Majesco brings DS gamers a double helping of brain games with the two Brain Boost games: Gamma and Beta. Each game is specifically catered to exercise a particular brain function, with Gamma working on how we memorize things.

Unfortunately, this means that all the game really boils down to is a series of memory tests, which can be fun at first but quickly becomes boring. Brain Boost: Gamma Wave is essentially an electronic flash card.

Starting a single-player game (or Challenge Mode) introduces us to the Doctor, our hero Mickey, and his robotic dog Dino. Mickey is sent on a journey when he and the Doctor discover that Dino’s memory chip has been replaced with a rice cracker. Mickey and Dino travel to planet Ronnoc to find the missing memory chip.

On this planet live many creatures that, instead of eating children like Mickey, like to test their memory with simple quizzes. Each monster encountered represents a different difficulty level, and you are required to pass all five tests to get by each monster. There are four difficulty levels in each test.

The five tests include: Remember Colors, Remember Faces, Remember Circumstances, Remember Numbers, and Remember Images. Each game starts by showing you an image, number, or series of images for a brief moment. Depending on the level of difficulty, these images or numbers can either be very simple or very complex. The initial item to memorize then disappears and five seconds later you are faced with multiple choices, all very similar to the original image. You must then pick the original image out of all the presented choices.

The only slightly different tests are Remember Images and Remember Circumstances. In Remember Images, a series of images are flashed in front of you. Lower difficulties only show a few images while the higher levels will show many. A grid is then shown with all the images that were shown previously and one extra. You must pick out the one extra that wasn’t shown before. In Remember Circumstance, the player is shown a grid of pictures. The grid is then hidden and revealed with one altered image. The player must pick out which image was altered.

The only other mode besides Challenge is Training Mode. Training pretty much is Challenge, just without the cute cutscenes. In Training you can select exactly what test you want to try and on what difficulty.

Each test consists of 20 problems, and players pass the tests by answering a certain number of questions correctly out of the 20. No matter what, when you start a test you must do all 20 questions. Brain Boost doesn’t even allow you to pause the game, so starting a test becomes a commitment. There are no quick game modes or little time-wasters.

Brain Boost: Gamma Wave has very little variety, and what is there isn’t very fun anyway. After a very short time it starts to feel like a test. Brain Boost Gamma seems more like a tool to improve memory and less like a video game.

Gameplay: 4.0
It’s pretty fun at first, but the novelty wears off quickly. Once you realize there are only five total tests in Brain Boost: Gamma Wave, and only four levels of each, you’ll become bored very quickly.

Graphics: 6.3 
Each test has template that relates to the style of test it is. For example, Remember Numbers takes place on a desk with a pencil and a notepad. The story sequences are also fairly entertaining.

Sound: 6.0
There isn’t much to the soundtrack. It doesn’t add or detract from the game; it’s just your typical jolly tunes.

Difficulty: Easy-Hard
The difficulty depends on your memory. There’s really no way to “lose” in this game since it’s designed to exercise your memory.

Concept: 3.5 
I guess these “exercise your brain” style games are pretty popular right now, but this isn’t even really a game. I wouldn’t even have a problem with that if there was more to do, but five different tests just isn’t enough.

Overall: 4.3
While Brain Boost: Gamma Wave might train you to have a better memory, it won’t help you have fun doing so. It didn’t take me long to feel like I was back in school taking standardized tests. It’s not that I don’t like educational games, I just like games and this was not a game. If you feel you need to improve your memory and want your DS to aid you in that quest, this title is perfect. If you’re looking for a fun game to stretch your mind, this isn’t it.