Hot Brain on the PSP is a sort of half-arsed attempt at catching the brain training craze, but despite its lack of polish I still find it a fun distraction for fifteen minutes or so, and I’ve taken to playing it on my journey to work in the morning by way of waking up the grey matter.
This morning I was going for a streak of four consecutive Hot Brain tests with an increased brain temperature. Before settling down for the main test, I’d done some practice of the categories I find difficult and had done well at them, so I was more than ready to roast my squash.
The first test was one where you have to work out where a taxi will stop by following the arrows displayed and working out how their direction relates to the map shown. I’d practiced this after finding it really tough at first, so I was happy with scoring 8/8. The next test went equally well and I was set up for a scorcher of a brain temperature – we’re talking China Syndrome, here.
Then came the maths category with an arithmetic test, but right in the middle of it along came the ticket inspector. You cant pause Hot Brain (for cheating related reasons, obviously) so I had to haul out my travel pass and wave it at the inspector while the timer ebbed away.
The time wasting wasn’t the problem, though – my concentration had been blown, and I messed it up so much that I got in a right fluster by the end of it. This snowballed into the alphabet test that came next, and the concentration test that followed that. I didn’t have my composure back until the final test consisting of following tangled balls of string and pressing the button of the symbol they lead to.
I aced that, but despite that late rally the damage was done and I posted a brain temperature of around 30 degrees – a steep drop-off of about 7 degrees from my previous test. Damn ticket inspector, stifling my mental development!
I suppose I’m not exactly taking these tests in the most scientific of circumstances. Like last week when some hot blonde chick sat down facing me right at the start of the concentration test and, well, if she’d even tried to wear a shirt that fitted I might have stood a chance. 😉
Ah well, I suppose I can at least look forward to an increase in temperature for my next test – as soon as my ticket is checked tomorrow morning I’ll get right back on that horse.
