Results tagged “nintendo ds” from Birmingham Mail - Technobabble

SO-called 'edutainment' and other self-bettering software is proving to be a big hit on the Nintendo DS.

We've been bombarded recently with ads of Patrick Stewart showing his skills at solving complex equations (such as what is 2 x 3) to Julie Walters, presumably to suggest in a somewhat patronising manner that this is stopping him (as an elderly-ish person) from going senile (after all, committing an entire Shakespeare play to memory probably is insignificant next to the power of the DS).

Even Nicole Kidman has got into the act, (why - who knows?) possibly to prove that people in the advanced stages of starvation can also give their minds a work out.

But now researchers from the University of Rennes, Brittany say edutainment brain-training games are not as educational as first thought.

Researchers at the University of Rennes, Brittany, have concluded that there is no evidence to support Nintendo's claims that games such as Dr Kawashima's Brain Training help to improve mental sharpness.

Nintendo has said that games such as Brain Training and Big Brain Academy can improve 'practical intelligence', and that regular use of such games can make users 'two to three times better' in memory tests.

The research found those people who took tests after playing on the games didn't do any better than those who did other mental exercises such as playing more traditional games such as scrabble.

And those using a 10p pencil and paper to carry out small problems did just as well.

Clearly giving your brain a work out is a good thing, but I can't imagine that it would have a really dramatic effect, and it is claims like those from Nintendo; namely that people would see a tangible, quantifiable benefit which is the problem.

Blimey - next thing they'll be telling us that going to the gym is better for the body than playing Wii Fit!

Below - Nicole Kidman nibbles on the DS stylus. We know she's thinking of pie and chips.

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Star Wars The Clone Wars: Jedi Alliance
Nintendo DS
LucasArts
£24.99

NOT set in any of the films, this title sees the Jedi on the trail of a missing consignment of lightsaber crystals.

Needless to say, this doesn't go as planned and they find themselves in conflict with a band of force-using women called the Nightsisters.

It's set before the final 'prequel' Revenge of the Sith, so all the Jedi are still around, allowing you to play as Anakin Skywalker with Obi-Wan Kenobi, or Ahsoka Tano with Mace Windu.

The developers have done their best to make the story as immersive as possible, with tons of cut scenes and dialogue somehow fitted onto the DS cart.

In a way it's better that the story doesn't take place in the films, making it more fresh and possibly better written than some of the turgid nonsense in the prequels.

The stylus controls work reasonably well in what is a fairly complex game for this method , although the combat is sometimes a bit hit and miss, as you try and hit the tiny opposing enemy in the right spot.

LucasArts has also stuck a fair amount of additional content and bonuses in which reward repeated play, adding to the longevity.

78 per cent

Ben Hurst

My Make-Up, My Dress-Up, My Secret Diary
MyGames
Nintendo DS
£14.99, £17.99 and £14.99

CLEARLY someone has come to the conclusion that there is a vast market among Nintendo DS users comprising young girls.

This collection of games is certainly aiming to tick all the boxes this group is interested in.

We have a lot of bases being covered - diaries, make-up and dressing up too - all split off into separate games - all at about the £15 mark, so if you get the lot for your darling daughter you're looking at a fair amount of cash.

The make-up game at least prevents 'real life' applying of slap, and my daughter (aged five) quite enjoyed it.

There was a host of brushes, colours and creams, face masks, hydrating fruits and facepaint palettes - well enough to keep her quiet for five minutes anyway.

Next we have Dress-Up, which doesn't come with many surprises, you, err, dress up in all manner of different gear, mostly, it must be said, to comedic effect.

Finally we have My Secret Diary, which, I suppose has the potential for the greatest longevity, unless you do what most people do and fill it in for a week before consigning it to the back of a drawer somewhere.

The electronic format at least might go some way towards stopping your little brother getting hold of it and revealing the contents to everyone.

The idea is to chat with your friends who will also be nearby on their DS using the three applications - which I would suggest isn't necessarily that likely, although if it happens will greatly add to the fun.

Overall taken as a whole the MyGames series isn't a bad buy at all for a young girl - but they should really be one package for about £20.

69 per cent

America's Next Top Model
Eidos
DS
£24.99

NOT that I've ever watched it, you understand, but I believe there is a popular TV show which is the 'inspiration' for this exercise in narcissism.

The aim of the telly version is for numerous lovely ladies who have spent their entire lives being told they're a 'princess' by their mothers, to bitch, trample over people, and generally in the most unpleasant way possible, slime their way to the top of the catwalk tree.

The game, on the other hand, is on the DS, and as such is of rather more wholesome construction, being as its target audience is young girls.

And to be fair it's not all that bad at all - and given that I thought it was going to be reprehensible, tedious and above all, up itself, is something.

The game is similar to the show, in that you're up against nine other contestants, and must undertake a series of challenges including posing, pouting and, erm, wearing clothes.

It's not all that bad - my five year old daughter found it to be quite good fun, and didn't seem particularly corrupted by the experience.

***

Counterfeit Nintendo consoles given to children as Christmas presents could put their lives at risk, parents were warned today.

Hundreds of fake computer consoles imported and seized at freight depots across the UK were found to have potentially dangerous power adaptors, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) said.

The fake versions of the popular Nintendo DS and DS Lite consoles were bought from a range of websites, mainly based in Asia.

The sites claimed the items were "genuine Nintendo" and offered many of the counterfeit consoles for around £40, instead of the usual retail price of £100.

But Nintendo confirmed that the consoles were counterfeit and it had not produced the power adaptors supplied with them, meaning they had not been electronically tested.