If you play
many handheld games you probably know about the popular game Brain Age on the
Nintendo DS. Well, if you are a fan of that game you may get some enjoyment out
of Hot Brain. It is basically the same idea but in a slightly different form.
You are the
latest volunteer at the Hot Brain institute where the goal is, presumably, to
take so many tests that your brain bakes inside your skull, or so it would be if
the game’s scoring system were taken literally. Like in Brain Age, the goal of
the game is to ultimately reach a certain “score.” In that game you were trying
to get the lowest score possible of 21 years old, but Hot Brain goes in the
opposite direction. The goal is to get blood pumping to heat your (in game)
brain up to a lethal 120 degrees. To do so you will practice the game’s 15
challenges and take a randomized test to determine your temperature for that
day. But I am getting a bit ahead of myself.
When you arrive
at the Hot Brain institute you are greeted by Dr. Ed Warmer who is voiced by
Fred Willard, best known for his comedic talents and acting skills. Dr. Warmer
is a quirky fellow with a lot of character and a lot to say. He will be your
guide at the institute telling you all about the brain, the game’s five
categories, and how to play each challenge all with a healthy dose of humor
thrown in. And thus, we realize why Fred Willard was hired for this game. There
are many jokes in this game, and while most of them are fairly cheesy they
should manage to get a laugh or two out of you anyway. It certainly helps that
Fred does an excellent job of voicing Dr. Warmer.
After a brief
introduction you will have the option to practice challenges, go straight to
testing or play a multiplayer game. The general idea of the game is to practice
for however long you want and eventually take a test to get a score for that
day. Practice lets you choose from the games five categories (logic, memory,
math, language and concentration) which are also split into three challenges
each. Each challenge is split into three difficulties. Unfortunately, you are
forced to start on easy and play enough to fill up an “achievements” meter in
order to play on medium and then play on medium to unlock hard. I say
“unfortunately” because some of the challenges are so simple on easy that they
are actually boring to play.
Challenges
range from selecting the next object in a series to keeping track of people
entering and leaving a cruise ship to memorizing sounds simon-says style and
many others. Every challenge requires you simply to use the four face buttons to
input an answer or sequence of answers. All of them are timed as well to keep
you thinking; you have to answer quickly to get high scores.
There isn’t
much to Hot Brain, visually. The graphics are slick and clear, but that’s
probably not too hard to ensure when most of what you are staring at are simple
shapes and objects. The CG backgrounds and cutscenes with the Doc are more
complex, but even then they are cartoony and unimpressive compared to other PSP
games, overall. On the bright side, the animation is smooth and generally very
well done.
In the sound
department, Mr. Willard is definitely the highlight. Sound effects are abundant
and well done but, with the exception of one challenge, are not necessary to
hear. Similarly, the music sounds clear and is in a style that fits the “timed
exam” setting but is largely there just to be there. You will be too focused on
the task at hand to ever stop and listen to the music.
In conclusion,
for what it is, Hot Brain is fairly well done. The presentation is slick and
buttons are very responsive, which is what really matters with a game like this.
You might find yourself getting bored of some challenges after a while, so grab
a few friends and play some multiplayer to find out whose brain is hottest, or
you could just put the game down for a couple days until you’re ready for more.
Ideally though, you will want to take at least one test every day (which is
recorded on the in-game calendar), so you can keep track of how you are
progressing (or regressing) day to day.
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Gameplay: 6.5
It’s all about
working your brain here. Practice the game’s 15 challenges, then take a test to
determine your brain temperature. Unfortunately, the challenges tend to feel a
bit repetitive after a while, and with no unlockables you might find yourself
shelving this one after a relatively short while. The controls are easy to learn
and are very responsive when it matters.
Graphics:
6.5
A simple, colorful
presentation is all a game of this type needs, but the CG art outside of the
challenges is mediocre even though the animation is quite nice. Overall, the
game is visually unimpressive compared to other PSP games.
Sound: 7.0
Fred Willard does an
excellent job acting the only voice in the game. Music and sound effects are
definitely there and sound fine but go largely unnoticed as they are not a
necessary part of the game, and your focus will be on the challenges themselves
when the clock is ticking.
Difficulty:
Medium
Hot Brain’s
difficulty differs from challenge to challenge and probably a great deal from
person to person, but some of them are almost too easy, practically handing out
the highest score left and right even on hard mode. On the other hand, some
challenges might reveal that you aren’t quite as good as you thought you were
at, say, simple math or the alphabet.
Concept: 8.0
Of course, the
overall concept isn’t new, but the variety of challenges help Hot Brain stand
apart from similar games.
Multiplayer:
7.0
2-4 people can
compete in Brain Race to see who is the smartest, or they can work together in
the cooperative Think Tank. Unfortunately, multiplayer is local ad-hoc only.
Overall: 7.0
Hot Brain is a fun
little game but can start to feel repetitive after a while. The inclusion of
unlockables and infrastructure wireless multiplayer would have been nice. There
is not much reason to pick this one up over other brain training games but would
make a nice addition to your collection if you’re into those kinds of games.
