Intelligence is the new black, and the video game industry hopes the suddenly popularity in intellectual challenges translates into increased sales for a number of newly released games in this category. Nintendo’s Brain Age is leading the challenge, but there are several other notables in the electronic “brain teaser” arena.

Big Brain Academy (DS) another Nintendo title, uses cartoons and a wider array of puzzles than its predecessor. (The reviewer gives it 3 of 4 stars.)  Puzzle Challenge: Crosswords and More!  (PSP) by Crave, fails by having such a horrible interface. (It gets only a half star.) And Magnetica  (DS), another Nintendo title, is an update of the arcade game Puzz Loop.  (The game is somewhat of a mixed bag, according to the reviewer who gave it 2 stars.) In order to be successful with a wide audience “brain” games need to have a component that cannot be found in their pen-and-paper equivalent. Not all titles are successful.