01-30-2020, 03:27 PM
Dr. Kawashima Himself Discusses The Revival Of Brain Training On Switch
<div><div class="media_block"><a href="http://images.nintendolife.com/013b01ff38df4/large.jpg"><img src="http://images.nintendolife.com/013b01ff38df4/small.jpg" class="media_thumbnail"></a></div>
<figure class="picture strip"><a title="Dr Kawashima" href="http://images.nintendolife.com/013b01ff38df4/dr-kawashima.original.jpg"><img src="http://images.nintendolife.com/013b01ff38df4/dr-kawashima.900x.jpg" alt="Dr Kawashima"></a></figure>
<p>At the turn of the year, <a href="http://www.nintendolife.com/games/nintendo-switch/dr_kawashimas_brain_training_for_nintendo_switch"><strong>Dr. Kawashima’s Brain Training for Nintendo Switch</strong></a> saw the grand return of the mind-stimulating franchise which proved to be so popular on Nintendo DS. It’s <a href="http://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/nintendo-switch/dr_kawashimas_brain_training_for_nintendo_switch">a decent comeback, even if it does feel a little undercooked</a>, but it feels right having Dr. Kawashima’s name back on Nintendo’s latest machine.</p>
<p>To celebrate the game’s launch, Nintendo has published an <a class="external" href="https://topics.nintendo.co.jp/article/4542c9b8-2170-11ea-b641-063b7ac45a6d">interview</a> with the man himself – Dr. Ryuta Kawashima – as well as game developers Kouichi Kawamoto and Kenta Kubo. <a class="external" href="https://www.siliconera.com/dr-kawashima-and-devs-on-bringing-back-brain-training-on-switch/">Siliconera</a> has provided a translation of selected parts from the interview, which we’ve shared for you below.</p>
<p>Here’s what the three said when asked about how the game’s development began:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>Kouichi Kawamoto, producer:</strong> “Personally, the reason I began the project was because, for some reason, some of my acquaintances who didn’t know I was in charge of the DS <em>Brain Age</em> were saying that they wanted to play <em>Brain Age</em> again. However, the DS game has many outdated elements nowadays, so I can’t recommend it, so I thought that we should bring it to the latest platform.”<br /><strong><br />Kenta Kubo, director:</strong> “Since <em>Brain Age: Concentration Training</em>, I’ve still been discussing proposals with Dr. Kawashima… and around two years ago, I spoke to Kawashima, and said that “We’re thinking of a <em>Brain Age</em> game for the Nintendo Switch.”</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>Dr. Kawashima:</strong> “During seminars, I’m asked by those who played <em><a href="http://www.nintendolife.com/games/ds/dr_kawashimas_brain_training_how_old_is_your_brain"><strong>Brain Age</strong></a></em> on DS, ‘What game is coming next?’. However, it’s sad that those people would say that they were really into the game in past tense. And then, I’d ask further, and it would turn out that those people who played the game with their kid back then are beginning to reach that age… The age where you start forgetting things.”</p>
</blockquote>
<figure class="picture strip"><a title="Kawashima" href="http://images.nintendolife.com/7a1ceccb9a286/kawashima.original.jpg"><img class="lazy" src="http://static.nintendolife.com/blank.gif" data-original="http://images.nintendolife.com/7a1ceccb9a286/kawashima.original.jpg" alt="Kawashima"></a></figure>
<p>Dr. Kawashima goes on to talk about his hopes for the new release:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>Dr. Kawashima:</strong> “What’s important is ‘continuation’. This is something not just about <em>Brain Age</em> but games in general must deal with. Aren’t there a lot of games where you play it once and then stop playing? As a specialist in this field, I want players to continue their brain training for extended periods.</p>
<p>To do so, we’ll let them form groups, and have them play the game among their friends. That way, even when their brain age shows they are 20 years old (in the <em>Brain Age</em> series, 20 is the youngest you can go), you might have situations where one person wasn’t able to surpass the time set by their girlfriend… (laughs)</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>Our research up until now has proven that doing brain training with others affects how long people continue with it quite clearly. Competing with others is an effective way to have players continue on for even over 10 years.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Despite being available in Europe, Japan and Australia, we’re still yet to hear of a North American release for the new game. If such a release does get announced, we’ll be sure to let you know.</p>
<p><em>For those of you with access to Dr. Kawashima’s Brain Training for Nintendo Switch, have you been enjoying your time with it? Let us know in the comments.</em></p>
</div>
https://www.sickgaming.net/blog/2020/01/...on-switch/
<div><div class="media_block"><a href="http://images.nintendolife.com/013b01ff38df4/large.jpg"><img src="http://images.nintendolife.com/013b01ff38df4/small.jpg" class="media_thumbnail"></a></div>
<figure class="picture strip"><a title="Dr Kawashima" href="http://images.nintendolife.com/013b01ff38df4/dr-kawashima.original.jpg"><img src="http://images.nintendolife.com/013b01ff38df4/dr-kawashima.900x.jpg" alt="Dr Kawashima"></a></figure>
<p>At the turn of the year, <a href="http://www.nintendolife.com/games/nintendo-switch/dr_kawashimas_brain_training_for_nintendo_switch"><strong>Dr. Kawashima’s Brain Training for Nintendo Switch</strong></a> saw the grand return of the mind-stimulating franchise which proved to be so popular on Nintendo DS. It’s <a href="http://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/nintendo-switch/dr_kawashimas_brain_training_for_nintendo_switch">a decent comeback, even if it does feel a little undercooked</a>, but it feels right having Dr. Kawashima’s name back on Nintendo’s latest machine.</p>
<p>To celebrate the game’s launch, Nintendo has published an <a class="external" href="https://topics.nintendo.co.jp/article/4542c9b8-2170-11ea-b641-063b7ac45a6d">interview</a> with the man himself – Dr. Ryuta Kawashima – as well as game developers Kouichi Kawamoto and Kenta Kubo. <a class="external" href="https://www.siliconera.com/dr-kawashima-and-devs-on-bringing-back-brain-training-on-switch/">Siliconera</a> has provided a translation of selected parts from the interview, which we’ve shared for you below.</p>
<p>Here’s what the three said when asked about how the game’s development began:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>Kouichi Kawamoto, producer:</strong> “Personally, the reason I began the project was because, for some reason, some of my acquaintances who didn’t know I was in charge of the DS <em>Brain Age</em> were saying that they wanted to play <em>Brain Age</em> again. However, the DS game has many outdated elements nowadays, so I can’t recommend it, so I thought that we should bring it to the latest platform.”<br /><strong><br />Kenta Kubo, director:</strong> “Since <em>Brain Age: Concentration Training</em>, I’ve still been discussing proposals with Dr. Kawashima… and around two years ago, I spoke to Kawashima, and said that “We’re thinking of a <em>Brain Age</em> game for the Nintendo Switch.”</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>Dr. Kawashima:</strong> “During seminars, I’m asked by those who played <em><a href="http://www.nintendolife.com/games/ds/dr_kawashimas_brain_training_how_old_is_your_brain"><strong>Brain Age</strong></a></em> on DS, ‘What game is coming next?’. However, it’s sad that those people would say that they were really into the game in past tense. And then, I’d ask further, and it would turn out that those people who played the game with their kid back then are beginning to reach that age… The age where you start forgetting things.”</p>
</blockquote>
<figure class="picture strip"><a title="Kawashima" href="http://images.nintendolife.com/7a1ceccb9a286/kawashima.original.jpg"><img class="lazy" src="http://static.nintendolife.com/blank.gif" data-original="http://images.nintendolife.com/7a1ceccb9a286/kawashima.original.jpg" alt="Kawashima"></a></figure>
<p>Dr. Kawashima goes on to talk about his hopes for the new release:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>Dr. Kawashima:</strong> “What’s important is ‘continuation’. This is something not just about <em>Brain Age</em> but games in general must deal with. Aren’t there a lot of games where you play it once and then stop playing? As a specialist in this field, I want players to continue their brain training for extended periods.</p>
<p>To do so, we’ll let them form groups, and have them play the game among their friends. That way, even when their brain age shows they are 20 years old (in the <em>Brain Age</em> series, 20 is the youngest you can go), you might have situations where one person wasn’t able to surpass the time set by their girlfriend… (laughs)</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>Our research up until now has proven that doing brain training with others affects how long people continue with it quite clearly. Competing with others is an effective way to have players continue on for even over 10 years.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Despite being available in Europe, Japan and Australia, we’re still yet to hear of a North American release for the new game. If such a release does get announced, we’ll be sure to let you know.</p>
<p><em>For those of you with access to Dr. Kawashima’s Brain Training for Nintendo Switch, have you been enjoying your time with it? Let us know in the comments.</em></p>
</div>
https://www.sickgaming.net/blog/2020/01/...on-switch/