Nintendo DS Games for Self Improvement

Train Your Brain: 60 Days to a Better Brain

A book titled Train Your Brain: 60 Days to a Better Brain written by Dr Ryuta Kawashima in 2003, is the main source of the popular brain training movement. It's based on a program developed by Dr. Kawashima to keep brains young.

The elder members of the Nintendo board of directors wanted a game for the Nintendo DS that would appeal to their adult sensibilities. Dr. Kawashima's book was popular in Japan at the time and was suggested to be used as a model for a game that would allow players to compete against each other and compare scores.

I'm impressed that the board of directors took enough interest in their gaming systems to be the impulse that creates a new genre of game. There's a more detailed account of the origins of Brain Age in this article at Game Spot.

The first half of Dr. Kawashima's book contains simple mathematical calculations, with memory and counting tests. It's recommended to do a set of math questions every day and note the time it takes. In addition, a memory test, a counting test, and a stroop test (found at the back of the book) are recommended every five days. A set of graphs are provided at the back of the book to monitor your progress. A second book of more tests is available titled: Train Your Brain More: 60 Days to an Even Better Brain

Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day!

Activities include quickly solving simple math problems & counting people going in and out of a house simultaneously.

Draw pictures on the Touch Screen, or read classic literature out loud.

Play Sudoku, the popular number puzzle game.
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Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day!

Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day!

New Activities! This is a series of minigames designed to give your brain a workout. The 17 new, engaging activities are all designed to help work your brain and increase blood flow to the prefrontal cortex.

Keep training! When you start a new game, you will take a series of tests and get a score that shows how old your brain is. This number is called your Brain Age.

With daily training over weeks and months, you can improve your mental acuity and lower your Brain Age. Progress is charted in graph form.

Expanded multiplayer! You can keep up to four save files on one game card. Sharing a game allows you to compete in a picture-drawing quiz or a word challenge with family and friends. You can also use DS Download Play to send a demo to friends or compete with up to 16 players in one of four fun modes.
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Big Brain Academy

Big Brain Academy

For a detailed description, see my lens on Big Brain Academy

Big Brain Academy is a modern-day stress reliever that improves your thinking skills. These 15 activities test your brain powers and improve your thinking abilities in areas like logic, memory, math and analysis.

Free your mind by working through a number of simple but deep problems. There are five different types of challenges, appropriate for all ages and challenging for all skill levels.

Big Brain Academy Features
*Face an assortment of challenges that you'll have to solve quickly
*Special practice mode helps players get used to the game's fast-paced assault of problems
*Continuous display of your brain weight, helping you track your progress during a match
*8-player Vs. Mode - all players can connect through a single game pak

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Left Brain, Right Brain

Left Brain, Right Brain

Are you a righty or a lefty? What if you could be both? With Left Brain, Right Brain, you can hone your mental skills to become truly ambidextrous. While training your hands with speed based DS Mini-games, you'll also be training the left and right hemispheres of your brain. It's like two games in one!

Left Brain, Right Brain Features
*Book style play has you flipping the DS over and around to develop hand-eye coordination
*Master 4 single player game modes
*Challenge a friend to 2-player mini-game tests via DS download play
*Monitor personal progress with development percentages show after each game
*Extensive use of touch screen for speed, accuracy, recognition, memory and strategy based games

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Left Brain Right Brain 2

Left Brain Right Brain 2

Are you a "righty" or a "lefty"? What if you could be both? In Left Brain Right Brain 2, you can hone your mental skills to become truly ambidextrous.

While training your hands with all new speed based DS mini-games, you'll also be training the left and right hemispheres of your brain. It's like two games in one!

Games include: Air Mail, Balloon Attack, Block Buster, Coin Race, Color Match, Cosmic Seesaw, Dark Dungeon, Excavation, Fire Trap, Hang Glider, Hungry Frog, Pachinko, Pillow Fight, Rolling Stone, Slots, Snowman Toss, Space Escape, Super Ball, Traffic Jam, and UFO Attack.

Left Brain, Right Brain 2 - Features
*20 all new games to the series based on speed, accuracy, association, recognition,memory and strategy
*Compare your results from each hand to see just how ambidextrous you are
*Check on the frequency of exercises and how much the brain was stimulated or activated from the exercise
*Book-style play challenges you to flip the DS over and around to develop your hand-eye coordination with both left and right hands
*Challenge a friend in Single and Multi Card Multiplayer

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Keep Your Brain Alive: 83 Neurobic Exercises to Help Prevent Memory Loss and Increase Mental Fitness

Keep Your Brain Alive: 83 Neurobic Exercises to Help Prevent Memory Loss and Increase Mental Fitness

What are Neurobics you ask? They are a unique brain exercise program created using the latest neuroscience research. These simple exercises help improve your body's production of nutrients which aid growth of brain cells to keep the brain younger and stronger. Neurobics leverages each of the five senses in unexpected ways and shakes up everyday routines to stimulate your brain. The exercises are fun, engaging and can be done anywhere. Put these all together to end up with a mind fit to meet any challenge. Remembering names, mastering a new computer program, or keeping your creative juices flowing.

 

Train Your Brain More: 60 Days to an Even Better Brain

Train Your Brain More: 60 Days to an Even Better Brain

If you like Train Your Brain: 60 Days to a Better Brain, this book will be a sure hit. You'll find more of the simple activities created by the prominent neurologist Dr. Ryuta Kawashima. These exercises are specifically chosen to stimulate different parts of your brain. Track your progress with daily worksheets and weekly tests and a personal logbook. In just a few minutes each day for two months, you can improve your creativity and brain power.

My Weight Loss Coach

This game creates customized coaching sessions based on skill level, and includes a pedometer. It was developed in collaboration with a fitness coach and a nutritionist.

It's is an excellent motivator. It includes simple tasks like walking 500 steps or putting the salt shaker in the cupboard. The emphasis seems to be on simple tasks that feel easy to accomplish.

Compares your calorie intake to your activity level and helps you balance them to maintain or loose weight.

My Weight Loss Coach - Reviewer Comments
*"...this "game" is perfect for those that are overweight. And it IS easy to USE!"
*"The challenges are small and simple but overall they make a big difference."

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Personal Trainer Walking

Personal Trainer Walking

Great motivator for increasing your physical activity. The friendly competition created by having a partner use the second pedometer is also a good motivator.

Includes 2 pedometers that measure and upload your activity to the Nintendo DS. An indicator on the pedometers flashes green when you have met your activity goals for the day.

Personal Trainer Walking - Features
*Fun and helpful way to exercise
*Graph your activity by day and week
*Includes two Activity Meters
*Players: 1-4 (not simultaneous)

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Let's Yoga

Let's Yoga

Excellent instructional game to assist you in learning and maintaining the practice of yoga.

An avatar demonstrates poses, as well as how to get in and out of them. And also has an option to rotate the avatar to see the pose in more detail.

Has routines for doing yoga while seated in a chair.

Design your own routines or ask for routines to fit a specific purpose.

Includes 80 poses.

Let's Yoga Features
*get a 360 degree view of each pose using stylus and touch screen
*Learn up to 80 poses including 20 for sitting at your desk
*Choose from 3 different avatars with unique costume and mats
*Build your program based on your everyday ailments

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Let's Pilates

Let's Pilates

Good help for mixing up and maintaining your Pilates fitness routine.

Let's Pilates - Reviewer Comments
*"This is exactly what I needed to get me working out."
*"I have a few work out games and this is my fav by far"
*"The instructions are great and easy to follow."
*"I love the encouragment given by the little creatures that cheer you on..."

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Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum 2010

Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum 2010

Good for people who like more intense workouts.

Easy way to keep up with your workouts while you are travelling.

Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum - Features
*With the help of Jillian Michaels, achieve your fitness goals any time, any place, by following a personalized fitness program on your Nintendo DS
*Enter "Jillian's Training" for a pre-defined workout routine as proposed by Jillian
*Complete over a dozen of real-world exercises (running, abs, pushups, and more)
*"My Diary" tracks your schedule, progress and BMI
*Unlock advice and develop good habits from Jillian on Diet, Fitness and Wellness

*Reviewer Comments:
*"I bought this for my 12 year old daughter. She's exercising all over the house! How can you complain about that"

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My Stop Smoking Coach NDS

Best used in conjunction with Allen Carr's book: The Easy Way to Stop Smoking.

It talks you through the basics of Allen Carr's program and tells you about the trap, the illusion, and how to overcome cigarette urges.

Your coach will give you personalized advice and tips based on your smoking habits and history.

15 innovative mini-games: A fun way to help you dispel the illusions about nicotine addiction.

Reward system: Using the Path to Freedom meter, track your progress as you move from dependence to freedom.
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My Health Coach Stop smoking (NDS) (UK)

My Health Coach Stop smoking (NDS) (UK)

UK version of Allen Carr's quit smoking game
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The Easyway to Stop Smoking

The Easyway to Stop Smoking

This is the book that Allen Carr's quit smoking games are based on.

4.8 out of 5 stars with 805 customer reviews! (as of 1/25/12)

Look Inside This Book with Amazon's preview feature.

The customer reviews for this book are really good. Take a look!
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