Enjoy Dr. Kawashima laughing at you on the iPhone

7:40 PM on 06.09.2009   |   Brad Rice

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For only $5.99, you too can now relive those early days of the Nintendo DS by sitting with Dr. Kawashima and playing Brain Age -- or as those Europeans call it, Brain Exercises with Dr. Kawashima. Bandai Namco is the one releasing it all throughout the world, and you can find it in the iPhone store right this very minute.

While not the full-featured version of Brain Age that we've come to know and love, the game will help you keep your brain sharp on the go -- although that's what the DS version was supposed to do, I thought. Either way, they've gone ahead and added a challenge mode that will have you passing the iPhone around to your friends, instead of connecting wirelessly.

I have to admit, Brain Age was one of those titles that I really never expected to see ported. It brings back some memories of when I first got my DS, though. I wonder what will happen if I boot up the game again. Perhaps Dr. Kawashima's floating head die--"ran away."

Press release is after the jump, if you so desire.

London, UK - Fans of Apple's iconic iPhone and iPod touch are finally able to use their favourite gadgets to mentally roll back the years thanks to Namco Bandai Networks Europe. The mobile gaming leader has today launched Brain Exercise™ with Dr. Kawashima, founding father of the brain training gaming genre. The game, which is published by Namco Networks America Inc, is specifically developed to to take full advantage of the iPhone/iPod touch platform, is available to download from the App Store immediately and introduces a range of challenging games, scientifically proven to test and enhance the performance of different areas of the brain.

Barry O'Neill, President, Namco Bandai Networks Europe commented, "It's not often that Apple aficionados have to play catch-up but the 27 million users of Dr Kawashima's various brain training platforms are testament to the rise of this genre of casual gaming. We look forward to seeing how iPhone and iPod touch users rank against others who are already using Dr. Kawashima's approved brain training games on the move."

Namco Bandai has also simplified the process allowing Apple users to get their brain training fix. iPhone/iPod touch users can upload their brain age to the Global leaderboard and compete with the best brains in the world. They can also compare test scores with friends on Facebook, tracking their progress against the people who really matter. The Facebook application also offers a free "light" version of the game to let Facebook addicts test their mental muscle before embarking on their mobile training programme.  

The puzzles and games featured in Brain Exercise have all been supervised by Dr. Kawashima at Japan's distinguished Tohoku University to certify their brain-enhancing credentials. Users can test their brain age and track the progress of their daily training regime through a calendar. Over time, gamers can enhance brain age and unlock new games as rewards for completing different stages. A full Sudoku game with bonus levels has also been included to help raise a mental sweat.

Brain Exercise has also ensured that brain training is no longer a solo sport. A new challenge mode allows up to four players to pit their neurons against each other by playing on one device.