The success of Nintendo's Brain Age has thrown developers into a frenzy to try to emulate that formula, the result being numerous copycats. Originally developed for mobile phones (coming from the mobile gaming giant, Gameloft) and now ported to the Xbox 360's Arcade, Brain Challenge has made the transition very well, sporting bright colors, great character models for your brain trainers and a host of brain teasers to get the mental juices flowing.

Yet, despite offering a bevy of choices, it becomes painfully clear that Brain Challenge lacks the personality and charm of the Brain Age games. That formula is almost completely copied, including being prompted to answer interesting questions about knowledge and the brain, having a daily test of your mental capacity followed by charts and graphs that show your progress, and the like. The problem comes primarily from the paper-thin personalities of the trainers (you can choose a male or female one). Instead of exuding the wacky vibe of Dr. Kawashima or the outright silliness of Dr. Lobe (in Big Brain Academy), these trainers feel more like heartless taskmasters, always reminding you that you're not quite smart enough.

The rest of the presentation suffers from a lack of character. The music does a passable job keeping the tests intense, but doesn't leave a lasting impression that'll have you humming it in your sleep. The screens are filled with bright colors, but little in the way of imagery, although this might help those with Attention Deficit Disorder to better concentrate. The tests themselves are varied, focusing on all the key areas of mathematics and logic, visual acuity and memory, but only a handful of them are entertaining enough to play.

A stress test mode (which, perhaps not ironically, can be very stressful) compliments the daily test, and there is a toned down version suitable for the young ones, if you want to get them involved. However, most folks are going to skip over these, as the daily test of five games is enough to wear you out. The unlockable creative modes are also pointless, unless you are the type that needs to unlock everything. A decent multiplayer mode rounds things off, although finding fellow mind-stretching junkies to play with over Xbox Live is a challenge.

All in all, if you feel the Brain Age games didn't thoroughly improve your mental aptitude, or all you own is an Xbox 360, you could certainly find some limited enjoyment if you're willing to commit a few minutes a day to your mental calisthenics. However, this type of game has been done better elsewhere, and with nary a unique thing to offer, it's not worth experiencing.

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