"A good idea, but the Wii isn't the right system for it."

Graphics/Visuals: 7.0/10

Not much to comment on here. The presentation, is quite good while it‘s very simplistic. The main hallway which is basically the game's main menu, has your Mii's interacting and walking around in the foreground, which adds to the game's personally. The game look's quite colourful, clean and polished, in the same way that Wii Sports does.

Sound/Audio: 7.0/10

Again, not much to comment on. The game's soundtrack is kind of catchy and cheerful, and the sound effects are basic. One thing we see very little of in Wii games is good use of the Wii Remote's speaker. Thankfully, the game uses the speaker in the form of a ‘coach' who will cheer on players as they succeed in the game's mini games.

Gameplay: 6.5/10

The game uses the same basic structure as the original game that appeared on the DS about a year ago. Big Brain Academy: Wii Degree, focuses around five different categories to ‘improve' your brains weight. Identify, Memorize, Analyse, Compute and Visualise. There are three different minigames for each category (15 Minigames in Total). Each game, can be played on either easy, normal or hard difficulty levels. It's a neat idea, testing your brain on several simple problems.

The games puzzles range from solving a simple maths equation by popping a number of balloons in numeral to identifying a certain item, and picking the correct item out of a group. The game's puzzles are presented in an interesting style, and are easy to understand. The answer to each of the game's puzzles is either the option of a multiple choice, or it involves interacting with the game as it plays. The Puzzles themselves are smartly designed, and take time to perfect to get a grade of A+. Other than the single player mode, the game can also be played in multiplayer. Mind Sprint, sees players race to complete a set amount of problems. It's a blast, at least, while it lasts. Mental Marathon basically involves players passing the Wii Remote around, solving the game's puzzles. Brain Quiz, features five new mini games and plays out on a grid. Multiplayer is definitely the best thing that Big Brain Academy: Wii Degree has to offer.

Although the game offers no real online play, you can send the your test scores to your friends, to compare your results. The game's controls are fine, they're intuitive and use the Wii Remote's Point and Click functions to their full potential, and most importantly work really well.

Longevity: 5.3/10

One of Big Brain Academy: Wii Degree's biggest problems is longevity. The game's puzzles usually don't take longer then a few minuets to complete, and they get repetitive very quickly, and as I mentioned before, there are only 15 minigames in total. I guess the game's multiple difficulty levels do add to the game's replay value but still, it really doesn't add anything to the games overall appeal.

Now for a quick revision…

Graphics/Visuals: 7.0/10
Sound/Audio: 7.0/10
Gameplay: 6.5/10
Longevity: 5.2/10
Overall: 5.4/10

Pros
- Entertaining Multiplayer
- Easy to pick and play
- Educational and fun

Cons
- Lacking in the area of Longevity.
- Only 15 Minigames.
- No Online Play.

In Conclusion

Overall, Big Brain Academy is a good idea, but alas the Wii isn't the right system for it. The small amount of options and features in the game hold it down , and ultimately keeping the game from being something much better. Big Brain Academy: Wii Degree is decent at the most.

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 08/25/08

Game Release: Big Brain Academy: Wii Degree (US, 06/11/07)