes in Big Brain Academy allow you to test your brain against up to eight other people.
Mind Sprint
Mind Sprint allows two players to go head-to-head in a split-screened race, where up to eight players can play as two teams. With rounds of up to 24 games to play in each match, it will really be a battle of the brains!
Mental Marathon
This is where players must attempt to keep a perfect score throughout games and the Brain Quiz, which allows players to select and perform a random selection of 12 mini-games or categories while attempting to keep their perfect record intact. These mini-games include activities such as the Memory activity: Order Out where players must memorise a list of food items that are dictated from the Wii Remote speaker, to the Think activity: Frame Filler where players have to fit the missing piece in an animated puzzle.
Using the WiiConnect24, Big Brain Academy allows players to send and receive Student Record books with friends who also own the game, from all over the world. Players will then be able to compete against them in Mind Sprint mode where Wii then uses the player’s Student Record to work out how well they would perform and sets the activities accordingly. I havent tried this yet but it sound like a lot of fun, and I cant wait to try this online play aspect of the game out.
I was concerned about my initial test score, having not practiced the various challenges prior to the test, which i stronly reccomend. The professor (yep he is in this version also) said most first timers 'score' a brain weight of 750 grams, or a C, I got a 1180 gram brain which gave me a C++ (thought that was a programming language but in this game its a grade) The professor tells you his weighs almost 2000 grams, so there is plenty of improvements to strive for. I cant wait to test again to see if do any better.
So all this adds up to a great game with tons of challenge and replayability, the multiplayer was awesom and i cant wait to try out the online element.
The only think keeping me from giving this a perfect score is i just havent spent enough time with the game, so, it gets a :
4 1/2 out of 5
Buy it, you wont regret it.
