Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day (Nintendo DS, 2006)

Brain Age for the Nintendo DS is somewhat of an anomaly. By all technical terms, it's a game; you learn the rules, play your guts out, and go for a high score. Then again, it's nothing like a game; simple math equations, classical reading, or just counting as fast as you can are the order of the day. You hurriedly scribble the answers (which the game will occasionally completely misinterpret), shout the names of colors (which the game will occasionally completely misinterpret), and try desperately to write out that list of words you were just supposed to memorize (will the game will occasionally completely misinterpret). All of this to receive a score like you've never seen: a score for your brain.

If you want a game that you will play for a few hours at a time, look elsewhere. Nintendo seems determined to have you play this game for a few minutes every day (much like Nintendogs or Animal Crossing). The added Sudoku puzzles add some longevity, but it won't keep you glued to your DS. It's odd and occasionally unwieldy, but I keep coming back. Never before has a game made me feel so dumb, and never before have I felt a game may just make me smarter.