Gaming News - April 2006

Redmond, WA (April 17, 2006) - Nintendo today announced the release of Brain Age for the DS.

From Nintendo:

Nintendo's ability to appeal to younger generations with innovative, imaginative and inspired video games takes a mature twist today, as the company launches its creative vision for consumers of all ages. Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day for Nintendo DS is designed to keep people's minds active with fun mental workouts that incorporate the user-friendly voice-command and touch-screen capabilities of Nintendo DS. Brain Age also includes more than 100 sudoku puzzles.

"Adults with little or no video gaming experience don't have to worry about complicated button mashing," says Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of sales & marketing, whose Brain Age is 30. "Brain Age is just the latest example of Nintendo's commitment to creating software for a broad range of consumers with varying levels of experience."

Brain Age is the U.S. version of the popular brain-training software in Japan that already has sold more than 2 million units. The title provides an entertaining and engaging way for Nintendo to reach out to a broad audience, including seniors and baby boomers (who began turning 60 in January). Brain Age can be a part of an overall regimen for keeping the brain active, says Dr. Elizabeth Zelinski, dean and executive director of Leonard Davis School of Gerontology at the University of Southern California. "Nintendo's Brain Age should be just one element of an active lifestyle that includes mental stimulation, exercise and a good diet," Zelinski says. "Brain Age is a great way for people to keep challenging themselves." Brain Age challenges cognitive abilities with exercises like memorizing words, counting and tracking people as they enter and exit a house, and drawing lines to connect letters and numbers in alphabetical and numeric order.

Nintendo continues to push the boundaries of video games. The company broke new ground with noncompetitive game play in Nintendogs, fused music and art with Electroplankton and now introduces brain-training exercises with Brain Age, which appeals to consumers of all ages. Launching April 17, Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day is rated E for Everyone and is expected to be priced as low as $20 at retailers throughout the United States. For more information about the title, visit www.brainage.com.