{tag [Review]} {tag [MOB]}

It's been so long since we've done mobile reviews, I thought we needed another one this week.   Brain Challenge is the latest in a long line of Brain Age clones, but could this title surpass it's inspiration?

I have never been a big fan of clone games.  I have always looked at them with a skeptical eye, usually finding them to be cheap knock-offs.  So imagine my surprise when I found one that was as good, if not better than the original.

Those of you with a Nintendo DS have probably played Brain Age or one of its sequels by now.  I know even my mother spent a few hours at a family gathering toying with the game.  Based on the game's mass appeal, my usual skepticism, and SuperGuido's review of another version of this game, you can imagine my thoughts when the folks at Gameloft sent me Brain Challenge for the iPhone and iTouch.  Thankfully, I could not have been more wrong.

The graphics take full advantage of the extra horsepower provided by the Apple platforms over the meager mobile counterparts.  Additionally, the sound in the game is quite good.  To my surprise, even the avatars in the game speak many, albeit not all, of their lines.  This was a welcome addition.  The controls are above par in this game as well, especially for a title on the iPhone/iTouch platform.  Although the controls on the handsets are easy and intuitive, I do have problems utilizing the on-screen keyboard with my large fingers and thumbs.  Surprisingly, this did not translate to Brain Challenge as I easily selected on screen items in tight places with out issue.

But honestly, mobile games, and especially brain teaser/training games are not about graphics and sound; they are about gameplay.  Brain Challenge offers a bunch of new games not seen in the other titles of this sub-genre, and in this version some that take advantage of the platform's traits.  In addition to "Greedy Mice", in which you must complete the logic puzzle while fending off hungry mice, there are games like "Cubes", in which you utilize the iPhone/iTouch's motion sensing capability, rotating the handset to join cubes in a maze.

"Cubes" was definitely my favorite, but there are so many others in this package, it will keep you playing for hours.  Couple that with training modes, test modes, and even a creativity mode, and you have a title that has a surplus of gameplay, options, and fun.  Personally, I had a hard time prying myself away from it to just write this review.  Although other games in the series may have left us flat, Brain Challenge for the iPhone/iTouch is superb.  If you have an iPhone, you need this title!