Submission Text Full Submission Page
Brain Age 2, also known as "More Brain Training from Dr. Kawashima" in PAL regions, is a sequel to Brain Age. It is a puzzle game to exercise your brain a little each day. You will play a variety of puzzles to train your brain. Although there has been controversy over the scientific effectiveness of the game in keeping your brain active, the game got very popular.

Game objectives

  • Emulator used: desmume-0.9.6
  • Abuses programming errors
  • Is a demonstration
  • Manipulates luck
  • Uses game restart sequence
  • Launches a rocket in every minigame

About the run

I was going to draw a detailed picture in every math problem. However, my previous Brain Age TAS got a lot of criticisms that it is slow-paced. After all, I gave up the idea of drawing a lot of detailed pictures and decided to make a quick-paced run that aims to launch a rocket in every game.
The main feature of the run is Piano Player.

Brain Age Check

It aims to be the youngest brain age. To achieve the objective, the run must be complete within 1050 frames. There are only 11 math problems and the average time for answering is about 95 frames. This is enough to draw some pictures without failing to achieve the objective.

Sign Finder

I draw no detailed picture here. Since the run aims to launch a rocket, it must be complete within 815 frames here. However, there are no less than 20 math problems. In other words, I must answer in 40 frames, in each problem, on the average. This is too tough to draw pictures.

Piano Player

This is the climax of the movie.

Word Scramble

This is the hardest minigame to abuse the word recognition program. So I wrote strange signs instead of video game stuff.

Memory Sprint

A rocket can be launched by solving all problems, no matter how long I spend. In other word, I can draw detailed pictures. The movie ends here because other minigames can’t be unlocked in the same day.

Special thanks

  • ISM and 890, for their Piano Player run.

Suggested Screenshots

2829, 2928, 3059, 3194, 3367, 20504, 22670, 26562, and Piano Player

DarkKobold: Claimed.

Joined: 12/16/2005
Posts: 69
Having seen the TAS of the first game, this TAS didn't really entertain me. It really suffered from the downtime during the running game (even if the last picture was classy), and I guess it doesn't help that I don't understand what's so special about the piano segment.
Warp wrote:
I'd say the relevant question is: Assume the TAS of the first brain age did not exist at all. Would you still vote no on this one?
I'm not sure. I guess a big part of the first TAs' charm was the sheer shock value of the game being broken in a ridiculous way. That can't be unseen. That, plus the several streaks of downtime make this a meh for me.
Player (183)
Joined: 12/24/2010
Posts: 144
Location: Brazil
Hmm, watched, read the submission text, yet its a hard one to vote... the pictures itself were nice, others werent, but also there were more minigames, I feel like a Wario Ware, yet it was pretty nice to watch,however, I dont felt so charmed by the pictures itself, most of the simple one removed the enchant of the run... Meh from me.
My main objective here is to TAS the most obscure games titles!
GabCM
He/Him
Joined: 5/5/2009
Posts: 901
Location: QC, Canada
Yes vote from me, and encoding. I can't play the movie, it desyncs. If anyone can make it work, that one can encode the movie. Found a way to fix this. Alright. Encoding...
mklip2001
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Editor
Joined: 6/23/2009
Posts: 2224
Location: Georgia, USA
You've done a nice job with this run, Ryuto. However, I don't personally feel like this mode is particularly suitable for the best runs. I'm going to vote Meh with this, because I could go either way about it being published. The main issues: * Higher "cutscene" density, as someone else mentioned with the joggers * The piano part is pretty funny at first, but the novelty wears off quickly. * Most of the games end too quickly to be able to make any real good playarounds with them. I think you made some really good choices with this one. It's still entertaining, but it makes me go "Oh, I get it, the game is broken" instead of "Wow, the game has been obliterated". That's why I'm going with Meh.
Used to be a frequent submissions commenter. My new computer has had some issues running emulators, so I've been here more sporadically. Still haven't gotten around to actually TASing yet... I was going to improve Kid Dracula for GB. It seems I was beaten to it, though, with a recent awesome run by Hetfield90 and StarvinStruthers. (http://tasvideos.org/2928M.html.) Thanks to goofydylan8 for running Gargoyle's Quest 2 because I mentioned the game! (http://tasvideos.org/2001M.html) Thanks to feos and MESHUGGAH for taking up runs of Duck Tales 2 because of my old signature! Thanks also to Samsara for finishing a Treasure Master run. From the submission comments:
Shoutouts and thanks to mklip2001 for arguably being the nicest and most supportive person on the forums.
Editor
Joined: 3/10/2010
Posts: 899
Location: Sweden
The piano part was horrible and watching the runner was outright boring. The nondescript squiggles also doesn't work as well as identifiable objects.
Player (120)
Joined: 2/11/2007
Posts: 1522
I liked the piano song personally, except for the end when you started playing the melody :) Voted yes
I make a comic with no image files and you should read it. While there is a lower class, I am in it, and while there is a criminal element I am of it, and while there is a soul in prison, I am not free. -Eugene Debs
Joined: 6/23/2009
Posts: 150
The run was kinda slow paced. Defiantly a worse choice in game than the published Brain Age movie.
Active player (422)
Joined: 9/7/2007
Posts: 329
The piano would have been awesome if real songs were played and they fit within the required notes. Abstaining for now.
Brandon
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Editor, Player (189)
Joined: 11/21/2010
Posts: 913
Location: Tennessee
Voting yes as I loved his Brain Age runs, and this one built upon them magnificently. Also, I think the last image has to be the screenshot used for publication. EDIT: Actually, that might be a bit of a spoiler.
All the best, Brandon Evans
Warepire
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Editor
Joined: 3/2/2010
Posts: 2174
Location: A little to the left of nowhere (Sweden)
I didn't know what to vote after seeing this the first time, so I thought about it for a while, then watched it again... I have to say that the entertainment in this run is well hidden, I didn't find it. Most drawn pictures felt like random doodle, which didn't impress me so much. The piano was more like a nail through the brain than a climax. The racing challenge was too boring overall even though the pictures used as answers where nice it was too much downtime between them. Voting no.
Player (142)
Joined: 7/16/2009
Posts: 686
The drawing meant nothing, the piano part made me turn my speakers of, there's way to much of not-doing-anything and the goal is arbitrary (getting the best-time "medal" but doing so as slowly as possible). So I'm gonna go with no on this one. Either focus on entertainment, or on speed.
Joined: 1/2/2010
Posts: 29
Location: China
I was amused at first when you were writing "Mario" in different languages for your personal information, but kinda lost interest after that. The piano section was just noise, and the rest was just the first game TAS but with longer wait times and unrecognisable images. For those who want the game to be judged on its own merit, the problem with doing this is that both games are pretty much the same. The extra games played in this one really didn't add anything except noise and waiting to see what picture was drawn next. Frankly, I'd compare it to running, say, the Mario Advance version of Mario USA. It has a few differences compared to the original NES game, but are those differences enough to justify publishing both?
Lex wrote:
Maybe you should consider what other people not TAS-overloaded would think after seeing this movie.
Why? We (who have seen many TASs) have our opinions, you (who have not) have yours. Why should everyone have the same opinion? Isn't the whole point of a democratic system to allow opposing arguments?
dunnius wrote:
The piano would have been awesome if real songs were played and they fit within the required notes.
I was thinking the same thing. I might even be willing to turn my vote around for this.
Joined: 3/18/2011
Posts: 35
Location: Ohio
I don't think this was as entertaining as the first version but I still found it to be entertaining so I'm voting yes.
MESHUGGAH
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Joined: 11/14/2009
Posts: 1349
Location: 𝔐𝔞𝔤𝑦𝔞𝔯
I laughed hard at the end, however I abstain. The piano part would be better with real songs (if it's possible), since I don't like cacophony that much.
PhD in TASing 🎓 speedrun enthusiast ❤🚷🔥 white hat hacker ▓ black box tester ░ censorships and rules...
Lex
Joined: 6/25/2007
Posts: 732
Location: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
RadioKJ wrote:
Lex wrote:
Maybe you should consider what other people not TAS-overloaded would think after seeing this movie.
We (who have seen many TASs) have our opinions, you (who have not)
For the record, please don't assume. I've been visiting this site since 2005 and have seen hundreds upon hundreds of TASes. I've done plenty of tool-assisted speed-running myself. I also seem to generally find things more interesting than other people. I guess my personality is just like that. It seems that voters become biased by the weighty words of those they respect. I have seen some strange mob mentality recently. I, myself, was biased by such a mob mentality in the recent 0-star thread, so I know it can happen to anyone. As long as judges continue to act with discipline and an absence of bias like adelikat did recently, I have no problem with the whole voting system. Nach pointed out that he would consider factors outside his personal opinion while judging, instilling more faith in me regarding his competence as a judge. As long as adelikat and Nach are judging these, I won't squabble about people's opinions from now on. However, I encourage everyone to consider whether they're voting because of what they actually felt during the run or what's been said in the thread/IRC. If one is voting because of what they actually felt during the run, I have no problem with that.
Joined: 1/2/2010
Posts: 29
Location: China
Lex, on re-reading a few times, it seems you're talking about from a judging perspective. Well then, yes, every vote counts. That's kind of my point when I mentioned the democratic system. But I'm pretty sure everyone posting here is giving their personal opinions. I'm not sure why you're so focused on the judges. But then I'm distracted by matters irrelevant, so I'll allow that I skipped over something in the conversation.
Samsara
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Joined: 11/13/2006
Posts: 2792
Location: Northern California
dunnius wrote:
The piano would have been awesome if real songs were played and they fit within the required notes.
My thoughts exactly, though it might be difficult considering the single octave restriction. The first Brain Age run was a novel idea that worked really well in execution, while this is more or less the same thing with some piano mixed in. I'll abstain from voting. It was enjoyable, yet a bit stale.
TASvideos Admin and acting Senior Judge 💙 | Cohost
warmCabin wrote:
You shouldn't need a degree in computer science to get into this hobby.
Joined: 1/3/2008
Posts: 8
I hated that piano part...just sayin'.
Jungon
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Player (40)
Joined: 4/2/2009
Posts: 376
Location: Porto Alegre - Brazil
8 minutes, most videos on the site are longer than 20 =P I swear to god, if he doesn't exist, .. I'm still laughing at the piano player part, it was too funny XDDDDDDDDDDDD The letters, math signs and symbols are mostly getting less attention since it's just the confusion again, but ... I still like most of them in this run ... The idea of telling a story, I would like to see that =P Yes vote, mainly for the piano player, I had to watch it 3 times, and it's really rare to catch my attention more than once >.> EDIT: Actually I'll give you a better vote, a SuperYes =P that means you should ignore all of the comments, voting and complaining, good or bad .. and just be yourself, keep on being a great TASer and eventually more and more people will like your work \o/ EDIT2: (yeah, I'm still reading the thread) now I read something interesting ... considering like the previous Brain Age TASes didn't exist ... I would definetely say Yes to this one ..... now ask yourselves this question: isn't there SMB videos all the same? Mario running top speed to the end, walkthrough walls and making the enemies look like idiots? And we love the videos, always the same, speedruns, and "tool-assisteds" ... some of us are here since 2004 and it's still fun and entertaining +D EDIT3: I too loved the ending, but memory sprint overall is ... boring. Idea? draw the dolls in all 5 ends and draw different heads, or upside down, or something more unexpected than nintendo characters, at least =P EDIT4: Why don't you do one of those 41 days and 49 hours TASes to unlock other mini-games? This game is really much more open to variation, you can even please every different opinion in this thread about the piano player part.. XD
*Jungon*/*Johnnyz* smilie weirdo =P ^^ o.o @__@ +D
Joined: 5/2/2009
Posts: 656
Jungon wrote:
8 minutes, most videos on the site are longer than 20 =P
this. For crying out loud, there's a movie in the queue with almost 8 hours. for the movie: yes, I enjoyed, makes a good double feature with then brain age 1 movie, as they're the opposite of each other. The piano parte intreagues me. In some parts you're supposed to not play anything, but there you are mashing the keyboard. how?
My first language is not English, so please excuse myself if I write something wrong. I'll do my best do write as cleary as I can, so cope with me here =) (ノಥ益ಥ)ノ
BoursinBurger
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Joined: 12/18/2008
Posts: 33
Location: SC
The piano part should have harmonized with Home On The Range. Instead it's just a mess of random notes.
Emulator Coder, Player (31)
Joined: 4/24/2010
Posts: 73
Location: California
very entertaining - yes vote
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Post subject: HD Stream is up
GabCM
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Joined: 5/5/2009
Posts: 901
Location: QC, Canada
Joined: 11/17/2005
Posts: 278
Location: Massachusetts, USA
The piano part actually played several songs, just really really fast. On my first watch I picked out two. The author was probably going for as-fast-as-possible-and-still-recognizable. (And failed.) Actually, I think I recognized more than two songs, I just don't know what they are. But if I'm the only one who doesn't think it's noise then it should be redone.
Editor, Experienced player (607)
Joined: 11/8/2010
Posts: 4012
Catastrophe wrote:
The piano part actually played several songs, just really really fast. On my first watch I picked out two. The author was probably going for as-fast-as-possible-and-still-recognizable. (And failed.) Actually, I think I recognized more than two songs, I just don't know what they are. But if I'm the only one who doesn't think it's noise then it should be redone.
I recognized the SSBB Menu music 1, the intro to the Donkey Kong theme (from the NES game, remixed in SSBB), and the SMB Game Over theme (?). And they were all in the very beginning of the Piano Player part. Other than that, I didn't hear any actual music.