Brain Games is a 1978 puzzle video game programmed by Larry Kaplan and published by Atari for the Atari 2600.[2] It is a compilation of six memory games in which the player is tasked with outwitting an opponent, controlled either by another player or artificial intelligence, in sound and picture puzzles.[4] The game is played using a 12 button keypad, as opposed to the 2600’s traditional CX40 joystick controller.[5]
Brain Games was suggested in the 1984 book Clinical Management of Memory Problems as an effective clinical device for memory retraining exercises. Noted for having a variety of useful games, patients would be faced with auditory and visual cues that may improve spatial reasoning.[6]
Gameplay
Brain Games utilizes the Keyboard Controller; a keypad which features a simplified version of the ITU E.161 arrangement of digits and symbols.
Featuring a total of six games, the catalog of Brain Games includes a variety of memory games where the player must focus on a series of ciphers, symbols, and musical notes.[7] Each game has several options for altering the "difficulty switches", which add different aspects of challenge[8] and have the following progression:[9]
Game
Variants
Touch Me
1–4
Count Me
5–8
Picture Me
9–10
Find Me
11–14
Add Me
15–18
Play Me
19
"Touch Me", which is the video version of the 1974 arcade game of the same name,[10] was the precursor for the handheld game Simon, in which the player must match a sequence of tones, and the computer would add a new note upon each successive turn.[8] This continues up until the player completes a 32 consecutive note execution.[11] In "Find Me", the player must detect subtle differences in the figures as they are flashed on the screen;[12] in "Picture Me", the player must memorize the placement of the picture sets, which the computer then rearranges. "Count Me" requires the player to match a sequence of digits played by the computer; upon correctly ordering the digits, the computer adds a new digit to the sequence. "Add Me" also utilizes numeric digits as part of the challenge, although the player must determine the sum the digits presented by the computer. Finally, "Play Me", which turns the 12-button keypad controller into a musical instrument, allows players to play the songs "Happy Birthday to You", "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star", and "Three Blind Mice". If two keypad controllers are plugged in, the players can play a duet with "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" as well.[8] Adding to the timed challenges are "diabolical distractions",[7] such as loud noises.[8]
Atari later released a handheld version of Touch Me.[10]
Reception
In his 2011 book, Classic Home Video Games, 1972-1984: A Complete Reference Guide, Brett Weiss said of Brain Games that "Despite the variety of options, Brain Games is limited in scope".[13]
Legacy
Brain Games was re-released bundled with BASIC Programming and two keypad controllers in the Back to School Pak in 1978.[14]
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
