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Brain Age: Concentration Training (JP) (Dr Kawashima's Devilish Brain Training: Can You Stay Focused? in PAL regions) is a Nintendo 3DS edutainment video game; it is the fourth game of the Brain Age series and the first for the 3DS system. The game was initially launched in Japan in 2012 then in the North American and South Korean states in 2013. It was meant to be released in the PAL regions at around the same time. However, it was finally launched in Europe and Australia in 2017, five years after the original release.

Gameplay[]

The game is focused on developing the player's focus instead of improving overall brain functionality of the earlier entries.

Reception[]

Some gaming journalists were initially antagonistic and skeptical towards Concentration Training. A Destructoid writer rebuked its price in the same paragraph he dismissed the entire series as a craze that has died. Destructoid did, however, comment on the game's willingness to improve any player's memory by an enormous amount. GameRadar+ AU dismissed the game in a way that contradicted Destructoid, quipping that "if you've read [this paragraph] description up until this point, you're likely ahead of the game," implying anyone literate is too intelligent to get much out of the experience. IGN's Mr. Thomas insisted the premise of a "devil doctor" would make the game less appreciated by who he considers to be the target audience of "older, non-gamer adults."

Brain Age: Concentration Training received average critical reviews, gaining aggregate scores of about 70/100 on GameRankings and Metacritic. Both IGN's Thomas as well as Knezevic, an author for GameRadar+, were delighted by the full upgrade in presentation. They felt it was a testament to the difference in the production budget that Dr. Kawashima was fully voiced throughout the experience. They praised the way it made for a "more personal experience." Morgan Sleeper of Nintendo Life called the dynamic difficulty a "fantastic addition," that "really does help with concentration." She went on to praise almost every single element of the game in detail. Thomas remarked that the game succeeded at hooking him (getting him "invested" in improving his working memory across multiple play-sessions). Game Informer's Ryckert noted the variety of content there, regardless of whether the player is thrilled with the main mode.

3DS eShop Description[]

North American version

Brain Age is back with all-new devilishly difficult brain-training exercises designed by world-famous brain researcher Ryuta Kawashima, MD to refocus the modern mind.

People today have numerous devices to stay connected (e.g. laptops, smart phones, tablets), and these distractions have led to an information overload making it difficult to stay focused on specific tasks.

Brain Age™: Concentration Training brings newly designed training exercises that will challenge players with activities to help improve their concentration skills and the ability to access their short term memory. Spend at least 5 minutes a day to try and better your focus and attention skills.

The new Devilish Training exercises dynamically increase or decrease in difficulty based on your real-time results to help consistently train players at the limit of their abilities.

European version

Developed in co-operation with neuroscientist Dr Ryuta Kawashima, Dr Kawashima's Devilish Brain Training: Can you stay focused? Offers 30 exercises and minigames, with the core exercises dynamically adapting to create bespoke training programmes for all abilities. By offering a stiff challenge, Devilish Brain Training will constantly push you to stay focused and access short-term memories.

Gallery[]

  Main article: Brain Age: Concentration Training/gallery


External links[]

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