Big Brain Academy: Brain Vs. Brain Arrives In Time For The Holidays

Never got the chance to try out the originals on the DS. Maybe I'll pick up this one.

OK, who remembers this series existed?

Wow, weird to bring this series back. Now bring back Wii Sports cowards

It is cool that Nintendo is bringing back dormant franchises. Tossing in my hope that nintendogs comes back.

Well, that's a dose of nostalgia I didn't expect to get today

Oh, decent price on that. I'm kind of surprised, tbh.

Weird they'd release this when the new Brain Training isn't available worldwide yet (I believe it STILL hasn't been released in NA).

Another game along with Advance Wars 1+2 in December, I would say the Christmas line up is now complete what with Pokemon hitting in November....

That's such a feel-good trailer to be honest. Won't be picking this up, but I'm glad this exists.

@RR529 You’re correct, NA still hasn’t gotten the Brain Age game released.

@EliGamerX me one few games my wife would play. now with two kids im sure it will be a hit

Any port in a storm....

@MrGawain It's a brand new entry, not a port

nintendo be like heres ya big holiday title

@EliGamerX I do, thanks to the amazing memory capabilities afforded to me by my big flubbery jumbo-brain. I call it the hyper-neuro-chonko-box. It barely fits inside my cranium, such is its incredible size.

I was on vacation with some friends, and someone had a DS Lite with one of the Brain Age games on it. Ugly as sin, just black on a white background - and yet I put hours and hours in.

While I get that it's not a huge announcement, seems a little weird they wouldn't save this, unless there actually isn't a September Direct coming.

I just went for a walk, why has so much stuff been announced while I was gone

I played Brain Age more, but my daughter liked Big Brain better. It is more colorful and I think it had more variety in its games. At that price, I will get this (at least for her).

This is what the Switch needs - more 3DS type games at 3DS prices (aside from all the indies). This, Club House Games, Game Builder Garage, and the new Monkey Ball are great examples. Wario Ware is close at $50.

@EliGamerX I do, because I have both the DS and the Wii games.

A nice surprise, and one I'd gladly add to my collection

Whatever happened to the Switch version of Brain Age that was supposed to come out? Was it Japan only?

Not a game that immediately comes to mind (when I think of games I'd like released), but I'm actually really looking forward to this.

@mwatcher it was released in Japan and Europe, this time North America did not get it, or we might get it years later, like Europe with the 3DS Brain Age/Brain Training.

Great now give us the giving up smoking game

I want this game!! I missed Big Brain Academy so much!! I loved it on the Wii!! Just like Brain Age, I am very happy to see a new Big Brain Academy as well!! Thank you Nintendo!!!!

@EliGamerX Meeeeeeee!!!!!!

@Luigi05 You should!! It's a great game if you ask me!!

Man, the memories of playing this with my family on the Wii just came flooding back, definitely will check it out.

I'm quiestioning myself if this will sell, assuming there are endless 'exercise your brain' mobile games. The times have changed from late 2000's where those kind of games were on the range at DS and Wii via touch generations label before smartphones. Like Brain Age.

@EliGamerX I still occasionally play it with my parents. It's one of the few Wii games we kept

@elias84631 Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics sold over 3 million copies last year. This'll do fine

Nice! They were very fun back in the DS era. If it's as good as them, I'll probably get it.

I actually had no idea this series was developed by Nintendo. Always thought Nintendo just published them and it was made by someone else.

...hmmm... that reminds me.
I have a copy of Brain Training on my Switch, don't I?
.. man, he's going to be super teed that I've not been training!!

NOG! NOG! NOG! NOG!

More first party games and in December on top of the Advanced Wars Remakes. Though, why here and not in a Nintendo direct?

Not even for direct?

Just bring back the entirety of Touch generations Nintendo!

I may actually try this out given its price.

Funny how Brain Age on Switch has yet to be released in the Americas, but its spin-off will be a simultaneous global launch.

@tee-cup Then why do people prefer those games over mobile games though? It may has to do with the quality.

I skipped these on DS/Wii back in the day, but I don’t think I was aware back then that this was a Nintendo IP either, which would have skewed my estimation of it.

But when I saw this in the eShop earlier, I was actually pretty damn excited to see it make a surprise return. I loved Brain Training (until the novelty finally wore off after around 100 hours) and I hope that this doesn’t disappoint.

I would also love to see Style Boutique/Savvy return, but with greater emphasis on retail management rather than merely dressing up customers over and over again.

I would expect Nintendogs + Cats to return on the next console, which will ideally include a camera and microphone.

Nintendo now has 5 first-party titles scheduled to release during calendar Q4 2021. This is probably one of their stronger holiday lineups in quite some time.

Also just realized that this game and Advance Wars Reboot Camp launch on the same day. Both of those games differ greatly but Nintendo typically spaces out the release of their first-party titles regardless, so it's strange that they didn't do so now.

@Silly_G
Nintendogs works fine without a camera, given that the original NDS and NDS Lite didn't have one.
The lack of a microphone is an issue, but I'm sure if Nintendo wanted to make a Nintendogs game for Switch, they could find a way to do so.

So from now to the end of the year Nintendo has Wario Ware, Cruis'n Blast, Metroid, Mario Party, Pokemon, Big Brain Academy, and Advance Wars, plus NMH3 was recently released. I'd say this more than makes up for any recent dry spells, though the lack of a massive money maker launching around December is a bit puzzling.

I kind of hope they leave all of the games as they are sell on there own. With all of the options, Nintendo's got plenty of games to cater to a ton of niches while Pokemon and Mario Party could potentially carry them in the Holidays. I can also see Big Brain Academy doing well, it seems like it'll be a good party game and the cheap price ($30) will be very appealing to people looking to save.

Weird this is releasing, but they still haven't brought Brain Age on Switch to the West. That one looked a lot more interesting to me.

@Andrew5678
Outside of Smash Bros Ultimate, Nintendo doesn't typically release massive games in December.

@Not_Soos
Brain Age was released in the Europe, but not in the Americas.

I will absolutely be getting this. It will be the digital version for me though. That model is much more suited to this game for my play style.

@westman98 Yeah, I know. I meant far West, lol. I forget Europe is still considered the West when the Americas comprise pretty much the entirety of the Western Hemisphere. I guess it's one of those old world things from before America was on the map or something. Your name is literally Westman, so I guess you'd know better than me, haha.

I played a couple of hundred Wii games and Big Brain Academy was one of my favourite games. Loved dearly by the family. Had it on the DS & Wii. It therefore follows....

@Andrew5678 That's certainly a solid line-up of games from now till Christmas, 7 games in the next 4 months. We also have Pokemon for January, so nobody can call the next 5 months a dry spell..

This is a neat surprise. I have the prequels on DS and Wii and thought they were good fun for everyone, especially on Wii when playing score attacks against family and friends (with Miis).

After a recent hattrick with Mii games - I created tons for Miitopia, and put them to good use in Mario Golf: Super Rush and now Go Vacation, - Big Brain Academy is going to be my next in that "range of games".

Edit: It seems Big Brain Academy for Switch has its own characters and no Miis this time.

@Andrew5678: It's not just the December games, it's all games leading up to it, all the one's you mentioned, that are potential christmas tree candidates.
However, Shin Megami Tensei V is missing from your list, since it's a huge Nintendo-published title.

Great series and game on the Wii. Will pickup for sure when physical goes up for preorder.

@SKTTR Sega is publishing Shin Megami Tensei V, not Nintendo.

@Kanbolara Aren't you from Norway? Then you should know that in Europe Nintendo is the publisher.

Usually when they announce such titles like a holiday season game, usually they release a trailer for this and a Nintendo Direct a week later.

@Andrew5678 Pokemon Sinoh Remakes and potentially Mario Party Superstars given how Super Mario Party did are their money makers.

Now if only we could get Brain Age.

the one on the Wii (Wii Degree, I believe😅) was a surprisingly good party game... If I remember correctly, some modes sported up to 8 players... here's hoping this one will have the same or similar modes

@Ryu_Niiyama Hoping for a fossil fighters game that’s more akin to the original 2.

@nessisonett I still have Wii sports on my Wii

December 3rd? ***** this could mean Advance Wars is being delayed

@BANJO Pokemon Legends is just one reason why I think Switch will stick around until 2023, and it could say even longer than that. With Splatoon 3, BotW2, and Mario + Rabbids along side it, Nintendo has some massive hitters next year, coupled with the Switch's backlog and any other games we don't know about.

Unless they go for the "Gaming ecosystem" style that XBox has gone into for a slow transition to a Switch successor, I can't see a new console coming any time soon. Then again, I should know better to try and predict Nintendo, for good or for ill.

Wait, what? When did this happen? I didn't like Brain Age all that much, and for some odd reason enjoyed Big Brain Academy more.

@Andrew5678 I agree, with the games you mentioned, plus likely a few others the Switch should keep sticking around for awhile yet. Sales will slow shortly I think, we have passed the peak, but it will still be strong going forwards through to 2023.

I like how Nintendo just quietly drops info on their casual titles, meaning they're not throwing em in your face and wasting Directs on these types of games like back in the Wii/ WiiU days. I for one will definitely pick this up plus all the other great looking games coming from the big N this fall/winter

Why would they hold off from announcing this in a Direct? Maybe because they don't tend to announce casual-oriented games on these presentations. That's why they revealed Ring Fit Adventure separately in 2019.
I wish the OLED Switch were in this trailer too, that would assure it should be their main focus now.

@EliGamerX I do and I loved it.

@Kanbolara Nintendo is publishing Shin Megami Tensei V in Europe

@Vapeguy That's actually great idea. Keeping normal Directs only for big titles and trending indies, Nindies for more indies.

YES please! This is a fantastic series. My family still plays this on the Wii.

I wouldn't mind Wii Sports making a comeback too.

Still cant believe this. who the hell thought BRAIN AGE of all things would come back?!

@InkIdols This isn't Brain Age, though.

@serouj2000 I mean tto say brain academy.