"Brain Age Training" DS for NDS "Brain Tips Guide"
By Mykas0
version 1.01
15-5-2006


BE SURE TO READ THIS FIRST PART! You can read this faq as long as you
don't change ANY part of it (including this small introduction). Also,
you can print it but only for use at your home, you may NEVER sell 
this stuff or else you will make me really mad and maybe I won't work
anymore! Finally, if you want to use this faq on your site you have to
mail me and ask me for it, I will almost surely grant it to you! =)



This game isn't hard at all, I mean, there isn't even any point in calling
it "hard", since there's no way you can lose it. I don't think there's
even any way to cheat on the game, as you would be mostly trying to cheat
yourself. There's no "victory" or "loss", there's just you (and up to 3
other friends) trying to improve your own brain. That's it. Sounds dull?
It isn't, the game is actually quite good and, if it is published outside
Japan at a fair price, it is surely a product that everyone should get.


0~. Version History
-----------------------------------------------------------
1~. Basic Information about this guide
2~. Brain Tips
3~. Frequently Asked Questions
-----------------------------------------------------------
B_END. Special Thanks
END. Contacts



0~. Version History

-> version 1.01 <-
- Added some more information to one of the questions;
-- Added a new question.

-> version 1.0 <-
- Added more questions to this guide.

-> version 0.9 <-
- Did the whole guide. It will be upgraded to 1.0 as soon as I get some
  more questions to the FAQ.



1~. Basic Information about this guide

As stated before, there's no way you can "win" or "lose" in this game. So,
despite that simple premise, you must be wondering what's the point in
this guide. Well, without putting too much personal information in this
guide, let's just say that this game helped me a lot more than it will
help most of its players. Lots of the brain tips included in the game can
actually be quite good for your health (and obviously for your brain), so
even if you aren't interested in the game (or you simply came to this
guide by mistake), be sure to read them in the next section. Trust me,
they will help you more than you can think of.



2~. Brain Tips

The following tips were taken from the actual game, and you can unlock
them by simply playing the game at least once per day. Eventually you will
get these, by the animated face of professor Kawashima saying them to you.
All of these (the ones you have unlocked, I mean...) can be seen at any
time by pressing "Daily Training" (second option in the main menu), select
your save file, do some random entry things (which are mostly random...),
pick "Other Options" (last option in that menu) and then "Tips", the
bottom-left option. This last thing will only be available if you already
have more than 5 stamps on your calendar, else it will be stating
something like "???" and be fully inacessible. Now, on to the tips!

1  ----------
Your belly needs food, doesn't it? Well, so does your brain!
And breakfast is key! A morning meal helps your brain run better.
Your brain is usually at its best in the early morning.
So, let's make sure it has the energy, or carbohydrates, that it needs!

2  ----------
You brush your teeth when you wake up, right? I hope you do!
While you brush your teeth, try counting the brushstrokes.
This will help to wake you up and warm up your brain!

3  ----------
The daily commute is a great brain training opportunity.
Try to read all of the billboards and signs as quickly as you can.
Doing so will help to activate your prefrontal cortex.
But make sure to keep your eyes on the road if you're driving!

4  ----------
Look at people on the street and try to guess how they are feeling,
then put those feelings into your own words.
Speaking imagined ideas put many areas of your brain to work.

5  ----------
If your train or bus is so crowded you can't even open your newspaper,
try reading all the advertisements instead.
See how many you can memorize in thirty seconds.
This is good general training for your prefrontal cortex.

6  ----------
Listen closely to the news on the TV or radio,
and then try to summarize all the stories in three to four minutes.

7  ----------
Look around you and count all the numbers that you can see,
then add, subtract, multiply, and divide them until you get an answer of
 one.
Performing simple arithmetic really wakes up your brain.

8  ----------
Walking around can also present brain training opportunities.
Try counting the number of steps you take as you walk.
Couting uses both the left and right prefrontal cortex hemispheres.

9  ----------
Say, do you try to work or study with the radio or TV blaring away?
This kind of multi-tasking splits your brain focus and lowers efficiency.

10 ----------
It's only polite to make eye contact when speaking to another person.
Eye contact does two things. First, it improves your communication.
And secondly, it gives your brain more information to work with.

11 ----------
Cell phones and e-mail have made our lives more convenient,
but you can't rely on those tools alone.
You must seize every opportunity for conversation!
By engaging in direct conversation with many people every day,
you will be forced to use words and gestures that stimulate the brain.

12 ----------
Before you start to work or study,
take a moment to prioritize your goals for the day.
Such prioritization is actually very good brain training!

13 ----------
Imagining an image and then creating it is good for the prefrontal cortex.
Painting a picture, for example, or sculpting something out of clay.
Make sure that you create what's in your mind. Don't use a model!

14 ----------
Think of the names of all the things around you,
and then try to think of as many related verbs as you can.
So, for the word "pencil", you might think of "scribble" or "roll".

15 ----------
Even a large and noisy dinner party presents training opportunities.
Try shutting out the loud hullabaloo of conversation
and concentrate instead on the voice of one specific person.

16 ----------
Do you have any subconscious habits? I know you do!
Your brain suffers when you lose conscious control of your actions.
Try to curb habits such as fidgeting or biting your nails.
Doing so is excellent training for your brain!

17 ----------
You can easily learn people's names when you first meet them.
Just repeat the name silently to yourself over and over!
Try telling yourself "I'm going to remember" as you do this.

18 ----------
Do you like to eat out for lunch? If you find yourself doing so
 frequently,
try going to new places at least once a week.
Your brain needs new stimuli on a regular basis.

19 ----------
Have you had a good laugh recently?
Like they say, "laughter is the best medicine."
And it's good for your brain, too!

20 ----------
Even bad puns can be good for your brain!
I know they often aren't very... punny! Hoo hoo ha!
But if you can stomach them, they'll really help your brain.

21 ----------
Checking the route you take to school or work will help activate the
 brain.
Your brain gets tired of the same stimuli day in and day out!

22 ----------
Singing a cappella is also a form of brain training.
If you have the guts, try singing karaoke without any music!

23 ----------
After a hard day of work or school,
cool down your brain with TV or video games!
Even these simple things could improve your overall brain efficiency!




3~. Frequently Asked Questions

It is obvious what this section is for, around here I will be replying
some of the questions related to this game.


Q: Is the game any good?

A: If you want something fun, no. If you want something that tries to make
   your life better, yes.


Q: In the game where we must say the color of the words, I seem to have
   some trouble getting the game to recognise my "Blue". Any tips on that
   issue?

A: Not being a native english speaker, perhaps I am not the best person to
   talk about that problem. However, the best I can do is tell you to try
   to say it as clearly as possible and say exactly BLUE, as most people
   only say BLU. Don't forget the E at the end!


Q: The game doesn't seem to recognise it well, when I try to draw a
   certain word. Do you have any tips on this issue?

A: Most people don't seem to understand how does this game interprets
   whatever you write in the there. Mostly, it follows the movement that
   you do with your stylus, not counting the final result but the
   movements instead. Remember how you were taught to draw them, back when
   you were a kid? Following that sequence will lead to better results.


Q: Is there any way to view the drawings I've done in the past?

A: I don't think so, sorry. Probably the game doesn't even save all of
   them, it may have 2~3 of them temporarly saved and that's all.


Q: Is this game good for left-handed people?

A: Yep, it is. If I recall correctly, you are asked if you are left-handed
   or right-handed before startng, and the game will simply allow you to
   turn the console to the opposite way, in order to have a fair chance of
   playing it, as much as the right-handed people have.


Q: I seem to have problems getting the game to recognise my upper-case (or
   lower-case) letters, what should I do?

A: When trying to draw a certain letter, you can either do the upper or
   lower case of it, it will be OK, the game won't get mad at you or
   anything!


Q: Any easter eggs in this game?

A: Yes. You can say "doctor" and "glasses" in the main menu to have the
   doctor do some funny stuff.

That's all, for now.



B_END. Special Thanks

I want to thank the following people:

- Everyone who made this game;

- Everyone who likes my works here on gamefaqs, it's for those people
  that I like to work in these type of project;

- People who rejected to go out with me these days, this way I stayed
  home, played this game and took the time to write this faq;

- Professor Kawashima, for making the game, this guide and all the
  information reach people like me, you and everyone who will play this
  game;

- "Joseph Young", for mailing me an important question I had forgotten to
  include in this guide;

- "Joshua Long", for telling me what happens if you are a left-handed
  person trying to play this game, apart from reminding me of a small
  easter egg;

- People who posted questions in Gamefaqs' board for this game, I may 
  have taken some of them from there and replied them in here. Obviously,
  I must thank all those people who posted them;

- Everyone I forgot to credit (if anyone at all...);

- BethanyM and CjayC, for inspiring me to continue working in this faq and
  in all other projects as well.



End. Contacts

If you want, you may see my web page, just check it at the HTML 
address www.geocities.com/Mykas0/ .
My e-mail is Mykas0 [at] gmail.com , use the following subject or I will
NEVER reply.

Subject: "Brain Tips FAQ"
For asking anything about this guide


Thanks and until the next version!!!!!