Hot Brain (PSP) Review
Posted by Andrew Mellick on 07.23.2007
Get ready to flex your mental muscle in Midway's answer to Brain Age. Will it stand up to the DS hit or have to wear the 'dunce' hat?
Hot Brain
Since the release of Brain Age for the DS, the gaming industry has taken notice of this whole cockamamie idea of improving your mind. Some say its high time these companies step up and help improve the youth of America. I say, gaming companies like these games because their cheap and easy to make. But whatever the reason, with the success of Brain Age you knew there were going to be knockoffs galore.
Enter Hot Brain. Complete with a university backdrop, a professor (voiced by Fred Willard of Anchorman), and a flimsy story about testing your brain. Apparently, your brain gets hot with activity, the puzzles you encounter in the game test your brain in various ways, the faster you can complete each puzzle the hotter your brain is (have you picked up on the games title yet?).
Graphics:
The graphics are serviceable, albeit cartoony. Anytime not spent solving puzzles is spent with the professor in the university backdrop. These graphics look like something ripped straight out of a Pixar flick, it’s a very CG look and it gives the game a bit of a childish feel. It’s the way most of these games are set up but I often wonder why, considering I don’t know any children who would play a game like this.
As I said the game consists of playing various puzzle games. The graphics on these are pretty damn bland. I could see if Midway had been trying to cater to different TV resolutions but this is the PSP, there is no reason why it can’t look good. As it stands the puzzles are very dull and uninspired. There is virtually no attempt at any kind of humor. Neither is there an attempt at a sharper serious look. It’s a mainly white screen with unimaginative graphics. But then again what can you expect when the puzzles themselves are pretty bland (more on that later).
One puzzle in particular stands out to me. You must guide a car to a particular destination indicated by the sequence of arrows. However, this little city cross section looks like something off of an Intellivision title not a high end handheld system. Its wall flower graphics like these that makes the game feel mundane.
Gameplay:
The game revolves around five different areas; logic, math, language, concentration, and memory. Each of these areas corresponds to a particular area of the brain, which is highlighted when you select a particular subject. Once a subject is chosen you then have a choice between 3 different types of tests that you can use to gauge how hot your brain is in that area. After completing a particular test you will receive your score, along with a basic temp of your brain (warm, cool, etc.).
So that’s basically it. In games like these, you don’t expect the game play to be deep or engrossing but you do expect it to be fun and addictive. Unfortunately these tests are neither. What they are is ridiculously unimaginative. For example, to test your math power the game asks you to put numbers in order from least to greatest. Yes, it’s as much fun as it sounds. Now I understand some of these simple tests are there for beginners but it just never gets better. Each puzzle is just as mundane and uninspired as the next. The game comes off feeling more like home work than anything else.
The difficulty in puzzle games such as these is imperative. It must be able to properly tutor beginners while also providing a challenge for veterans. This must all be achieved without being too frustrating as to turn off gamers. Hot Brain misses the mark completely. Midway decided to go with the archaic easy, medium, hard format. I thought we did away with that about two consoles back. I would have loved to see some intuitiveness from the game. Perhaps it would see the areas I struggle in and target them more, or provide easier questions for me to improve on. This really wouldn’t have been that hard to achieve. As it stands the tests and puzzles in this game seem to be little more than an afterthought, which is funny considering that’s what the entire game consists of.
Sound:
As I mentioned earlier, Midway brought in the enormously talented Fred Willard to voice the character of the professor. Mr. Willard does a superb job delivering his material. However, he was horribly underutilized in this game. Hot Brain tosses in little tidbits of humor here and there, but with a talent like Fred a lot more could have been done. Not to mention the fact that the character he voices looks nothing like a person who would have a voice like his. It is very disappointing and a poor use of a great talent.
Each test is filled with its own sound affects that are at best prop sounds. It’s like they just went into a radio sound booth and used the sound effects from there. I don’t know if this was done for comedic affect but if so it fails miserably. It was like they were on a quest to find the most generic sounds they could. Perhaps the effects wouldn’t stand out so much if it wasn’t for the abysmal soundtrack. As you work on puzzles you are serenaded by what can only be described as a $19.99 Sanyo keyboard. It’s very computer like and does no service for the game.
I would have loved to have seen Fred Willard’s comedy shine. I would have loved to have heard some decent sound effects. I would have loved to have heard an inspired soundtrack. You spend the whole game going through mundane tests; couldn’t you spice it up with a few licensed tracks? But no, what’s left is a canned soundtrack, canned affects, and neutered voice acting. In short, you’ll most likely just play with the sound off.
Lasting Appeal:
Hot Brain does a fair job in the area of multiplayer. Gamers can team up and work together to get a brain red hot, or can compete against one other to see who can get their brain boiling first. Unfortunately, to complete this you have to go through the same lack luster puzzles you did in single player. Also, you have to actually find other people who have purchased the game seeing as Hot Brain provides no game sharing.
If you’re into training your brain then this game has a bunch of replay value because, well, you’re training. However, if you’re looking for fun then this game won’t appeal to you very long at all.
There just isn’t enough here to keep you interested very long. It’s a case of minimal content and vanilla game play. I understand that the point of this game is to train your brain but a lot more could have been done to liven up the puzzles that were there.
Fun Factor:
Let’s take this game for what it is; a brain exercise. It really isn’t intended to be played ad nauseam like other genres. There is no story to speak of and the game play is built on problem solving and improving your mental abilities.
However, even taking these parameters Hot Brain still comes up short. As a developer you have to realize that when you are working with a constricting genre you have to do things to make yourself stand out. All Midway seemed to do was hire Fred Willard and call it a day.
The game really comes off feeling like a high school test. The puzzles are filled with piss poor graphics and rinky dink sound effects only to be broken up by very lame dialog. In short, there is no fun to factor.
The 411:
What can I say about this game that I have not already lamented? If you are looking for a way to test and improve your brain then this game will work for you. However, expect little else.
Hot Brain could almost be classified as a feature more so than a game. This is pure text book brain improvement with a feeble attempt at humor.
The whole game seems like it was rushed. I don’t know if Midway thought Fred Willard’s presence would save the day, but sadly he only shines a light on the ineptitude of this game.
Graphics
5.0
Nothing special at all
Gameplay
4.0
It feels like homework with very little entertainment value
Sound
6.0
The only saving grace is Fred Willard and even he is misused
Lasting Appeal
3.0
If you want to train your brain then buy it but otherwise stay away
