Iwata

Before we talked about the split into math and art editions, you had also discussed what should be carried over from past Brain Age games.

Kawamoto

Right. In the previous Brain Age games, four players could save their profile, and everyone could later on enjoy exhibiting their pictures together to compare them.

Iwata

Brain Age wasn’t just for basic training, but also included a number of methods for people who shared one Nintnendo DS system to better communicate with each other. Showing pictures together was one of those methods.

Kawamoto

Right. Dr. Kawashima has written a lot in his books about how communication can stimulate brain activity, so we decided to add a communicative element. As a side note, Animal Crossing gave us a hint as to how to do that.

Iwata

Animal Crossing?

Kawamoto

In Animal Crossing, sometimes when you write a letter to an animal, that animal will later show it to another player and say something like, “Look what he wrote!” We decided to do something like that for Brain Age.

Iwata

I see. The letters in Animal Crossing developed into the picture-drawing quizzes and word activities of Brain Age.

Kawamoto

We got a lot of ideas from Animal Crossing. For example, sometimes the animals say hello and tell you how many days it’s been since you met. We lifted that whole idea and used it.

Iwata

Wow. I didn’t know that came from Animal Crossing.

Kawamoto

It’s almost like I made Brain Age while looking at Animal Crossing! (laughs)

Going back to the saved profiles, this time the theme is “My DS”—players making their Nintendo DSi system specific to themselves. So one might naturally think that there would only be space for one profile, but if you did that the fun of communicating present in the previous games would be lost. So we came up with the Guest mode^*4.

*4. Guest mode: This is designated the "Family or Friend" mode in the game.

Iwata

The Wii Fit video game has something similar. It allows visitors to try out playing the game.

Kawamoto

Usually a guest’s data wouldn’t be saved, but this time it can be. For example, the guest’s brain age, drawings, photos and voice can all be saved.

Iwata

In others words, what you might want to compare with someone.

Kawamoto

Exactly.

Iwata

So in addition to the My DS concept of one person, one Nintendo DS, you also included features that make possible the type of communication that was part of the appeal of Brain Age.

Kawamoto

We pursued both ideas—communication and one Nintendo DS per person—and the result was a savable guest mode.

Iwata

Next, I’d like to ask you about the new games that have been added. Which ones do you like, Takahashi-san?

Takahashi

One is an extremely simple exercise about recognizing photos.

Iwata

What’s it like?

Kawamoto

First a photo appears on the left side of the screen, and you have to remember it. Then it disappears and six photos appear on the right-hand side of the screen. Next the game asks you which of the photos is the one you saw earlier. That’s all. It’s very simple.

Takahashi

It really is simple, but then the difficulty increases. When I was asked which photo I had seen two photos ago, I had no idea at all!

Iwata

Only two photos before?

Takahashi

I was shocked at how I couldn’t remember. (laughs) But it seems a lot of people are that way.

Kawamoto

At first a lot of people are surprised at how they can’t do it. Of course, if you keep training, you’ll gradually improve.

Takahashi

Another fun one is kanji shooting.

Kawamoto

Kanji enemies appear, and you have to write those kanji. It’s like a shooting game, but with pictures and sound as weapons. I’ve always been the kind of person who loves video games, so I couldn’t help but put it in. (laughs)

Iwata

Did it stimulate your brain?

Kawamoto

Yes. Originally I was creating a kanji game aside from Brain Age, but I decided to throw it in. (laughs)

Takahashi

But if you get the strokes out of order, you can’t beat the enemy kanji. That’s because I’m no good at stroke order!

Kawamoto

That’s why it may be good for helping you study standard stroke order. The Art Edition uses kanji, but the Math Edition uses numbers. There’s an exercise in which numbers become the enemy. The images and sounds are a lot like those of a fighting game.

Iwata

Did your gamer’s instincts take over while you were making it?

Kawamoto

Yeah. (laughs) For example, if the numbers 2 and 9 appear, you have to write the total of 11. Whole atmosphere is sort of retro games, but I think it’s just what some people are nostalgic for.

Takahashi

And then there are the ones for those whose brain age has reached 20.

Kawamoto

Oh, right. I was just chatting with Dr. Kawashima one day, and when I told him that with past versions of Brain Age some people have quit playing once their brain age reached 20, he got really disappointed.

Iwata

Dr. Kawashima got disappointed? (laughs)

Kawamoto

So this time, when your brain age reaches 20, someone of a unique appearance comes out.

Iwata

Someone with a unique appearance? (laughs)

Takahashi

And he offers very strict instruction.

Kawamoto

He gives the player harder tasks.

Takahashi

So there’s a reason for people who have reached 20 to keep challenging themselves.

Iwata

But first you’ve got to reach brain age 20. So is 20 the end?

Kawamoto

Well…the unique person might assign you something additional, like a rank.

Iwata

Having been split into two new games, it isn’t Chotto at all! (laughs)

Takahashi

The play time for each session is short, but in its own way the game is packed full! (laughs)

Iwata

Kawamoto-san, does Brain Age Express feel like the third game in the series to you?

Kawamoto

It doesn’t really feel like Brain Age 3. It’s more like we gathered Brain Age into a form fit to download into your Nintendo DSi and walk around with. I hope people who haven’t played Brain Age before this will use Brain Age Express as an occasion to give it a try.

Iwata

Some people might think that, given the huge sales of the Brain Age series, there can’t possibly be anyone out there who hasn’t played it, but that’s not true at all. Compared to the number of consoles sold, the number of software sold doesn’t even come close.

After this game goes on sale and people learn the meaning of Chotto, I hope people who haven’t yet had the chance to try Brain Age, as well as busy people who haven’t played for a while, will once again enjoy training their brain!

Thank you very much, both of you.

All

You’re welcome.