Brain Training Lands Edge Award
Nintendo's brain gym beats out a slew of the most well-intentioned games of the year.
Each year, as part of the Edinburgh Interactive Entertainment Festival, the editors of Edge magazine and people from within the games industry gather to pick the winner of the Edge award, which recognizes games that celebrate "the willingness to aim higher and try something new". This year's winner nailed that second criterion.
Nintendo's audience-expanding hit Dr Kawashima's Brain Training: How Old Is Your Brain? for DS picked up the award, reports Next Generation, edging past the other strong contenders, which included: Fahrenheit (Atari), Killer 7 (Capcom), Ossu! Tatakae! Ouendan (Nintendo), Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King (Square Enix), Electroplankton (Nintendo), Amped 3 (Microsoft), and Guitar Hero (RedOctane).
"In the past, people said that Nintendo was staid and conservative," said Nintendo's UK boss, David Yarnton, "but we've shown that we're heading in a different direction from others in the industry with fresh and original ideas. Only Nintendo could make arithmetic fun."
It's not just the judges that enjoyed Nintendo's brainy game. Brain Training has been one of the most popular games in the UK since its release in June. The game has sold more than 4 million copies worldwide.
Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo Games