Brain Assist is Sega’s latest entry into the brain game genre and whilst it does not necessarily stack-up to many of the heavyweight brain games on the market, that’s okay; this game is better suited to a younger audience eager to test their grey matter.

The premise of the game is simple and relatively obvious – test and improve your right brain capabilities through the completion of ten different exercises. You need not fear tackling these challenges alone as throughout the game you are supported and encouraged by the four sisters (all of which are Research Assistants / Nurses) at the Right Brain Research Institute. Mum and Dad must be so proud. They are bright and optimistic characters and each have their own unique qualities ranging from Emily who is the eldest and apparently gentle and well mannered, through to Belle who is the youngest and most innocent. But then there is Eva who makes cameo appearances here and there. Her relation to the four sisters is not spoken of so perhaps there is some sort of family shame there. Should you surpass the expectations of the challenges presented to you then Eva steps in, with a slightly sinister slant, to challenge you with even harder activities.

The entire game is stylus driven and upon commencement you are asked to create a player profile. There are four profile slots available which is great if you want to share this game amongst your family and friends to compare your performance. Each save slot is cared for by one of the four sisters – kind of like personalized care. Once you have created your profile you then have a range of options available to you in the main menu including Single and Multiplayer modes.


Singe Player mode presents you with the option to select from ten different activities. These brain tests start simply and then gradually build in complexity and challenge. Get the test right and you are greeted with a “happy” noise and a “Correct” graphic overlaying the screen. Get it wrong and you get the opposite. Pretty basic stuff. These games usually have a time limit or a quota to meet and as you play the tests get harder and harder.

Evaluation Mode is a little different in that you are presented with Option A -where you are tasked with a set of four games that cover a Panels and 3D evaluation. Or there is Option B - which is a Numbers and Shape equivalent. Choosing either option will see you run through a course of the four relevant games. As with Single Player Mode each game starts easy and then builds up. At the end of each of the four individual tests you get a simple evaluation score that actually ranks you out of the last 100 people to try that challenge. Before you actually get to start the fourth and final challenge the mood of the music and even the background image turn dark and sinister. With a flash of lightning Eva (the fore mentioned shady nurse) appears on the screen to give you…….Eva’s Final Result Prediction. Eva’s crystal ball shows you what letter grade she predicts you will receive at the end of the Evaluation and challenges you to prove her wrong. So you finish the final challenge and await your score.

From a multiplayer experience, the game offers you a couple of different options. The first is a Right Brain Couples Evaluation and you can play this by just sharing a single DS or by utilizing DS Download Play. Sharing the single DS though does warrant you having a spare stylus for your partner to use. Again you complete a circuit of tests and get an evaluation at the end. However this time round your combined efforts in each of the four stages add up to fill a heart-shaped meter that then grants you your letter grade score. The other option is for DS download play for up to four players with the single cartridge.

A further feature to this game is the ability to view detailed Right Brain Evaluation Reports on your performance. You can view results that detail your Right Brain score, a graph of where you rank and also a table displaying your score in each of the most recent tests. Also, you can view advice from your nurse on where your strengths and development areas lie. The same kind of report can be run for your Couples Evaluation.

In terms of graphics and overall presentation, the game is bright, colorful and very cheery. The cartoon characters of the nurses are fairly simple and they communicate with you via speech bubbles. The menu, background and game graphics are crisp and are well matched to the style of game. There is minimal animated graphics here but again this is in line with the type of game it is. Also, given that the game is clearly targeted at a younger audience, the cuteness factor is acceptable. The use of sounds throughout is limited to the rolling of text and the usually confirmation or error alerts. Aside from that there is some incredibly repetitive and annoying music that makes you want to turn the sound off or down.


Overall Brain Assist is OK and if you were looking for an educational title to buy for the younger DS audience then this would be a great starting point. It is well paced, uncomplicated and highly suited to kids. Keep in mind that it only has ten tests in total and even though they are positioned slightly differently in the various modes, they are still the same ten tests. The longevity of the game is questionable. On the one hand an adult could see just how high a grade they could reach and make Eva and her crystal ball regret the day they challenged your right brain. But then this will be a shallow victory as to be honest it would not take long to reach top grades on each test. For kids the game has a pick up and play element that could see them come back to it time and again for a quick test of the brain.