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Brain Age: Concentration Training |OT| More RAM for your brain!

Am finding it easier to remember long numbers that cross my path during the day (7 or 8 digits) than I used to. Had even started finding myself switching some numbers despite not having a tendency for dyslexia previously. Now the numbers stay in "RAM" much easier and don't really get switched up anymore.

Still just doing a minimal amount of training a day to try to get to the 30-days straight of Devilish Training achievement. Will feel much less pressure to *have* to do it per day after that and can get back to just playing for fun without worrying about getting it in before midnight.

what's the minimum you've done?

I want to cut down the exercises but at the same time I want to continue making progress

So far I'm having fun doing everything since its unlocking alot of stuff but I can see myself getting burned out/lazy later on since it's taking longer to get everything done before midnight. (usually only have time at the end of day to play)
 

donny2112

Member
what's the minimum you've done?

Just been doing Devilish Listening for the most part, lately. There are achievements for playing each Devilish Training for 7 days straight, so after getting those, you only have to keep playing one per day to get to the 30 days straight of Devlish Training.

So far I'm having fun doing everything since its unlocking alot of stuff but I can see myself getting burned out/lazy later on since it's taking longer to get everything done before midnight. (usually only have time at the end of day to play)

Same. Usually only find time late at night, since it's not something like Fire Emblem where you can play in a lot of small chunks. One thing to note is that you only have to start the training before midnight. As long as you sign in a few minutes before midnight, you can play the game for hours, and it still count only for the day you signed in on.

On unlocking, I'm at day 22 (I think), and still have stuff left to unlock. This game really has a lot of stuff in it. :)
 

Tyeforce

Member
Same. Usually only find time late at night, since it's not something like Fire Emblem where you can play in a lot of small chunks. One thing to note is that you only have to start the training before midnight. As long as you sign in a few minutes before midnight, you can play the game for hours, and it still count only for the day you signed in on.
You don't even have to start playing before midnight. I think the game doesn't start the next day until 3:00 AM (or later, I'm not sure; the latest I've started playing was around 2 AM and it still counted as the previous day).
 

donny2112

Member

It works some, and can be enough to keep you from dropping a level. If your RAM crashes, and you know you're going to miss the next 3/4/5 answers rebuilding your number list, try drawing 1 or 2 each time or the first number in your new list each time until it starts. Don't put so much thought into it that you mess up your mental list, though.

On the start time, that may work, but I'm not risking it until that 30 straight day achievement is done. :)
 
You don't even have to start playing before midnight. I think the game doesn't start the next day until 3:00 AM (or later, I'm not sure; the latest I've started playing was around 2 AM and it still counted as the previous day).

I think that's a bug with the game or an issue when you put the 3DS into sleep mode while the game is on. If you close out of the game completely and restart it the next day, it'll be fine and operate according to your 3DS's clock setting.
 

Roto13

Member
I think that's a bug with the game or an issue when you put the 3DS into sleep mode while the game is on. If you close out of the game completely and restart it the next day, it'll be fine and operate according to your 3DS's clock setting.

There's no bug. The game considers the next "day" to start a few hours after midnight. If you start the game right now (1:50 AM) the game will still consider it Tuesday because nobody is starting their day right now. Anyone playing now hasn't ended their day and gone to bed yet. It's intentional. If you leave it in sleep mode until the next day starts, it asks you if you want to go back to check-in screen and get your stamp for the day and start over.
 

Tizoc

Member
I should tell my brother to get this. I'm enjoying Smart as on the Vita so I should enjoy this too despite how much it'll boggle my brain haha.
 
Finally got to 6 cups on Devilish Cups and level 7 on Devilish Blocks, also exceeded 90 seconds on Concentration Training.

Anyone have some helpful advice for Devilish Reading? Also having trouble with Devilish Mice, despite FlashBlade's tip.
 
Some of the supplemental exercises are great, I've been playing those more since I'm on the go and not able to concentrate fully for the devilish games.
 
I'm reeaaaaaally bad at Mice. I can sometimes manage 3 Mice, but 4 is invariably complete failure.

I'm going to try using grid numbers to keep track of the Mice (e.g, 1B, 3C, 4A, etc.). If I see a mouse situated in 4D, for example, about to be pushed 2 blocks to the left, I'll immediately designate it as 4B...only trick is speed. I don't think you can get very far in this game using peripheral vision and memory alone.
 

donny2112

Member
Anyone have some helpful advice for Devilish Reading?

Group the words to memorize into sub-groups and make up a scenario or sentence about them. Then just try to remember the scenario/sentence, when it comes time to put in the words. I find groups of three to work pretty well.

I'm going to try using grid numbers to keep track of the Mice (e.g, 1B, 3C, 4A, etc.).

That seems really complicated to me, but if it works for you, then Lefler's Law #36, "You gotta go with what works." Being able to predict where the mouse will end up based on the other pieces coming seems a critical skill here. And as someone else said, try to keep a full picture of it, instead of focusing on the parts.
 

Tom_Cody

Member
Downloaded this last night. I'm glad I got it.

I do love the Touch Generation "minutes a day" style of play. I am still very much involved with FE:A but this will be a fun addition to my 3DS. I can totally see myself playing for 15 minutes every night before going to bed or right when I get up in the morning.
 
Well, got to level 6 on Devilish Reading. And broke 2:30 on the Concentration Challenge. Got to Level 6 on Devilish Cups, too.

Devilish Mice is still a pain in the ass (haven't gone beyond 3-fast), same with Devilish Pair (haven't reached level 11 again, now hovering around level 9).

Is it considered "cheating" to devise a strategy to beat these games as opposed to using unstructured memory recollection?
 

donny2112

Member
Is it considered "cheating" to devise a strategy to beat these games as opposed to using unstructured memory recollection?

I would consider it cheating if you wrote down the numbers to remember instead of keeping them in your head. Coming up with a mental "trick" would be fine to me. Started doing Devilish Blocks by keeping track of where on the clock face the blinking block would be, and then remembering that number instead of trying to visually capture where each block was, for example.
 

Tyeforce

Member
I've been playing this for just over a month straight now, and after being stuck at the same level for awhile in many of the exercises, I'm finally making some progress! I just got to 4-back in Devilish Calculations the other day, and also to Fast 4-back in the same day! I've gone past 4 minutes in Concentration Challenge, too. And just today I reached AA rank! It feels really rewarding when you finally pass a level you've been stuck on for so long.
 

donny2112

Member
Should hit 30 days straight Training and Devilish Training tomorrow, so played most of the Devilish Trainings for the first time in a while (had just been doing Devilish Listening each day). Since it's probably the highest I'll be in a while, will post the current stats and the Devilish Listening graph.

Stats:
Devilish Calculations - Fast 6-back (Got to first time today)
Devilish Pairs - Level 14 (Got to first time today)
Devilish Mice - Fast 4-Mouse
Devilish Reading - Level 8 (no higher levels :( )
Devilish Shapes - 5-back
Devilish Blocks - Level 8 (Got to first time today)
Devilish Cups - 6-cup
Devilish Listening - Fast 5-back

BA3D_dlisten_20130317.jpg


Notice how you can stay at one level for a long while, and then suddenly start seeing some progress. Tyeforce mentioned the same above, and the Iwata Asks said the same thing. So if you're "stuck" at one level, keep, keep trying. Give it enough time, and you might just start seeing some progress, again. :)
 
Awesome scores, Donny.

I'm on day 31 or 32 right now, and the game just keeps giving. I'll post my scores later, once I arrive home.

Have you noticed any improvements in your day to day activities?
 

donny2112

Member
Have you noticed any improvements in your day to day activities?

Yeah. Used to have to check numbers (like patch numbers, 7-8 numbers) multiple times to make sure I got it, right, and now it just "sticks" in my head. Also find it easier to recall stuff I was just thinking about after it slips for a moment. Am able to remember more items on a shopping list after forgetting the list at home, too. Also, *feel* more confident about remembering item lists, too. As said in the NPD thread, I'm finding great worth in the game personally. This may not be #gamechanger type changes, but the boost they give is restoring some of the things I liked about my memory from some years ago. Reversing that decline (and maybe even improving the overall capability over some years ago) makes the game very worth it, to me.
 
Yeah. Used to have to check numbers (like patch numbers, 7-8 numbers) multiple times to make sure I got it, right, and now it just "sticks" in my head. Also find it easier to recall stuff I was just thinking about after it slips for a moment. Am able to remember more items on a shopping list after forgetting the list at home, too. Also, *feel* more confident about remembering item lists, too. As said in the NPD thread, I'm finding great worth in the game personally. This may not be #gamechanger type changes, but the boost they give is restoring some of the things I liked about my memory from some years ago. Reversing that decline (and maybe even improving the overall capability over some years ago) makes the game very worth it, to me.

Great to hear. I've been playing the game since I bought it, not skipping a single day and I think it's a very essential and important 3DS title.

In the beginning, I was sort of let down by the Brain Training games, but they've really come to their own since Day 1. For example, the game where you have to listen and pick out the multiple words as they're being spoken simultaneously should be a Devilish game.

How many Devilish, Supplemental, and Brain Training games an average do you play a day, if you don't mind me asking.
 

donny2112

Member
How many Devilish, Supplemental, and Brain Training games an average do you play a day, if you don't mind me asking.

Been just playing one Devilish per day lately (Listening) until hitting the 30-day achievement, since playing them all takes about an hour. Played them all each day at the beginning, though. Supplemental do 2-3, Brain do 3-4. Since those are more focused on speed (except for the Solitaire ones), they don't take so long.

Favorites:
Supplemental - Change Maker, Calculations x 100, Sum Totaled
Brain - Block Head, Peg Solitaire, Low to High, maybe one of the card Solitaires

I think trying to play everything each day could burn someone out, since there's so much in the game, so picking some favorites and trying out the others again once in a while seems to be a good path to take to enjoy doing it (mostly) daily. :)

Edit:
Also on Devilish Cups, others may have already realized this, but I just picked up on it yesterday. In Devilish Cups, you don't need to keep track of n cups. You just need to keep track of n-1 cups. The reason is that if you keep track of n-1 cups, then whatever cup is left is automatically the last cup. e.g. In 5-cup, just keep track of 1-4, and then 5 will be the only one left at the end. :)
 

Roto13

Member
Just unlocked the final exercise. It came with a Brain News segment telling me to keep Devilish Training forever. Then credits.

I finished the game.
 

donny2112

Member
Unlocked the final one for me tonight. Missing a day early on put me one day behind. :)

I like playing Mahjong on like Clubhouse Games, but Mahjong Solitaire has slightly different rules. Will be interesting.
 

japtor

Member
Got 100% on fast 3 back in calculations today after getting into a groove with it over time. Started out on 3 back just really concentrating on memorizing the 3 current answers but now I can sort of have a continuous flow of answers through it. Even survived on 4 back for two rounds before blowing it completely.

And I'm not sure it's been mentioned, but on the title screen you can move Kawashima's head around with the gyro, and shoot peas or something at him with L/R. Got one stuck in his nose, not sure if there's any other tricks like that.
 

Roto13

Member
Got 100% on fast 3 back in calculations today after getting into a groove with it over time. Started out on 3 back just really concentrating on memorizing the 3 current answers but now I can sort of have a continuous flow of answers through it. Even survived on 4 back for two rounds before blowing it completely.

And I'm not sure it's been mentioned, but on the title screen you can move Kawashima's head around with the gyro, and shoot peas or something at him with L/R. Got one stuck in his nose, not sure if there's any other tricks like that.

Get two stuck in his nose.
 
got to 6 mice, but then choked and went all the way down to 5 mice


Havent had a chance to really keep up with it since Ive been doing freelance


I used to do EVERYTHING at night, but since I've been working had to skip some days.
I actually enjoyed everything but I may just need to at the very least knock one out a day instead of feeling the need to do everything.


Glad to see some of the tricks. I never know if I'm cheating by using some of the tricks, but since some of you guys are using some of the same ones I do, I guess whatever works works!
 

MarkusRJR

Member
Wait...

This game is already released in NA?

How is it received? Is it also any good? I remember the first two ones being pretty huge on the DS.
A bit late, but apparently the game only sold sub 5000 copies in February. Yeah you didn't read that wrong, it's really that low. The casual audience from the DS-era has clearly moved onto iOS/Android.
 
A bit late, but apparently the game only sold sub 5000 copies in February. Yeah you didn't read that wrong, it's really that low. The casual audience from the DS-era has clearly moved onto iOS/Android.

i doubt they advertised it on ellen and oprah with the name devil in it
 

dallow_bg

nods at old men
A bit late, but apparently the game only sold sub 5000 copies in February. Yeah you didn't read that wrong, it's really that low. The casual audience from the DS-era has clearly moved onto iOS/Android.

Yeah, I expect get this one for $5 new like Steel Diver or Nintendogs eventually.
 

Eusis

Member
I do wonder how many were digital though. Then again most of those casuals probably aren't even looking at the eShop so... yeah.
 

Roto13

Member
Brain Age probably has a lot higher digital-to-physical ratio than most 3DS games, but 5000 physical copies sold is still really low.
 

donny2112

Member
I do wonder how many were digital though. Then again most of those casuals probably aren't even looking at the eShop so... yeah.

Yeah, I'd imagine that pretty much the main digital buyers were hardcore players, who just really liked the earlier game(s).

Brain Age probably has a lot higher digital-to-physical ratio than most 3DS games, but 5000 physical copies sold is still really low.

Yeah, it probably would've, in any case, from looking at the type of game and the percentages from Japan. However, the latter part of that probably makes the former part of that even more likely. :)
 

Eusis

Member
Yeah, I think AT BEST the digital to physical ratio would be 2 to 1... and at 5000 physical copies that's still pretty low. Though I guess if it WERE 10k at 30 it'd be a modest profit to make it worthwhile, but in any case I imagine if the series has any future it'll be similar to the Express series on DSi: Smaller, cheaper games through eShop.
 

donny2112

Member
Got to Grade (big spoiler, in my opinion, if you want to keep working at your levels)
Star. It goes A, AA, AAA, then Star.
I'm shocked. I'm sure it goes higher, though, as I'm not at the highest in other Trainings. Went from Level 8 in Devilish Blocks to Level 10 to cross the line between the grades. Key was in shifting from trying to remember the locations to converting the locations to positions on a clock face and then just remembering the number that corresponded to the position (unless it was in the middle).

Spoiler picture below.

 

Tyeforce

Member
Okay, this is silly, but I need help in Block Head, lol. No matter what I do, I can't seem to beat stage 53. I've never been stuck like this in Block Head before. I just have no idea what to do! Has anyone else passed it yet? If so, care to let me in on the solution? lol
 

donny2112

Member
Okay, this is silly, but I need help in Block Head, lol. No matter what I do, I can't seem to beat stage 53. I've never been stuck like this in Block Head before. I just have no idea what to do! Has anyone else passed it yet? If so, care to let me in on the solution? lol

Only just finished 40 stages so not at 53. However what's worked at other levels that just did not seem to have an answer is to just try every possibility at each location and use process of elimination. Going backwards is sometimes necessary, too. Sometimes the Kawashima head will reveal a later tactic that's non-optimal that can then be exploited to trap him/beat him, but only shows up when you take what would seem to be a non-optimal path yourself.

Edit:
Got him.

2-right
back to home
2-left
3-left
back to 2 to the right
back to home
back to 2 to the right
4-right
3-down
2-left

DONE. You have to trick him into wasting time near the top and then get him to leave you alone to take out the right side in peace. :)
 

Tyeforce

Member
Only just finished 40 stages so not at 53. However what's worked at other levels that just did not seem to have an answer is to just try every possibility at each location and use process of elimination. Going backwards is sometimes necessary, too. Sometimes the Kawashima head will reveal a later tactic that's non-optimal that can then be exploited to trap him/beat him, but only shows up when you take what would seem to be a non-optimal path yourself.

Edit:
Got him.

2-right
back to home
2-left
3-left
back to 2 to the right
back to home
back to 2 to the right
4-right
3-down
2-left

DONE. You have to trick him into wasting time near the top and then get him to leave you alone to take out the right side in peace. :)
I SWEAR I tried that!! I guess not, thanks! XD
 

Tyeforce

Member
So the last two levels of Block Head, 59 and 60, are killing me. I try to finish one level a day, but I can't get these last two no matter what. :( I just want to finish Block Head so it's over with and I don't have to play it anymore, lol. If anyone who's finished either of these levels could give me some hints or something, that would be awesome. I know it's kind of cheating, but I think I've gotten more than enough brain training from trying to figure these levels out and failing so many times, lol.
 

donny2112

Member
Is there a Virus Buster minigame in this one?

Unlockable, but yes.

any words on how much this will be on the EU eShop?

Probably the RRP, but it's been delayed to September, so that might be in flux.

I just saw that Nintendo uploaded a video with Nelson Dellis a memory champ, he managed to get to
20-back in devilish shapes and 30-back on devilish calculations
its amazing, I barely made it on 2-back on the demo

link:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Et_iDZK4Ec

Am scared to watch. :lol
 

Hermii

Member
How is this working for you ? Does anyone feel it improves their ability in other areas than the game ? Is it improving your concentration skills, or memorisation skills GAF ?
 

donny2112

Member
How is this working for you ? Does anyone feel it improves their ability in other areas than the game ? Is it improving your concentration skills, or memorisation skills GAF ?

You can read my previous posts on the matter but yes. Remembering strings of numbers (and even strings of letters, not words) is much easier now. Feel able to recall lists of items more clearly and keep track of mentally created lists better, too.
 
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