BBC reports that a study in Scotland using school children has proven that Brain Age for the Nintendo DS actually works. A group of pupils played the game, which included reading tests, problem-solving exercises and memory puzzles, for 20 minutes at the start of their class for nine weeks. A control group continued their lessons in a more traditional manner. The pupils were tested at the beginning and then the end of the study. Researchers found that while all groups had improved their scores, the group using the game had improved by a further 50%. The time taken to complete the tests also dropped by five minutes, from 18.5 minutes to 13.5 minutes. The improvement in the games group was double that of the control group. The thing that astounds me is that reports like this are actually seen as news. When a game is marketing itself as a brain booster, I sure as hell hope that it actually helps boost your brain. Anything less could only be seen as total fraud. On a more positive note, I am glad to see that gaming is getting a bit more of a good reputation out in the world and that little handheld games like this do actually offer a fun means for children to boost their learning abilities. Good job, I say.

It doesn't take long to realise that even though the little DS isn't the most powerful machine in the world, its control scheme is quite capable of handling a first person shooter, if done properly.... So how well has the game translated across to the third dimension and does it manage to pull off a true first person experience that can fit in your pocket.... The idea behind hunters is that you are not alone in your quest for these artifacts, so expect to run into some other folks who will be prepared to fight you for it.... Most levels have a similar formula to them, which usually involves getting certain artifacts, working out how to get to certain areas, fighting a boss and then getting the hell out when a self-destruct sequence initiates. While each level does essentially play out the same they are quite varied in their theme and the approach that you need to take to clear them , be prepared for a good load of backtracking though. What this game does realise is that you can't approach the first person shooter the same way that you would on a PC.... Your top screen is where the game plays out and the bottom screen is used for aiming with the stylus, selecting weapons and also letting you to jump with a double tap of your stylus.... Occasionally you will go into a mode where you roll up into a morph ball and can either control it with your d-pad or your stylus, both of which also feel smooth. ...Some of the levels can be frustrating as they leave you to run through them a couple of times as you try and figure out where you should be going next.... While this system works fairly well, it still puts you in the situation where you need to reach certain portals before being able to save. That means that if you haven't found a portal and someone else wants to play the DS or you want to play something else, you have the option to either run all the way back manually, play the entire first half of the level again later, or sit tight and keep playing until you reach a portal. This somewhat kills the fact that the rest of the game has been well designed for mobility because no one wants to play through a section again, and fight the same boss three times over, but this is unfortunately something that does happen. Being a DS game, the graphics are obviously nothing out of this world, but they do their job very well and make up a convincing 3D world.... If you are a hardcore FPS player and are looking for a true shooter-in-your-pocket I won't say that you won't find it here, but I won't say that you will either. While I have not had a chance to try the multiplayer, I hear that it is a blast, so if you are someone who has a ton of DS wielding hombre's that are keen for a fun multiplayer experience, I can definitely see how much joy could be squeezed out of the deathmatch.