Left Brain Right Brain – NDS – Review

Although
recent studies unraveled some theories on the strengths and weaknesses of the
left and right sides of the brain, many people obsess on making every cell
perform at it’s maximum potential. There is a trend with the handheld platform.
We like being able to take our puzzles with us, and the newer lineup of games
don’t just involve tedious filling in blanks with letters or words, but require
exercising the brain – and using skills that we neglect in our (now) normal
daily routines. There is now a whole genre of brain games that not only allow us
to solve problems, but do so in a way that trains us to enable functions we may
be otherwise neglecting. In short, use it or lose it.

One such title
is very specific in its intention: Left Brain Right Brain challenges us
to increase and hone our ambidextrous abilities. Now that is a niche
genre!! When I first heard of the game, I assumed it was designed to develop art
and science skills, but its actual function is to teach you how to be better at
using either hand to draw. That’s it. Brainpower is not required.

To
begin your training, you must tell the game which is your normal dominant hand,
then go through a series of tests to calibrate your abilities. The scoring and
judging begins right away. If you are poor at something with your "good" hand,
the game will mock you. I think the whole "taunting" tactic is a foreign thing,
as I see it in a lot of overseas game shows, though I don’t think the American
consumers get the same feeling of encouragement when insults are hurled.
Nevertheless, as you get your primary hand-settings all set up, the game offers
a few different modes of play. You can enter a Testing mode known as Left versus
Right, or Balance – which lets you learn to make your weak hand more like your
dominant. That is, essentially, all there is to it.

During your
exercises, you first do a task such as tracing lines or letters using your
strong hand, then the game will instruct you to rotate the DS and repeat the
same tasks – with the weak hand. One screen is the active screen while the other
one is the official "Taunt Screen" with an unhappy hand that tells you how bad
you are, and sometimes engaging encouragement. Then, you step up the difficulty
when "it" recommends such a move. There are five levels of difficulty. I
completed all of them in one sitting.

No, I am not a
dexterity prodigy, but the exercises are greatly simplified by the stylus and
plastic screen interface. There is a lack of friction that would be encountered
if using pen/pencil and paper. It’s much easier to trace complex lines when you
can tread very lightly – not having to worry about pressure for recognition and
clarity. I also found most of the exercises to be just plain – simple.
Regardless of the "stylus factor," it’s very simple to do well enough to
progress far within a short amount of time.
The hard parts came in the
form of defects such as letters not being recognized. You can draw a simple,
clear "Q" in the box as requested, but the system says it is wrong. However,
squiggle out a sloppy "Z" and it says "great job!" Almost everything is timed,
so that is your main obstacle. Some of the maze-games can be challenging, but
only until you figure out what you can, and cannot, get away with. If you touch
a border line, the test is over.

Just to test my
stylus theory, I did many of the games on paper as well. Though I have gotten a
tiny bit better, writing on a real medium is far less forgiving. I can’t
draw a "Q" nearly as close as within the game. Therefore, what is the benefit of
the game and its exercises? It doesn’t seem to translate into better penmanship
in real life.

The music is
slow, loopy and distracting. Nothing is lost by eliminating it, so listen to
something else while you work on your carpel-tunnel
fun.

In the way of
visuals, there
isn’t much to write home about. That’s Ok, as such is not a factor for
puzzle games, anyway. I found that a lack of clarity within some of the games
made it harder to tell what the objective was. Some of the letters weren’t
always precise. More frustrating is the game’s mis-reading of letters that you
draw perfectly clear. How hard is it to draw a "L?" Many times, those simple
lines were "bonked" by the Evil Hand and you have to try again.

I appreciate the
attempt to try a new route in the continuing trend of making fun games for older
folks (like me!) wishing to not go down without a mental fight. However, this
one is so niche, and I wonder what the need for it is? I don’t feel any more
aware, alert, honed or enabled from playing it. Despite conquering it in a
single day, I went back many times to try different routes (such as pretending I
was LEFT handed and doing it all in reverse). It never got very entertaining.
Aside from the initial curiosity factor in seeing how well you can do with
either hand, the replay value is near zero. Unlike chess or other mental
exercises that encourage long-term growth, the appeal is limited to this niche.

Review Scoring Details for Left Brain Right Brain

Gameplay: 4.0
The design is
simple enough to figure out things within a few minutes of starting. There is a
"talking" (text) hand to help/taunt you get through each area. Just follow the
directions and trace your way into rapid success.

Graphics: 5.0
There isn’t much to
look at. That’s to be expected in a puzzle game designed for physical skill and
not visuals. It’s not like games requiring critical evaluation such as Mah-Jongg
(tiles). The agony comes in its inability to read your writing at times.

Sound: 4.0
There is some nice,
lazy music to sleep to, or you can wait for the effects sounds of bonking and
buzzing when you make a mistake. Such dramatic enhancements are easily ignored –
and should be.

Difficulty: Easy
It’s easy. The only
challenge I can foresee is if you have problems with writing, in general. Poor
penmanship will hinder your success – no matter which hand is your best.

Concept: 6
Trying to connect
to the growing group of complex puzzle makers hitting the NDS scene, this looked
like a decent entry into the genre. However, poor foresight and misjudged
interest created a game without much replay value.  

Overall: 5.0
Despite the title, this game has very little to do with the Brain,
but is a physical game of manual dexterity. It slipped into the scene along side
"Brain Age 1 & 2," "Big Brain Academy" and etc. It looks just right sitting on a
shelf with those winning titles, but is very far from them. Those games continue
to push my abilities today, despite playing them for a very long time. This one
was "done" in a single day. Substitute the word "Hand" for every mention of
"Brain" in this game, and that would describe it much better. You will exercise
your left/right hand, but that’s about it. Due to the lack of friction with a
plastic stylus on glass, its not even close to being like the "real thing"
(paper). So, you get a lot of practice – if you intend to use a GameBoy as a
notepad for the rest of your life. If that is the case, you will have no
trouble writing with either hand – after playing with this game for a day or
two. Until then, as long as you continue using paper and pen, you will not be
helped at all from playing this simple, ambidextrous gimmick.