For a while there’s been a trend in games to make you think a little bit. Now admittedly I am not a fan of the genre – personally I want to sit down for a couple minutes here and there when I have time and have a bit of fun. Brain School happens to be one of those games where the developer has done an excellent job of taking something we all hated – school – and somehow turning it into a great time. I’m proud to say that Brain School has completely changed my opinion of thinking for fun.

What is it?

Brain School is the (no pun intended) brain child of Mastersoft Mobile Solutions. It’s an interesting mix of high speed, think as fast as you can gaming and slow speed figure out the puzzle gaming. With over 20 games included – there’s a little something for everyone, and every brain type.

What makes it special?

Well aside from the fact that this is a game that makes you think, it’s also a game that is a ton of fun and has managed to keep me entertained for quite some time now. I got into the beta testing about half way through and so far I’ve played it pretty much everyday for a month. For a game with thinking involved that’s an amzing feat. The special thing about Brain School is the fun really doesn’t end – with every advancement you make in the game there’s a whole new set of challenges…  READ ON FOR MORE

Keeping you sharp:

As mentioned above Brain School involves many different challenges throughout the game, each requiring a different set of skills, each re-inforcing a set of skills that you’ll use in every aspect of your life.

The game itself progresses through 4 years – 5 sets of challenges per year. In order to progress you’ll need to earn "A+" marks as well as pass a year end exam in order to move on.

As you pass the easy levels of the above games they get a bit harder – each level progresses at it’s own pace – some games will have you answer more questions others will add more hats/weights…

Eventually, you’ll be offered the chance to pass on to the next year – pass the exam and you’re into the next set of challenges!

Each game includes a short set of instructions explaining the overall goal. You’ll have some kind of target – x number of answers in a set time, or the correct answer given a set of circumstances.

 I can’t possibly explain all the games … but I can explain this: The more you play, the better you play and the more fun it becomes!

Features:

• 4 "years" and 20 games designed to tingle your temples
• 5 levels of difficulty per game
• Reporting features to show your progress, exam scores, and career advisors
• Multiple User support so you and the rest of your family can all play withou losing your scores
• HUGE!!! user guide
• Pause support so when the phone rings you don’t lose points for talking in class!

Problems and Support:

This review was written (and screenshots taken) during the beta test of Brain School. The game itself is a fresh release (not a point release) so expect a few bugs here and there. I’m not making any excuses – just stating that in a limited test not every scenario gets seen. Support for all Mastersoft products is nothing short of excellent so if you have a problem – don’t hesitate to ask about it. Also, don’t forget the massive user guide which is there to help you through every step in the game. I HIGHLY recommend that before starting a new game or level for the first time you take a quick moment to review the help file. A lot of questions you may have for playing a game (like Kakuro) are answered in the user guide.

Requirements:

Pocket PC w/ 2003se, WM5 or WM6 (Square screen and VGA is supported)

Microsoft CF (Compact Framework) 2

Conclusions:

 I said it during the beta and I’m going to say it again – Brain School is utterly brilliant. I’ve not had so much fun playing a game in a long time. It’s excellent for those couple minutes of free time you have throughout the day and it’s also perfect for those long gaming sessions we all love to have. There’s a vast amount of mini-games built in – you can always find a game to suit your current mood and you can always justify the time because you’re making yourself smarter!

Available now for $19.95 direct from Mastersoft

[tags] Mastersoft Brain School, justanothermobilemonday.com, Mastersoft Mobile Solutions[/tags]

Related posts:

1. Contest: Time to Train Your Brain — The (un)Official JAMM Brain School Quiz
2. Mastersoft Releases Brain School!
3. Mastersoft opens public beta of Brain School
4. Contest: Send Your Brain To School With Mastersoft
5. Mastersoft Mobile Solutions has released Brain School for Windows!