Reviewed by: natehulse on 14-Jan-08 Rating:

Strengths:Quick, easy to play, and fun to play with the kids. Easy to \'pick up & put down\' in that you don\'t need to play for hours at a time

Weaknesses:Graphics leave a lot to be desired

Summary:My kids have really enjoyed the big brain academy titles for the DS, so we picked this up and have enjoyed it together. It does have games that even kids who can\'t read yet can play... an added bonus for families with small kids. While it\'s not their absolute favorite title for the Wii, the kids do enjoy it and it\'s amazing how tricky the games can be for adults as well.

Reviewed by: hollibird on 08-Jan-08 Rating:

Strengths:a game for the whole family at different levels

Weaknesses:having to use one wii-mote and pass it around

Summary:This is a fun game to play alone or with others. The talking \"lobe\" gets a bit annoying since you can only press A over and over to get through it\'s commentary. I wish there were more mini-games but do enjoy the \"files\" each character can make to track their improvements, It is interesting to see how their brains \"rank\". Overall a fun game...one you can sit down with and use your brain.

Reviewed by: willxixam on 08-Jan-08 Rating:

Strengths:Has many challenging puzzles and is a game for everyone in the family

Weaknesses:You are only allowed to use one wiimote for the entire game, so you end up passing it around. It gets annoying after a while.

Summary:My family got this game a long time ago, and it is still a worthwhile game to play. It has tremendous replay value and is fun for the entire family. You can set the difficulty of the little mini-games so it can easily be adjusted for even the smallest members of your family. The only thing about the game is that it only allows one wii-mote to be used and that gets annoying to pass around. Once you get used to passing around the wii-mote its a pretty fun game.

Reviewed by: mottwins on 06-Jan-08 Rating:

Strengths:multiplayer, variety of activities

Weaknesses:not many mini games

Summary:Good game to get the mind moving. My boys play together and enjoy it. It is challenging for them but not incredible hard or frustrating. A good family game. Great if you can get it on sale!

Reviewed by: Redneck572 on 06-Jan-08 Rating:

Strengths:Multiplayer. There are a variety of games. This is not just another trivia game. Has a pretty good variety.

Weaknesses:Not too good for single players. Gets boring pretty fast.

Summary:While this can be frustrating for young children, it is entertaining and challenging for older kids and adults. A good game for the family and should provide hours of enjoyment.
The little creature that presents you with the results and gives instructions is alright at first, but after playing a while get right down annoying.
A good game for family interaction and you might just learn something in the long run.

Reviewed by: batti19 on 02-Jan-08 Rating:

Strengths:There is a variety of games to play. The levels are properly named.

Weaknesses:Not many multi-player options. The brain of the games talks a lot and way too long and there should be a button for fast forward.

Summary:I think this game would be better if it allow for wifi connection to play with people over the net and for more than two people to play at a time without playing on teams. Overall its a great game and the objective to make your brain bigger seems reasonable but may take a while. If you are looking for a family game then this is the one because you will get hours of enjoyment out of this game.

Reviewed by: kimberleerwong on 24-Dec-07 Rating:

Strengths:More then just trivia game

Weaknesses:can be difficult

Summary:This is a very entertaining and challenging game -- it can be frustrating for younger kids, but is more then just a \"trivia\" game where you memorize tons of facts and such, but more of a logic game with puzzles and challenges that are much more fun. Great game, perfect for parties, and people of all ages.

Reviewed by: bmui on 21-Dec-07 Rating:

Strengths:Miltiplayer and pratice and critics on you performance

Weaknesses:not enough choice for different mini games for each stage

Summary:Great education tool that is fun for the kids highly recommend also great way for parents to kid interaction. The game give you a good sense where you stand and what needs to be improve to make your everyday life better. The only thing I can say is the price is a little high. Also if you want the kids to improve school this can be great way with built in fun for the family.

Reviewed by: RobDC on 13-Dec-07 Rating:

Strengths:Variety of activities

Weaknesses:Weak Replay value for Single Players

Summary:While this game certainly makes you use your brain, the replay value in Single Player mode is pretty weak. After you get a high score, future games revolve more around getting a good \'draw\' since the timer then becomes your largest obstacle. Probably much better as a rental.

Reviewed by: LLM26 on 09-Dec-07 Rating:

Strengths:Easy to use, great fun with friends and family

Weaknesses:Not too many mini gamnes

Summary:I don\'t know about you but I can\'t get younger than 33 years old. This game is a blast with a few friends. Its hilarious watching people squirm around using the wii-mote to get a younger age. It\'s great for the kids too.

Reviewed by: gijedi on 04-Dec-07 Rating:

Strengths:Fun for the family...Cool mini-games

Weaknesses:Sometimes too much dialogue...expected more for the price

Summary:This, like the other Big Brain games, is a great game for the family or just the kids/adults. The mini-games are pretty good. The game keeps track of everyone\'s progress and scores...so you can challenge your family members and friends. The game could\'ve been much better with the capabilities of the Wii and should\'ve been more for the price. It is still a nice addition to the Big Brain series.

Reviewed by: profitone on 26-Nov-07 Rating:

Strengths:Good for kidsEasy to learnEducational Challenging

Weaknesses:not multiplayer remotesmight be too simple

Summary:Ive got kids that range in age from 2 to 6 and needed an educational game without all the violence that is fun as well. This game fits the bill-
My 6 year old is a whiz at the memorization challenge and is working on his computing and analysis. Sometimes I think he\'s actually better at it than I am...
This games is a good family sit around the wii kind of game== that is fun, challenging, and worthwhile!

Reviewed by: sononkyo on 19-Nov-07 Rating:

Strengths:Retains much of its character and appeal; multiplayer is championed and gets it best treatment

Weaknesses:Literal translation; does not harness the power of the Wii

Summary:The universal family game is back and ready to entice new players on the big screen.

These days, Nintendo\'s wholesome appeal has a symbiotic relationship with the word \"brain\". Brain Age and Big Brain academy are the two main pillars of that ecosystem, charming enough to induce a diabetic coma. The problem for this series on the Wii is the scope of this series, while broad on the DS, is very narrow and confining. You can\'t help but shake a feeling of underwhelment.

This game is perfect for ALL ages. I can\'t emphasize enough the universal appeal of a game, one that is a modern day board game to bring in the family or friends together. The art direction, bright colorful palettes of every hue, makes even the most hardened hardcore player break in smiles. You really feel like you belong in that community inside that environment. The multiplayer aspect is well done and doesn\'t take a detour from what made it so accessible on the DS.

The literal translation works well in those aspects but it also begins to rupture the weaknesses that were obscured by the forgiving DS. On the Wii, you feel like this game doesn\'t add one iota of innovation. Nothing ubiquitous has been added and this over-cautious design choice makes the shelf life of this game dated soon.

You begin to wonder how much good will and press Nintendo has accumulated so that even the most jaded gamer wouldn\'t balk at paying $50 for a DS game on the Wii. The \"Brain\" games need to branch and fork into two successful franchises, one that uses ALL of the Wii power instead of a DS emulator. If they don\'t, that complacency will mark this Brain franchise dead on arrival for the next version of the Wii.

Reviewed by: jebidiah21 on 18-Sep-07 Rating:

Strengths:Multiplayer competition as a team or versus play

Weaknesses:Repetitive games

Summary:This is a decent game filled with several types of mini games. Although I generally like puzzle games, I got bored with this game fairly quickly. The games are repetitive though with the only variation being changes in difficulty. There is also a little creature that instructs you on beginning the game and presents you with the results. After playing the game once or twice, it is annoying to try to speed through the multitude of messages that he delivers. The messages/jokes that he delivers with the results are limited and repetitive and don\'t often match the results.

Overall I would say its a decent game, but it may be better as a rental.