Playing My Spanish Coach for 15 to 20 minutes a day is all you need to become fluent in Spanish, no matter your age. The simple touch screen interface lets you spend less time learning the game and more time learning Spanish. The game includes 8 touchpad mini-games to sharpen your skills at your own pace, and lets you track your progress with charts showing your performance learning the language. ESRB Rated E for Everyone.
REVIEW
Spanish Coach learning easy This nintendo ds cartridge really helps to improve or practice or learn spanish. It has cool games to help improve memory and also you can listen and record to various spanish words from the"game" and being able to record your voice for comparison. Like anything, learning something new is a constant learning process and should be kept up.
Playing My Spanish Coach for 15 to 20 minutes a day is all you need to become fluent in Spanish, no matter your age. The simple touch screen Interface lets you spend less time learning the game and more time learning Spanish. The game includes 8 mini-games to sharpen your skills at your own pace, and lets you track your progress with charts showing your performance learning the language.
REVIEW
Absolute bargain for anyone interested in Spanish This is a fantastic product. I've been studying Spanish for some time, and I've never come across a bargain like this. Even if you had to buy a PSP or Nintendo DS to go along with it, it would still be pretty good.
The grammar lessons cover a lot of what you would in perhaps 2 semesters of college, but they don't really quiz on it much. What this game really does is teach vocabulary. A LOT of vocabulary... something like 8000 words. The games are all pretty effective at getting words in memory, and you can have the software quiz you over what you've learned. Each word is pronounced for you, and it has a handy dictionary.
I've used Pimsluer and Rosetta Stone, and those are both very good at teaching how Spanish functions, but this software has both those beat in terms of teaching you vocabulary fast (but this stuff doesn't do much more than teach you thousands of words). And at less than a tenth the price.
There are several different games. Memory, flashcards, etc. The lessons go over some basic grammar rules and ten or so words, and have two games you must master to advance. Eventually you're just learning words each lesson from an animated janitor (apparently). The music and animated woman are corny, but I don't really care.
Loading times on the PSP are fair at best, but it's not a big deal. The 'smack the gopher' game takes a lot of practice to get good at, but as a side benefit I'm much better at other PSP games now that I've mastered the PSP stick. There are a few errors... sometimes the audio will now match the text (for example, a 'de' will be dropped from a sentence where it's not necessary). I've noticed about ten of these errors out of over 900 lessons... basically as many errors as a well edited textbook probably has.
This software teaches Latin American Spanish... and while the verb charts cover Vosotros, the quizzes ignore it. This is pretty standard.
Bottom line: you can learn Spanish with this and any old Spanish textbook. If you master both you will have a superior vocabulary than many students who have undergone several semesters of study. But you do need something in addition to this software to master grammar.
I am so pleased at the sheer value of this. If you want to learn Spanish, you are absolutely crazy not to buy this. Trust me on this...
Playing My French Coach for 15 to 20 minutes a day is all you need to become fluent in French, no matter your age. The simple touch screen interface lets you spend less time learning the game and more time learning French. The game includes 8 touchpad mini-games to sharpen your skills at your own pace, and lets you track your progress with charts showing your performance learning the language. ESRB Rated E for Everyone.
REVIEW
Not bad, but the games are stupid and repetitive The repetition of vocabulary is good, but the games are lame. One has you clicking on gophers that pop up out of holes, that's kind of pre-school. Since I have a 12 year old using the game to learn a second language it just seems infantile for both of us. The other game is a word search, but it gives you so little time to find the phrases, I ended up with tired eyes from having to scan so fast.(I also don't think that it helped me learn the language any better.) I thought the flash card games were better and saved me from having to sit there and painstakingly print out index cards.
Amazon.comMy Word Coach, developed in collaboration with linguists, helps players improve their verbal communication and vocabulary in a fun way. Practice with six different exercises to choose between. Players can input missing letters from words, spell out the answers to various definitions, choose which word matches a particular definition, form specific words with Scrabble-like tiles, and more. Three levels of difficulty are available, and the game includes a built-in dictionary of over 17,000 words. Two of the games can be played multiplayer over wireless and five multiplayer games can be accessed when linking the Wii and DS. The data of up to three different players can be saved.
REVIEW
Excellent! Met all my expectations! This is a lot of fun and really helps build some vocabulary.
Highly recommended!
Spanish for Everyone takes you on a journey to Mexico where helpful characters take it upon themselves to help you learn Spanish and have some fun along the way. Whether you're a novice or a Spanish speaking expert, Spanish for Everyone offers a fun way to help get your Spanish in tip-top shape and keep it there.
REVIEW
I wanted to like this so much... I thought this would be a great way to refresh my memory of Spanish vocab from back in high school. And it isn't.
The game is very limited in scope and you don't actually have to learn any Spanish at all to beat most of the games and move on to the next levels. If you make an effort, you can surely learn a lot of vocab from this, but my natural inclination with things like the matching games was to match the icons and not the words, for instance. This is my fault in the end, tobe sure, but this game would be far more useful if the games were better designed.
The Spanish-English dictionary is nice, but otherwise, this is a once-through game that might teach you some limited Spanish vocabulary with a great deal of effort.
Amazon.comThanks to UbiSoft's My Japanese Coach for the Nintendo DS, you can carry a tutor in your pocket that lets you learn a new language in as little as 15 minutes a day. With plenty of entertaining lessons, loads of fun-to-play mini-games, and a host of helpful features, this unique language coach will have you not only speaking like a native in no time, but reading and writing like on as well!
Carry a tutor in your pocket with My Japanese Coach. View larger.
Learn in Fun and Interactive Ways My Japanese Coach is an installment in the My Coach series from UbiSoft series that teaches the basic pronunciations unique to the Japanese language. This convenient and easy-to-use tutor allows users to compare their pronunciation to that of native speakers via the Nintendo DS's microphone. It also lets you use the DS stylus to practice writing Japanese Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji characters.
My Japanese Coach takes you on a virtual tour of Japan while you're learning the language. Lesson plans take place in a wide array of Japanese locations, from the densest of population centers like Tokyo, to the idyllic Japanese country side. You actually get to explore Japanwhile you learn new vocabulary as you open each point of interest.
Learn From a Master Meet Haruka, the in-game digital sensei, or teacher, that exists solely for the purpose of teaching you Japanese. After giving you a small placement-style test, Haruka will get you started working through the various stages of your lessons. Gaining mastery points by playing the various learning games allow you to clear each level. Once you master all the words given in a specific level, you move on to the next level.
As you work your way through over a 1,000lessons, your language skills are constantly tested and sharpened by various mini games. My Japanese Coach includes 12 types of mini games, ranging from Flash Cards, in which you hear a word and have seconds to choose the correct English translation, to Bridge Builder, where you are required to string words together in the correct order to create a complete sentence. And with mini-games that add a clever twist to classic favorites--like Memory that forces you to match the same words in two different languages--you will be sure to have fun while you learn.
My Japanese Coach also features a built-in dictionary and phrase book that includes over 12,000 words and hundreds of useful everyday phrases.
Meet Haruka, the in-game digital sensei, or teacher. View larger.
Sharpen and test your language skills with mini games. View larger.
Use the DS stylus to practice writing Japanese characters. View larger.
REVIEW
Great tool to learn hiragana and katakana For 29 bucks, for a language tool, its worth every penny.
It is actually a very good supplement to books and pimsleur.
What I like:
- fun and various ways to learn hiragana and katakana (flash cards, multiple choice, hit-a-word, etc)
- inexpensive(this is a bargain compared to other language tools out there)
- very refreshing (various games available and much fun to learn vs using books and audio cd).
What I dislike:
- there is no option to write complete sentences in hiragana/katakana.
- limited vocabulary.. but for 29 bucks, it's worth every penny.
I look forward to more language products from Ubisoft. Hopefully, they will release Japanese advanced level.
A perfect mixture of fun and education, Rhythm 'n Notes has something to offer gamers and musicians of all ages. This unique title offers tonal and rhythmic music training in the form of entertaining piano and drumming games. No matter what your musical background or tastes, Rhythm 'n Notes is for you. A wide variety of note lessons encourages you to recognize and identify not only notes but also complex chords. Rhythm exercises teach and test the fundamentals of keeping time as well as advanced rhythmic patterns. Starting lessons initiate the beginner, while advanced levels keep experts on top of their game. Open practice mode allows you to familiarize yourself with all notes and chords, both by name and sound. There is a mix of gameplay elements as you learn the fundamentals of music composition. Drumming consists of actual tapping on the DS touchpad with the stylus to the beat of the rhythm in order to succeed. When it comes time to tickle the ivories, then a good ear is needed to match the proper tones. Work your way through all the levels and unleash your inner maestro.
REVIEW
Not what I expected I love music and whenI saw this game I thought what a great way to increase my musical knowledge. This game was not what I expected. I was hoping to do more then learn chords by ear. I lost interest long before I even got to the notes. The rhythm section was a bit better but you just listen to a rhythm and repeat it. I thought it might teach more about playing rhythms or reading note patterns. It was a disappointment to me.
Harder than original Brain Age, a work out for your brain! Brain Age 2 has many interesting and challenging games, although some can be hard, especially for very young kids.
Brain Age starts out by calculating your brain age through a series of tests, one of which is Rock, Paper, Scissors but it adds a twist. It asks you to win or lose which can make it quite challenging if you're not concentrating. There are other tests to test your brain age as well which are non-verbal like pick thebiggest number on a screen full of numbers, repeatedly subtracting a smaller number from a bigger number, memorizing number placement in an equation to write in the total. After the testing your brain age is calculated - closer to 20 is better.
You can then try the daily activities to improve your brain age. Some are easy and others quite hard. Here is a list of some:
-Word Scramble where you have to unscramble letters to make a word, medium difficulty
- Change maker, giving back change from a total, easy
- Memory Sprint, keepingtrack of how many runners passed a runner, medium difficulty
- Piano Player, playing notes on a simulated keyboard with the stylus, easy
- Sign finder, you get a simple equation and have to determine what sign goes in between, easy but you need to be quick
- Word Blend, 2-4 words are spoken together by different voices and you have to write them down, hard - this game is ok till there are only 2 voices speaking but with 4 voices it's almost impossible to figure out what they're saying
- Calendar count - You're asked questions like "What will bethe day 3 days before 5 days from now?"
There are some other games that get unlocked as you keep playing. However, I don't play daily and each time I pick it up after a gap I seem to be stuck at the same level I was the last time so I have not been able to unlock any more games.
I've also played Big Brain Academy and it is a little less challenging, a little more diverse and colorful and therefore more fun than this game. I like Brain Age 2 but sometimes because of the "strict" instructor who chides you when you've been remiss, black and white colors and games that require good concentration it seems more like work than just plain fun. So I don't play it very often.
Overall it really tests your brain with interesting activities and I rank it highly as one of the best brain games available on the DS.
If you take healthy steps, how far will you go? My Weight Loss Coach for Nintendo DS is a game for every adult, male and female, who considers reaching and maintaining their target weight a challenge. A program that fits your own objectives and respects your daily life constraints, My Weight Loss Coach supports you and tracks your progress and achievements by improving your energy balance. Developed in conjunction with a nutritionist, it helps you take control of your weight efficiently and feel better. Via an exclusive pedometer (included free with the game), you will be able to measure your real physical activity level and balance it, following the advice of a fitness coach. Your motivation will increase with coaching sessions, daily challenges, mini-games and quizzes play for only 10 to 15 minutes per day and you will feel the difference!
Key Features
Personal Profiles: Create your personal profile and evaluate your improvement potential, then set up your objectives following the recommendations based on your personal profile.
Input Reward System: On a daily or weekly basis, overall, per input category, via a pedometer, physical activity and nutrition.
The Pedometer: Free with the game and easily updated through your DS, it’s the best way to control your daily physical effort, challenge yourself and balance your food intake.
Real-Life Landmark Checkpoints: As a reward, all physical activities you achieve and good nutrition habits you acquire are converted into distance. Didn’t you notice you’d already been traveling the distance equivalent to the Great Wall of China?
Mini-Games:
10 coaching sessions, with different themes like alimentation and physical activity, help define your profile and give you strategies
300 to 500 fun challenges, depending on your profile and your needs
Four trivia games, featuring about 300 questions with learning and awareness objectives
More than 160 tips and hints within the game
Real Experts: Developed in collaboration with a fitness coach and a nutritionist.
A Game That Wants You to Lose View Image
REVIEW
Too Complicated for a Lazy A** Like Me My main problem with this game was the food. You have to remember everything you ate every day -- and the portion size, which isn't easy to do -- and log it in. And make it fit the game's generalized food categories. If you hit the wrong button by accident, you can't undo it. Logging in my food was not fun and just a chore, and even when I barely moved at all that day, the game was telling me my food to exercise balance was good. I know it's not. Many of the challenges the game was offering me -- like put away the salt shaker and clean up the kitchen -- were things I was already doing.
To walk the number of steps on the pedometer it wanted me to walk was a lot of walking! And here's where I failed the game. Instead of getting out at night and walking around the block until I logged in those extra 3,000 steps I was failing to achieve, I just stopped wearing the pedometer. So if you are amendable to being challenged to walk more, than I guess this would be good for you.
But it started off good. It told me to drink a whole glass of water and walk 300 steps to calibrate the pedometer. But after that it never asked me to drink a glass of water again. I wish it had demanded that every time I turned it on. It reached the point where I was just laying on the sofa, trying to log in my food. So I guess it's back to the Wii Fit.
Now that I look at the review, I think I'm the one who should get 1 star and the game should get 4 stars!
