The Wii and Nintendo DS offer a level of intuitive interaction with games never before achieved on a mainstream gaming platform. For this reason, Nintendo and third parties are able to produce “non-games” that practically anyone can pick up for fun or practical use, even if they’re not games in the traditional sense. Nintendo’s “Touch Generations” series has offerings that make it easy for anyone to enjoy the DS, with releases such as Brain Age, Electroplankton, and Nintendogs.

Each week, we’ll present you with some of our ideas that we think would be potentially useful and fun non-games and applications for the Wii or Nintendo DS. Maybe someone out there will decide to make a homebrew application based on it. Maybe some official developer will decide it’s an idea worth trying out. Or maybe it will simply spark your imagination and open your eyes to the endless possibilities of Nintendo’s new systems. This week, we look at the potential another brain program such as Mensa could have on the Nintendo DS.

” A man came home to find himself locked out of his house and his yard filled with water. He noticed one of the upstairs windows was unlocked, but he had no ladder. However, he realized if he could get on to the roof of the front porch he would be able to reach the window. He looked around and solved his problem without the use of any ladders, steps or climbing the house. How did he do it?

Answer: The “frozen” water in his yard was snow - he made a pile high enough to reach the roof of the porch.”

How many of you are self-proclaimed geniuses? Yeah, thought so. Let’s not get cocky. Most of us take pleasure every now and in coming across random brainteasers or puzzles that test our mental abilities. The above brainteaser is from a book I have from when I was younger, called “The Giant Book of Mensa Puzzles.” It’s loaded with several puzzles, problems, stories, and other challenges of varying difficulty that test your logic skills and keep your mind thinking outside of the box.

Let’s face it, we all have at least a little curiosity as to how intelligent we are. We’re intrigued by things that challenge us, such as problems that we don’t know the answers to but think we should. Regardless of whether or not you qualify to officially join Mensa, those little puzzles can be a fun way to pass the time, and a neat little way to challenge you, your family, or your friends.

The game Brain Age doesn’t cut it, at least in the type of game I’m talking about. Brain Age is a wonderful exercise game based on a great concept. It’s a portable software program designed to keep your mind in shape, not to provide advanced logic problems. Even Big Brain Academy takes a step closer to what I’m talking about, but the level of difficulty doesn’t even come close.

Also, those books of Mensa puzzles are packed with tons of challenges, and the size of every book definitely shows the fact. They’re even labeled as “The Big Book…” or “The Giant Book…” I don’t want to have to lug around a book several inches thick if I want to have some mind challenges around for fun on the go.

That’s where the DS comes in. The DS has already proven to be great for puzzle games. It’s also been proven to be great as a digital book. Heck, it’s even proven as a great platform for brain games. Why not put a fun version of the ultimate intelligence test on there? The one that actually has bragging rights?

Who knows, maybe something like this could be a brand new way of releasing an official practice Mensa test. The game could time and intelligently score your results, and could probably do so in creative and fun ways just as Big Brain Academy attempts to do. Besides, it’ll cost you about $18 for the actual home test, so $19.95 or slightly more for a DS version shouldn’t be considered out of the realm of feasibility.

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