Detail map of Kamihonnōjimaechō, Nakagyō-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan Overview map of Kamihonnōjimaechō, Nakagyō-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan

A: Kamihonnōjimaechō, Nakagyō-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan

"Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day!," the First Commercial NeuroGame

5/19/2005 to 4/16/2006

On May 19, 2005 Nintendo, headquartered in Kyoto, Japan, released Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day for the Nintendo DS dual-screen handheld gaming console in Japan. The game, which was also known as Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training: How Old is Your Brain, was released for the Nintendo DS in the United States on April 16, 2006. Though loosely based based on research by Japanese neuroscientist  Ryuta Kawashima, Nintendo made no claims for the scientific validation of the game. Brain Age may be considered the earliest commercial NeuroGame.

"Brain Age features a variety of puzzles, including stroop testsmathematical questions, and Sudoku puzzles, all designed to help keep certain parts of the brain active. It was included in the Touch! Generations series of video games, a series which features games for a more casual gaming audience. Brain Age uses the touch screen and microphone for many puzzles. It has received both commercial and critical success, selling 19.00 million copies worldwide (as of March 31, 2013) and has received multiple awards for its quality and innovation. There has been controversy over the game's scientific effectiveness" (Wikipedia article on Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day, accessed 07-31-2014).

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