NeoGAF

Thomper · 10:34 AM

I was just looking through the latest folders, and when I went through the Bart Smit folder (biggest Dutch toy/gamestore-chain) something very familiar caught my eye.

It's Brain Age/Brain Training! But the not really! A PC version developed by some wacky budget-studio, copying the looks and name of the original. Bart Smit even helps misleading the customer by saying "Now also available on PC!" next to it, making it look like it's just a PC-version of the original. Right... the Dutch description beneath it says "Train your brain while having fun! Answer as many questions as you can in a short period of time!", which leads me to believe it's just a couple of hundred questions you have to answer.

To compare (thanks to Rocked):
/ + =

Scrow · (10-29-2006, 09:08 AM)

it must be nice to have no sense of shame.

Chrono · (10-29-2006, 09:09 AM)

Kabouter · (10-29-2006, 09:13 AM)

lol, that's one giant rip-off

Neomoto · (10-29-2006, 09:13 AM)

Wow that's really sad.

jooey · (10-29-2006, 09:51 AM)

wal-mart here we come!!!! I wonder if it also includes 30,000 TETRIS GAMES! what a deal!

_Alkaline_ · (10-29-2006, 09:55 AM)

That's the most obvious ripoff I've ever seen. Terrible.

tehrafe · (10-29-2006, 10:04 AM)

Ouch that sucks, I'm wondering if anybody would actually buy it...

Thomper · (10-29-2006, 10:07 AM)

Originally Posted by tehrafe:

Ouch that sucks, I'm wondering if anybody would actually buy it...

The Brain Training games are reaaaaally popular over here. 'Sinterklaas' is approaching, Dutch version of Christmas where kids get presents, and as this game is right on the first page of a folder for toystores, I'm sure loads of parents will pick it up for themselves or their kids.

Rocked · (10-29-2006, 10:09 AM)

+

=

kamikaze · (10-29-2006, 10:11 AM)

non-game clone...can't get much lower than that! :)

mintosen · (10-29-2006, 10:14 AM)

ehhhhh... Its DS that copied the PC from the start.

Remember Sierra's old games Castle of dr.brain etc? where you had to solve puzzles mathproblems etc?.. there was 3-4 dr.brain games.

tehrafe · (10-29-2006, 10:20 AM)

Originally Posted by Thomper:

The Brain Training games are reaaaaally popular over here. 'Sinterklaas' is approaching, Dutch version of Christmas where kids get presents, and as this game is right on the first page of a folder for toystores, I'm sure loads of parents will pick it up for themselves or their kids.

I'm from Belgium (and I know Sinterklaas =p) but are you from Holland or Belgium, because I can't really imagine Brain Training being all that popular over here

And for the people who wonder what a "sinterklaas" looks like:

that's Sinterklaas + 2 zwarte pieten (black jacks or something)

Coen · (10-29-2006, 10:21 AM)

Just email it to Frank Rittinghaus, Thomper. :)

Thomper · (10-29-2006, 10:25 AM)

Originally Posted by mintosen:

ehhhhh... Its DS that copied the PC from the start.

Remember Sierra's old games Castle of dr.brain etc? where you had to solve puzzles mathproblems etc?.. there was 3-4 dr.brain games.

That's true, but Nintendo brought the genre back and now it's popular again. And you can't deny that they really are just trying to rip-off Nintendo, the box is the same and the name has been chosen to match that of the original as much as possible.

And therafe, don't know how good the game is doing in Holland, but at multiple occassions Nintendo has said the game is doing great in Europe, and it is on the top of most gamecharts. I believe there were about 200.000 copies sold in the first month.

Coen: well, I coul do that but... what good would it be for them? The game's being advertised and sold, there's nothing a Dutch office of Nintendo would be able to do about it really.

_Alkaline_ · (10-29-2006, 10:26 AM)

Originally Posted by Rocked:

+

=

So reflected Brain Training Logo + Brain Academy font? Yay.

Scrow · (10-29-2006, 10:30 AM)

Originally Posted by mintosen:

ehhhhh... Its DS that copied the PC from the start.

Remember Sierra's old games Castle of dr.brain etc? where you had to solve puzzles mathproblems etc?.. there was 3-4 dr.brain games.

it's one thing to copy a genre and style of game. it's something else to copy another company's brand.

mintosen · (10-29-2006, 10:31 AM)

yeah, the whole name in itself and design is a ripoff from nintendo, i agree with that.

Rocked · (10-29-2006, 10:33 AM)

Originally Posted by tehrafe:

I'm from Belgium (and I know Sinterklaas =p) but are you from Holland or Belgium, because I can't really imagine Brain Training being all that popular over here

And for the people who wonder what a "sinterklaas" looks like:

that's Sinterklaas + 2 zwarte pieten (black jacks or something)

Coen · (10-29-2006, 10:39 AM)

Originally Posted by Thomper:

Coen: well, I coul do that but... what good would it be for them? The game's being advertised and sold, there's nothing a Dutch office of Nintendo would be able to do about it really.

It doesn't take long for them to force Bart Smit to stop selling it. I'm sure he'll appreciate it if you do.

Bernie · (10-29-2006, 10:41 AM)

_O-

Kabouter · (10-29-2006, 10:48 AM)

Originally Posted by Rocked:

pic

Nah, the zwarte pieten are black from going down chimneys :P

Stitchy · (10-29-2006, 10:51 AM)

Originally Posted by Rocked:

Could you post a FUNNY AND/OR SEXY image that can be displayed here?

Shard · (10-29-2006, 11:32 AM)

Amirox is never allowed to view this thread ever.

Thomper · (10-29-2006, 11:38 AM)

Originally Posted by Shard:

Amirox is never allowed to view this thread ever.

Those games are more like jumping the band-wagon and it honestly seems like they've put attention in those games. At least more then in 'Train your brain', which they're probably trying to sell by making boxarts look alike.

MMaRsu · (10-29-2006, 11:39 AM)

Originally Posted by tehrafe:

I'm from Belgium (and I know Sinterklaas =p) but are you from Holland or Belgium, because I can't really imagine Brain Training being all that popular over here

And for the people who wonder what a "sinterklaas" looks like:

that's Sinterklaas + 2 zwarte pieten (black jacks or something)

So Sinterklaas is a white supremacist with two black slaves?

j/k

Notorious_Roy · (10-29-2006, 11:46 AM)

Originally Posted by MMaRsu:

So Sinterklaas is a white supremacist with two black slaves?

j/k

Can't wait to see this turning into an international conflict when some American politician sees this thread :')

Shard · (10-29-2006, 11:49 AM)

Originally Posted by Thomper:

Those games are more like jumping the band-wagon and it honestly seems like they've put attention in those games. At least more then in 'Train your brain', which they're probably trying to sell by making boxarts look alike.

On the other hand Majseco is also ripping off Pokemon (the whole 2 SKU thing) with this thing.

catfish · (10-29-2006, 11:56 AM)

Originally Posted by Notorious_Roy:

Can't wait to see this turning into an international conflict when some American politician sees this thread :')

in my dutch class there was this black girl from america. I said "Man, zwarte piet is awesome!"

didn't go down to well at all.

donny2112 · (10-29-2006, 12:13 PM)

Originally Posted by Stitchy:

Could you post a FUNNY AND/OR SEXY image that can be displayed here?

Copy and paste the link into your address bar.

Borys · (10-29-2006, 12:24 PM)

WOW

One reason less to buy a DS!

OR IS IT

hirokazu · (10-29-2006, 12:32 PM)

Originally Posted by mintosen:

ehhhhh... Its DS that copied the PC from the start.

Remember Sierra's old games Castle of dr.brain etc? where you had to solve puzzles mathproblems etc?.. there was 3-4 dr.brain games.

what? i loved the earlier Dr. Brain games, but they're nothing like Brain Training

DavidDayton · (10-29-2006, 11:16 PM)

Originally Posted by tehrafe:

And for the people who wonder what a "sinterklaas" looks like:

Good old Saint Nicholas. Come on, December 6th!

JoshuaJSlone · (10-29-2006, 11:27 PM)

Originally Posted by Bernie:

_O-

Wow, that one even copies the SUDOKU lettering and location, though changing the direction of tilt.

JRPereira · (10-30-2006, 12:31 AM)

Quote:

Damn - are they even allowed to do that?

Earthstrike · (10-30-2006, 12:34 AM)

Its reality TV all over again.

Hayami · 12:40 AM

je hersenen trainen is veel beter dan hersenen opleidend. My Dutch brothers will get that one.

But anyways, I picked up Train Your Brain on Thursday and played it for a few hours. Dare I say it--it's actually much better than Brain Training. Go figure, but I had a BLAST playing it. Finally had to put it down at midnight after starting when I got home from work. I missed my co-worker's farewell dinner to play this

Luna104 · (10-30-2006, 12:42 AM)

TBH and to be totally OT, the number of people celebrating Sinterklaas is on the decline.

Which is good, because I hate that guy anyway.

Hayami · (10-30-2006, 12:43 AM)

Originally Posted by Luna104:

TBH and to be totally OT, the number of people celebrating Sinterklaas is on the decline.

Which is good, because I hate that guy anyway.

no kidding. it was a dumb idea to begin with.

Creamium · (10-30-2006, 12:46 AM)

Originally Posted by Hayami:

no kidding. it was a dumb idea to begin with.

To making matters worse, here in Belgium (or at least some parts of Flanders) there are two contending saints: Sint Maarten and Sinterklaas. So some kids get their presents november 11th and others december 6th.

Branduil · (10-30-2006, 12:54 AM)

What are you talking about guys that is not a rip-off. The see-through head profile is totally looking the other direction.

Luna104 · (10-30-2006, 12:55 AM)

Darunia: We have Sint Maarten here too. It's just a bunch of kids walking around with paper lanterns, doing trick or treat and eating Dutch doughnuts.

Tain · (10-30-2006, 01:01 AM)

anybody hating this game and playing Zuma is filthy

Rahul · (10-30-2006, 07:41 PM)

Does it say "Developed by LSD"? Cause then it'd make sense.

ferrarimanf355 · (10-30-2006, 07:46 PM)

Originally Posted by MMaRsu:

So Sinterklaas is a white supremacist with two black slaves?

j/k

HEY WHERE THE WHITE WOMEN AT???????? [/Blazing Saddles

Thomper · (10-30-2006, 09:01 PM)

Originally Posted by Hayami:

no kidding. it was a dumb idea to begin with.

Plus, Wegwijspiet has stopped. He was awesome. :(

Anyway, I have tried to contact Nintendo NL. However, shortly thereafter the hard-drive of my site's server broke and I'll have to wait for a bit until I can recieve any answers.

Warm Machine · (10-30-2006, 09:03 PM)

Wow, almost as blatant as Nintendo stealing Joust to make Balloon Fight.

SovanJedi · (10-30-2006, 09:05 PM)

If you're after brain training ripoffs, you should all turn to mobile gaming too...

Brain Juice (Digital Chocolate)

Brain Challenge (Gameloft)

Roi · (10-30-2006, 09:11 PM)

I love to eat candy from the floor

Un4 · (10-30-2006, 09:18 PM)

Originally Posted by tehrafe:

I'm from Belgium (and I know Sinterklaas =p)

that's Sinterklaas + 2 zwarte pieten (black jacks or something)

Wow.. thats the last thing i expected to see in this thread. Sinterklaas!

Another nice thing; the "zwarte pieten" (black dudes on the pic) break into people's houses and leave presents behind in the children's shoes!

I wonder what Nintendo Netherlands has to say about this btw.