Math maniac

 After having had more fun than I should of whilst playing the very simplistic "Mathgame" I decided to see what other mathematical based games were on the Android market. One of the highest ranked was the wonderfully named "Math Maniac" which has a red android on the title screen (as you can see to the side) and has a very basic but effective look to it.

One of the great features about "Mathgame" was that as much as you felt frustrated you feel like you were always testing your brain and it made "learning" fun. The big challenge for any other learning game was to try and match the level of addictiveness and fun, and it's something that I didn't expect "Math Maniac" to even get close, I'll admit I've been surprised by the game.

The idea of the. The game is a simple one (and as you can see below the game actually features it's own instructions), you need to tap numbers on the screen to to make the larger number in the bottom corner. For example

 if the number in the corner was 45, you'd have to click something like 4,5,6,7,8,9,6. You have 20 seconds (10 on hard) to reach the number or you fail and your game ends. Like the quick mode on "Mathgame" you find yourself panicking and worrying and making silly mistakes as you feel the count down though you keep starting over trying to set yourself a higher score and reach higher levels.

When you clear all the numbers on the screen you move onto the next level and the target numbers become larger and more complex. In the first level for example you can generally get the target by needing to select just 2 or 3 numbers but by the 4 level you are looking at needing 5 or 6 numbers at a time. It leads to you improving your reactions and your maths and yet no matter how many times you fail you will find yourself coming back to try and beat your scores and get further.

Math Maniac and Mathgame have more in common than just being games about maths. Both games have a very simple but effective graphical display
with Math Maniac though you have a slightly more simple but a slightly better visual. The numbers are each given a different colour, but using more of the same colour to reach the target you get an improved score (whilst in Mathgame you'd have only 1 or 2 coloured tiles to use, each providing bonuses). As well as the improved graphics of Math Maniac we also have music (yay!) although on the Samsung Galaxy the music is incredibly quiet and hard to hear it does seem quiet a nice soft backing.

Addictiveness-9/10. Learning is once again stupidly addictive!
Controls-10/10. Exactly what you'd expect and they work sublimely
Graphics-6/10. It's a slight improvement on Mathgame and is colourful and bright. Not amazing but looks good for what it is.
Sounds-5/10 A nice, simple sounding tune plays in the background. Although it is awfully quiet it does it's job.
Originality-7/10 Not completely original but it's no less original than Mathgame so it has the score here.

Total score:
37/50

Overall the game is addictive, it looks good, there sound, it's original, it's brilliant. Although it's genuinely difficult so split this and Mathgame (I think Mathgame is slightly more addictive whilst this has a better look and sound to it) both are brilliant. It's a must whether you want to sharpen your maths or just waste a few minutes.

Game Mark B+

Mathgame

The title screen

By now I'm sure we've all had some form of experience with the mega-selling Brain Training series of games which attempt to test your brain an allow you to improve your brain age. If you enjoyed those games but felt that the maths part of those games was too easy or too short then Eddie Hsu's excellent "Mathgame" is the answer for you.

The concept of the game is simple, you need to select two numbers and a function from the randomly generated ones on the screen (between 2 and 81) to create a full equation. It sounds so simple and in fact it should be simple but you will quickly find yourself panicking, pulling your hair out and wondering why you can't see the most obvious equation there.

The game comes in two modes a "normal" game and a "quick" game. The normal game sees you playing the game until there is no possible equations on the screen much like the marathon mode on Bejeweled, all the while racking up a score. The games scoring system is a clever addition that sees you getting a bonus multiplier for using the same number in different equations. I.e. 5+4=9, re-using that 9 (which will be coloured) adds an extra multiplier. So then going 9-5=4 would give you a bonus and make the 4 tile the bonus number.

Whilst the normal game mode is the long term choice it's the games "quick" mode that really stands out. This mode gives you 1 minute to try and rack up the biggest score possible, all the while you are getting more and more worried and finding it harder to think. The quick mode really sorts the men from the boys, sadly I appear to be a boy. It's the pick up and play speed that really separates the two game modes and it's the difference between having a leisurely walk in the countryside and being chased by ravenous dogs.


As well as being very simple to play with you selecting the relevant tiles by just using your finger to literally touch them the game also has a very simplistic look to it that perhaps wouldn't look out of place in a late 1980's home console. The idea, I think, is that the monkeys are sat in a classroom and whilst it looks simple it does the job. There isn't really much point in over-doing the graphics here as it's the gameplay that the game relies on, not beautiful glowing colours, yet the graphics do have a real charm about them. The games one lacking quality is sound. And by lacking quality I mean there is no sound at all. Whilst this doesn't make any difference to the gameplay or the addictiveness it would have been nice to have had some soft soothing music and maybe even some sounds come to congratulate getting an equation.

Whilst the game is incredibly charming and addictive as well as infuriating it's also a learning experience and one that you will find yourself coming back to time and time again. Whilst the game doesn't break the boundaries of video gaming, it plays nicely inside the boundaries whilst teaching kids maths in a fun and addictive fashion.

If I was asked what could be improved maybe a difficulty setting (for example easy uses just numbers 2-20 whilst hard could be expanded to 1-100) and some light "elevator music" (with the option to turn it off) as well as a small graphics over-haul though they are only minor things and certainly don't take away from a fabulous game.

Addictiveness-9/10. Learning has never been this addictive!
Controls-10/10. Exactly what you'd expect and they work sublimely
Graphics-4/10. It looks simple and is charming but nothing amazing on the eye
Sounds-0/10. Completely absent. I turned the sound all the way up but nothing at all.
Originality-7/10. Yes it's a concept borrowed from Brain Training but it's done in a very unique and clever way that feels fresh and original.

Total score
30/50

Overall this is the best learning experience I've seen put into a game. Whether your a young child just learning how to use numbers or an adult you will be hooked and you'll try repeatedly to break your own top scores. The scoring system of the game makes you want to come back for more whilst the quick game is the most frustratingly brilliant thing I've seen on the Android market so far. Eddie Hsu you have made a monster!

Game Mark B+