We all need to exercise the grey matter between our ears sometimes and rather than zapping monsters and racing against AI competitors – the best stimulation and rewards comes via testing our mental skills.
Take AMA Memory Booster for example, it not only will test your skills but as any good brain exerciser, you will see the fruits from your labour. I was quite impressed, not by the rather lacklustre appearance and low resolution graphics – particularly of the helpful female assistant who pops up time and again, but by just how it got certain parts of my mind working and I can honestly say, I was feeling and seeing the results after just a few goes. Remarkable to say, but it’s totally true!
I’ve never been terribly good with names or numbers – I can’t tell you my home telephone number (as I never have to call it), but as shocking as this revelation is, there’s probably quite a few out there in a similar disposition. Thankfully, one of the areas this programme covers is numerical memory. In a rather fun game, you are flashed up three numbers, then when memorised, you have to replicate these numbers in order. Every time you are correct, you get to go onto the next step, which involves adding another number at the end of the sequence. Before too long, you are rattling off numbers in order without too much difficulty. However, should you make a mistake, don’t worry – you have three lifelines per level.
Interestingly, the assistant (who I mentioned earlier) flashes up after each attempt to give you a progress report or simply to offer encouragement. More importantly, she comes up with some pretty fascinating ways to improve your memory in general. Everything from diet, exercise and rest to memory strategies e.g. turning a number into a memorable date – like 247 could be 24th July… and then for you to attribute it to a personal significant date or to look up on the web for something significant that happened on the day – which will help you recall the number! Derren Brown eat your heart out!
If numbers aren’t such a problem for you but letters and pairing objects are more of a challenge, then rest assured – you can develop these skills equally. Either in the form of a sequence of jumbled letters where you must recall their position correctly or as a kind of flash-card memory test where you are given images which you must remember the ones on the list out of a large number of possible pictures – all within a limited amount of time.
Overall then, this is a great little game where you can test and improve your recollection as well as other areas of the mind through systematic exercises. From personal experience I found myself with improved numeric skills and scored well from other tests as I improved in other areas and can imagine others will find this useful, challenging and fun too!
Rating 93%
Positives
Saw results from using this programme
Quite a few different challenges to keep you playing for some time
Addictive and rewarding
It won’t quite make Derren Brown quake in his boots, but offers good advice!
Negatives
Fairly basic and low-end graphics
Music’s not that great either
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