Professor Kageyama's Maths Training (Hands-On) (Nintendo DS) Preview

Following great success over in Japan under its native title of Kagayama Method Dennou Hanpuku: Masu x Masu Hyaku Masu Keisan, publisher Shogakukan has obviously been in negotiations to bring the game to an even wider market. The maths training title is one of those slow burners that whilst never lighting the charts on fire, has still managed to accrue 282,271 sales at last count, according to Famitsu. Not bad for a game released back in July 2006! You have to wonder if any other Kageyama games will be translated if this proves strong in Europe. However, out of the three games released on DS so far, this one and his IQ game from IE Institute (sold 44,771 units so far) are the only real options, since the other Shogakukan game is a Kanji Training product (sold 78,445, for reference).

But anyway, how does it play? Well, the game ditches the institutional feel of Brain Training and is hosted by a little caricature of Professor Kageyama himself, with him guiding users through the various methods on offer and ?fun? tasks to take part in. Everything is far more light-hearted and tries its best to not scare people off by shoving education down their throats. Professor Kageyama's Math Training: The Hundred Cell Calculation Method offers all sorts of mathematical mini-games to hone your number skills, ranging from simple functions that youngsters should love (simply counting the number of objects on-screen before they disappear) right through to some extremely awkward calculations that will leave all but the sharpest of minds floundering (division with remainders!). All set against the clock, the aim is to power home through all the questions in the quickest time possible, earning different medals depending on how close you got to the set times already on the high scores table.

One of the options players can choose from is the Daily Test mode that allows them to complete three exercises that change each time they progress to the next level. Each day, once exercises have been completed, users receive a tick on the in-built calendar and when five ticks have been received, the player will move up a level. In addition to this, whilst being guided throughout the game by Professor Kageyama, players can also take part in any of the forty different Practice Exercises to continue to exercise their skills.

However, it is the main method that will be grabbing everyone?s attention, and this is the Hundred Cell Calculation Method from the product?s title. It is basically a way to drill mathematics into your head so you will never forget ?simple? calculations ever again, whatever form of basic arithmetic it is, addition, subtraction, multiplication or division. Each time you start a mode, though, there is an option to choose from ten, thirty, fifty or the full hundred calculations, so there is no major pressure unless you decide to ramp it up yourself. The technique involves having a row of single integers across the top and another down the left-hand side of the left screen (yes, the DS is once again held like a book ? la Brain Training and company). Then you simply work your way across, one-by-one, for example adding the number on the left to the first number along the top, then the next, and so on, until the row ends. The process then continues, but on the second line, using that new number on the left as you add it, again ?for example?, to the ones across the top of the grid. All the while the answers are being written using the stylus on the touch-screen.

Sadly this is where the game falls down slightly. Whilst the whole thing is very well constructed, with pleasant, albeit basic, visuals and a non-invasive soundtrack that is not too sterile either, the hand-writing recognition in the Japanese version played is rather temperamental at times. For instance, sometimes it would not understand the number ?5?, whilst also not picking up the European style of writing a ?7? (in other words with the strike through the middle). When time is of the essence, you do not want to be staring at the touch-screen to ensure your hand-writing is perfectly accurate because your concentration really needs to be on the calculations side so you can plan ahead and save essential seconds. Considering Nintendo?s writing programme for Brain Training was very impressive, it is hoped that the European edition has minor modifications over its Japanese original. Otherwise players could become highly frustrated and give this a miss, which would be a shame, since Professor Hideo Kageyama?s product is a fun little package (with a nice local wireless competitive mode included as well that supports up to fifteen other players from just the one DS card!).