Games Nintendo DS BRAIN AGE User Manual
P.O. Box 957, Redmond, WA 98073-0957 U.S.A.
Nintendo of America Inc.
www.nintendo.com
59768A
PRINTED IN USA
INSTRUCTION BOOKLET
PLEASE CAREFULLY READ THE SEPARATE HEALTH AND SAFETY
PRECAUTIONS BOOKLET INCLUDED WITH THIS PRODUCT BEFORE
USING YOUR NINTENDO® HARDWARE SYSTEM, GAME CARD OR
ACCESSORY. THIS BOOKLET CONTAINS IMPORTANT HEALTH AND
SAFETY INFORMATION.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION: READ THE FOLLOWING
WARNINGS BEFORE YOU OR YOUR CHILD PLAY VIDEO GAMES.
WARNING - Seizures
• Some people (about 1 in 4000) may have seizures or blackouts triggered by light flashes or patterns,
such as while watching TV or playing video games, even if they have never had a seizure before.
• Anyone who has had a seizure, loss of awareness, or other symptom linked to an epileptic condition
should consult a doctor before playing a video game.
• Parents should watch when their children play video games. Stop playing and consult a doctor if you or
your child have any of the following symptoms:
Convulsions Eye or muscle twitching Loss of awareness
Altered vision Involuntary movements Disorientation
• To reduce the likelihood of a seizure when playing video games:
1. Sit or stand as far from the screen as possible.
2. Play video games on the smallest available television screen.
3. Do not play if you are tired or need sleep.
4. Play in a well-lit room.
5. Take a 10 to 15 minute break every hour.
WARNING - Radio Frequency Interference
The Nintendo DS can emit radio waves that can affect the operation of nearby electronics, including
cardiac pacemakers.
• Do not operate the Nintendo DS within 9 inches of a pacemaker while using the wireless feature.
• If you have a pacemaker or other implanted medical device, do not use the wireless feature of the
Nintendo DS without first consulting your doctor or the manufacturer of your medical device.
• Observe and follow all regulations and rules regarding use of wireless devices in locations such as
hospitals, airports, and on board aircraft. Operation in those locations may interfere with or cause
malfunctions of equipment, with resulting injuries to persons or damage to property.
WARNING - Repetitive Motion Injuries and Eyestrain
Playing video games can make your muscles, joints, skin or eyes hurt after a few hours. Follow these
instructions to avoid problems such as tendinitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, skin irritation or eyestrain:
• Avoid excessive play. It is recommended that parents monitor their children for appropriate play.
• Take a 10 to 15 minute break every hour, even if you don't think you need it.
• When using the stylus, you do not need to grip it tightly or press it hard against the screen. Doing so
may cause fatigue or discomfort.
• If your hands, wrists, arms or eyes become tired or sore while playing, stop and rest them for several
hours before playing again.
•
If you continue to have sore hands, wrists, arms or eyes during or after play, stop playing and see a doctor.
WARNING - Battery Leakage
The Nintendo DS contains a rechargeable lithium ion battery pack. Leakage of ingredients contained within the
battery pack, or the combustion products of the ingredients, can cause personal injury as well as damage to your
Nintendo DS.
If battery leakage occurs, avoid contact with skin. If contact occurs, immediately wash thoroughly with soap and
water. If liquid leaking from a battery pack comes into contact with your eyes, immediately flush thoroughly with
water and see a doctor.
To avoid battery leakage:
• Do not expose battery to excessive physical shock, vibration, or liquids.
• Do not disassemble, attempt to repair or deform the battery.
• Do not dispose of battery pack in a fire.
• Do not touch the terminals of the battery, or cause a short between the terminals with a metal object.
• Do not peel or damage the battery label.
THIS GAME CARD WILL WORK
The official seal is your assurance
that this product is licensed or
manufactured by Nintendo. Always
look for this seal when buying
video game systems,
accessories, games
ONLY WITH THE NINTENDO DS
VIDEO GAME SYSTEM.
Wireless DS
Single-Card
Download Play
2-16
THIS GAME ALLOWS WIRELESS MULTIPLAYER
GAMES DOWNLOADED FROM ONE GAME CARD.
and related
products.
Nintendo does not license the sale or use of products
without the Official Nintendo Seal.
Nintendo's game pages, at www.nintendo.com/games, feature
walkthroughs, frequently-asked questions, and codes for many of our
games. If your answer isn't there, check out our forums where you can
If you don't have access to the web-site, recorded tips for many titles are
available on Nintendo's Power Line at
distance call, so please ask permission from whoever pays the phone bill.
THIS PRODUCT EMPLOYS DECUMA (R) HANDWRITING RECOGNITION ENGINE FROM ZI
CORPORATION. DECUMA ® IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ZI CORPORATION. © 2005-2006
NINTENDO. © 2006 NIKOLI CO., LTD. TM, ® AND THE NINTENDO DS LOGO ARE TRADEMARKS OF
NINTENDO. © 2006 NINTENDO. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
exchange tips with other gamers online.
For more information about our forums, visit
www.nintendo.com/community.
(425) 885-7529
. This may be a long-
TM
6
Introduction
7
• Getting The Most out of Your Prefrontal Cortex
8
• Recent Neurological Research Regarding Brain Training
10
Training Your Brain with Brain Age
12
How to Use Your Nintendo DS
13
• Starting Brain Age
14
Daily Training
15
•
Training for the First Time
24
•
Training Programs
28
•
Brain Age Check
31
•
Graphs
32
•
Other Options
34
Quick Play
34
• Quick Brain Age Check
35
• Quick Training
36
Sudoku
40
DS Download Play
40
• Calculation Battle x 30
44
• Sending a Demo
51
Warranty & Service Information
Contents
Introduction
Hello! I’m Dr. Ryuta Kawashima! Did you know that just like
how you lose muscle mass with age, your brain function begins
to decrease when you reach maturity? This happens even if you
lead a normal, healthy life. Everyone knows you can prevent
muscle loss with exercise, and use such activities to improve
your body over time. But we now know that the same is true of
your brain. If you proactively reinforce daily habits of brain
training, you can help to prevent a decrease in brain function.
Have you noticed yourself forgetting things lately? Do you have
trouble articulating exactly what you want to say? These
symptoms can be alleviated by training your brain. But such
training is not just for adults. Children, too, can heighten their
• Getting The Most out of Your Prefrontal Cortex
The prefrontal cortex is like the control tower of your brain—it
determines how you use stored knowledge in practical situations.
That means that your “practical intelligence,” or ability to apply
stored knowledge to your everyday reality, depends upon how
well your prefrontal cortex functions. So training your prefrontal
cortex could actually raise your intelligence!
The Human Brain
Prefrontal Cortex
Inferior Temporal Gyrus
Angular Gyrus
FrontalFrontal
Frontal
LobeLobe
Lobe
ParietalParietal
Parietal
LobeLobe
Lobe
Temporal
Temporal
Temporal
LobeLobe
Lobe
Wernicke's Area
Occipital
OccipitalOccipital
Lobe
LobeLobe
© 2006 Ryuta Kawashima
Visual Cortex
PosteriorAnterior
creativity and memory—and learn
self-control—by training their brains.
• A Brief Explanation of The Brain
Both hemispheres of the human brain are divided into four
parts: the frontal lobe, parietal lobe,temporal lobe, and
occipital lobe. The prefrontal region (which makes up a large
Ryuta Kawashima, M.D.
6 7
part of the frontal lobe) is the foundation of creativity, memory,
communication, and self-control. Its role could be described as
the “brain within a brain.”
• Recent Neurological Research Regarding Brain Training
My research has shown that reading out loud and performing
calculations quickly are effective for training your brain. The
diagrams below and to the right show functional magnetic
resonance imaging (fMRI) of the blood flow in a brain. The red
and yellow areas show which parts of the brain are working. Red
indicates the hardest working portions of the brain, while
yellow displays slightly less activity.
© 2006 Ryuta Kawashima
A Brain Performing Simple
Math Problems Quickly
Many parts of both hemispheres
are working very hard.
A Brain Reading
a Book Aloud
The faster you read aloud,
the harder your brain works.
These diagrams demonstrate that performing simple calculations
quickly and reading aloud are effective ways to train your brain.
© 2006 Ryuta Kawashima
Based on these results, I conducted a memory test on a wide
range of people, from elementary school-age children to full-
A Brain in Idle Thought
The left hemisphere is
working, but the right
hemisphere is hardly
working at all.
A Brain Solving a
Difficult Math Problem
Even when solving a hard
problem, your brain may
not be working very hard.
grown adults. My data showed that subjects who performed
simple calculations and read aloud did two to three times better
in tests of memory ability. Also, patients with cognitive
impairment that performed simple calculations and read aloud
two to five times per week were able to prevent the worsening of
their condition and improve the functioning of their prefrontal
cortices more than those who had not done such exercises.
8 9
• Training Your Brain with Brain Age
The key to training is sticking with it. This software was
designed to work your brain with simple math-related activities
and literature passages to read aloud. It will also be fun so you
can continue to use and enjoy it every day! The best time to do
this training is in the morning, when your brain is at its peak
level of activity. Take a moment from your free time each day to
complete your training.
Modern Equipment Shows That Brain Training Works!
An imaging technology called near-infrared spectroscopy
(Figure 1) has allowed us to investigate the workings of the
prefrontal cortex in a person who is playing Brain Age. After
testing several dozen training programs, we have selected only
those that proved effective for activating the brain (Figure 2).
Figu re 1
Figu re 2
© 2006 Ryuta Kawashima
A three-dimensional image
produced during the examination.
Don’t worry!
I’ll be assisting with
your brain training.
I’m sure we’ll work
well together!
Measuring blood flow
in the brain.
Chart 1
How Is One’s Brain Age Determined?
I took a sample set of 120 people from age
20 to 70 and broke them down into groups
of 20. I then evenly dispersed them by age
and adjusted their test results to find the
best fit in a distribution curve (Chart 1).
This is the curve used to calculate your
brain’s age when you use Brain Age.
10 11
How to Use Your Nintendo DS with Brain Age
• Starting Brain Age
To start Brain Age, first make sure that the Nintendo DS is
Please turn your Nintendo DS
sideways when you use Brain Age.
START
Press during training to
return to the menu.
turned off. Insert your Brain Age Game Card into the Nintendo
DS until you hear a click.
When you turn on the Nintendo DS,
you will see the screen on the left.
Please read the information and tap
the Touch Screen.
Touch Screen
All training activities
are controlled with the
Touch Screen.
On the DS Menu Screen, touch the
Brain Age panel. After a brief load
time, the title screen will appear.
Microphone
The microphone is used
LCD Screen
Control explanations
and training exercises
will be displayed here.
for voice input.
Power Button
If your system start up has been set to Auto Mode,
you can skip the above step. See the Nintendo DS
hardware instruction booklet for more information.
Close the Nintendo DS to enter Sleep Mode and reduce battery
consumption. Open the DS to leave Sleep Mode.
12 13
Modes
There are four different modes in Brain Age. Please use your
Brain Age software according to the instructions shown on the
LCD screen.
LCD Screen Touch Screen
Quick Play
Daily Training
• Training for the First Time
The first time you start, you will need to create a personal data
file. This is the place where daily testing results are stored. You
can create up to four personal data files on one Game Card. The
following pages will walk you through the process.
This trial version of the
Brain Age Check
provides light training
for friends and family.
Confirm the Date
Confirm that the date and time are accurate.
If both are correct, tap “Yes.” If not, tap “No.”
Daily Training
Use this mode to check
your brain age and do
your everyday training.
To change the time or date, turn off the DS
and change the settings when you restart
the system. Please see your DS manual for
more information.
SudokuDownload Play
• Compete with your
friends to see who can
solve math problems the
fastest!
• You can upload the
Quick Play mode to
another Nintendo DS.
14 15
Play over 100 sudoku
puzzles on three
difficulty levels.
Confirm Handedness
If you are right-handed, tap “Right” to
continue. If you are left-handed, tap "Left" to
continue. If you choose left-handed settings,
please follow the on-screen instructions and
rotate your DS so that the Touch Screen is on
the left-hand side.
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