Gaming
Games
Can you train your brain in 5 days?
Dr Kawashima's Devilish Brain Training is out now – but does it actually improve your focus? We put it to the test.
Remember Dr Kawashima? Back in 2006, he was bigger than Pokémon. Many had doubted whether anyone would be willing to pay for a game that featured maths and memory tests, but incredibly Dr Kawashima's Brain Training sold nearly 20m copies on Nintendo DS, more than Pokémon Diamond and Pearl.
Over a decade later, he's back on Nintendo 3DS with Dr Kawashima's Devilish Brain Training, in which the Japanese neuroscientist promises to summon his inner monster and make life devilishly difficult for you. Sounds like fun, right?
His tests are trickier than before, but they have their benefits – according to Kawashima, our reliance on smartphones, tablets and tablets have meant that we've lost the ability to focus. However, he also believes that all is not lost – if we could improve our working memory with daily Devilish training, we may notice improved productivity at work and stronger academic performances, He even suggests that it could help improve our concentration when playing sport or doing housework.
Now, Devilish Brain Training isn't going to turn you into Usain Bolt overnight, but can it actually improve your brain? I played it to find out.
Day 1
Dr Kawashima's first test is Devilish Calculations. I must admit that maths isn't my strong point (I got a GCSE D), but these simple addition and subtraction skills aren't too tricky. What makes it tougher is that Kawashima wants me to answer the question before last. So 7-2 will appear on screen and as I'm writing the answer to that, another question will appear on screen and I have to memorise the answer.
No problem – I got 95% in the first test, but then 2-back started and I had to memorise the answer from two questions ago. I did so badly, it didn't even show me the percentage. Dr Kawashima said: "Your first result is what I’d expect from someone in their 70s."
My training grade is F. Surely I can only improve from here.
Day 2
Devilish Mice is so tough
© Nintendo
Thanks to my 2-back fail, I start with Fast 1-back Devilish Calculations. No problem – again 95%, but I was brought back down with another pathetic 2-back attempt. Kawashima tried to encourage me, telling me that if I keep at it I should be able to memorise 4-back and 5-back, before saying: "Of course, everyone is different." I'm not different, I'm just rubbish.
My mood improved with Devilish Pairs, in which you have to flip and match numbered cards. I got to level 6 straight away. Yes, this is definitely working.
Then I was brought back down again by Devilish Mice, a game in which cats shunt mice into different positions under question mark blocks and you have to remember where they are. It's easy with one mouse as you can follow it with the stylus, but once two come into play, you're expected to have your eyes on two things at once. I now know what it must feel like to be a linesman at a football match. Only no one is swearing at me when I mess it up.
At least I moved up to Training Level E.
Day 3
Brain News: I'm not very good at Devilish Mice
© Nintendo
Devilish calculations and Devilish Mice – it's the same old story; move up a level, fail, move down a level, get a great score, move up a level, fail...
I actually got worse at Devilish Pairs. Having got less than 66% the day before on Level 6, I was moved down to Level 5, and then I messed that up, too, and had to work my way back up to Level 6.
Now for Devilish Reading. You have to read a sentence out loud and memorise the word on each page that's underlined. Like with Pairs, I had a strong start and got up to Level 5 straight away.
Day 4
Get less than 66% and you're going down a level
© Nintendo
On Training level D now, and I've finally improved at Devilish Calculations! I took Kawashima's advice and started saying the numbers out loud and it worked! It's all about getting into a rhythm with this game, but if you get one wrong, it breaks the flow and then it's hard to get it back. My percentages improved, but not enough to move up a level. Doctor Kawashima says, "You've reached equilibrium." That sounds better than: "You've been playing this for days and you haven't improved."
I managed to get 100% on Level 6 of Devilish Pairs, but today's new game is Devilish Shapes – exactly the same as Devilish Calculations, but you have to memorise shapes rather than numbers. It would be easy if it was just Triangle, Square, but it's all sorts of odd shapes, so it's impossible to remember them by saying it out loud. The one that looks a bit like a pizza, the one with three squares and a triangle plonked on top... Too slow. Once again, 1-back is fine, but I had a shocker on 2-back.
Still, reached level D today.
Day 5
Devilish Blocks is one of the easier tests
© Nintendo
With Devilish Calculations, even though I still haven't reached the next level, I definitely feel like I'm improving. Devilish Mice, however, I don't think I'm ever going to be able to do. For Devilish Pairs, I hit Level 7, and the results on my graph went up for the first time. I've gone past equilibrium! Dr Kawashima didn't say that.
However, for the first time the bar on my training grade went down as I slipped to Level 4 on Devilish Reading. I think I was a bit tired. Maybe I should have a Red Bull!
Devilish Blocks was another 2-back fail, after which Kawashima told me that they deliberately selected shapes that are difficult to remember. Thanks for that.
The day's new game was Devilish Blocks in which you had to remember the position of numerous disappearing blocks. Did pretty well first time out, getting to level 5. I'm still at D though.
So does Dr Kawashima's Devilish Brain Training work?
It's very difficult to test whether it has actually improved my focus, and besides, you wouldn't expect it to after five days. I was run out for seven when playing cricket on Thursday, so it hasn't improved my concentration on the sports field, but I did a pretty good job of the hoovering yesterday.
One thing I can say, though, is that it worked my brain to the point where I felt tired, and that can only be a good thing. Devilish Mice aside, I feel like I'm improving at the games, but most importantly, I feel inspired to continue the daily training.
