Big Brain Academy: Strong Return to the Switch with Brain vs. Brain

In need of a new party game for Christmas? You’ve come to the right place…

Ever since I learned we would be getting a new Big Brain Academy game later this year, I haven’t been the same. The brainteasing series that made its debut on Nintendo DS in 2007 and was closely followed by a Wii edition, has now made a comeback on the Nintendo Switch and it’s only a day away from its release.

Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain is the latest instalment in the Big Brain Academy series and is packed with a medley of mind-melting puzzles that will transport you right back to where it all began…

Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain Review

Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain is already different from its predecessors as the game focuses almost exclusively on the multiplayer modes available. The game still has the structure players will be familiar with- a collection of mini-games where each of the games is divided into five different categories: identify, memorize, analyze, compute, and visualize- yet there are a lot more options available for multiplayer.

There’s still a single-player mode that feels almost like a warm-up for the party mode, giving you “tests” that involves each of the five categories. Players can also compete against the ghosts of either friends or players online if they choose to do so.

One of the mini-games available involves popping numbered balloons in the correct order, while another has you choosing the right shapes to complete an image. The games are simple to start off with but offer a nice progression as you continue to play, so they work well for a timed competition where you’re trying to solve problems as quickly as possible. Just don’t let it turn into a screaming match when you’re trying to be the first to identify a slowly unravelling photo of a zebra when it gets intense…

What’s great about Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain compared to other party games is each player gets to choose their own difficulty when playing against one other to make it easier to balance the experience for people of different ages. It’s certainly an improvement from the previous games in the series and certainly different to other party games like Mario Kart 8, WarioWare and Mario Party.

Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain comes out on December 3.