

Neuromatrix
Fall 2008 SoftwareDesigned to teach kids about the human brain and how to take care of it, as well as intrigue them in the stranger-than-fiction field of neuroscience, this game effectively combines a dramatic storyline and fascinating graphics with some heavy-duty learning to create an unusually engaging game that's both fun and forensic. Plus, it's intuitive and easy, so kids won't turn it off before they get turned on.
Players take on the role of a secret agent who must infiltrate a top-secret neuroscience lab where rogue nanobots (microscopic robots) have invaded the brains of the lab's top scientists. Spawned by a secret evil villain, the nanobots' mission is to reprogram the human brain-starting with those who know most about it-and render humans subservient and docile leading to the take-over of the planet Earth.
But get this: In conducting brain medically-based diagnostic exams and surfing to different parts of the scientists' brains to "delete" the nanobots, players see what the inside of the brain looks like and how it functions-just like a neurologist would. Lots of grisly (but not gross) internal body scenes that only a scientist or budding scientist could love.
Excellent mini-movies glue attention and mini-games make learning about brain functions, well, just a game. Enter the cerebrum, for instance, and play a memory puzzle that's not only fun but also recreates how memories are made inside the brain. Head into the cerebellum game and find out how it automates motor tasks, or the parietal lobe game for lessons in special awareness and navigation. And in the process, using problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, kids learn from synapse to neuron the way the brain works firsthand.
Buying this remarkable videogame for your child should be a no-brainer-so to speak.