Asterix Brain Trainer (2008)

## The Game

Asterix Brain Trainer is a brain training game which includes 20 minigames (18 without duplicates), referred to as activities. Many activities require the player to memorise things, then find or reproduce them, and all activities except 2 have a time limit and consist of 6 attempts. The game is played using only a stylus.

At the start of the game the player must choose one of the three difficulty levels. This will define the initial available amount of game levels (difficulties) for minigames (1 for Easy, 2 for Normal, 3 for Difficult), as well as the difficulty level for exams (cannot be changed). Each minigame has 5 difficulty levels, successfully completing the highest available level unlocks the next one.

Minigames are given by the villagers and are accessible via their houses. If the villager has a new task, smoke will come out of the pipe of his house. A finished or abandoned minigame session is given a grade from 0 to 20. If the player gets at least 10/20, it will be considered a success, and if this was a new minigame they will earn an item. The player needs to collect 4 items in order to sit the exam (accessed via the school on the southeast). An exam consists of a few activities randomly selected from the currently available ones. Exams are also rated from 0 to 20, the grade is the arithmetic mean based on the activities' grades. If the player fails the exam, they have to get the items and sit the exam all over again. If they pass the exam, they will unlock 4 new minigames and the next exam. The game is completed when the player passes the 5th exam.

The player can optionally visit Vitalstatistix (his house is on the south) to read the game's rules.

The villageThe school

### Story

The game's events take place after the comic Asterix and the Normans (1966). Postaldistrix delivers a letter to Vitalstatistix, which is from Justforkix. The chief's nephew is returning to the village and wants to become not only brave but smart. While Asterix goes to meet Justforkix, the villagers organise activities where he will need to win trophies and bring them to the school, then complete the "special challenges" - exams - to gain warrior titles.

### Activities

#### Obelix's activities

Obelix's house is located on the north near the menhir quarry.

**The Roman Fort**

The number at the start of the game shows how many Romans are inside. After you press the "Let's go!" button the Gauls will start fighting Romans. Add Romans which enter the fort and subtract the ones thrown out. You can move the slider to slow down or speed up the fight. After the fight ends, select how many Romans are left in the camp. The answers are written in Roman numerals: I = 1, II = 2, III = 3, IV = 4, V = 5, VI = 6, VII = 7, VIII = 8, IX = 9.

**The Labyrinth**

There is no time limit for this minigame, and a session for this minigame consists of only 1 attempt. Guide Obelix through the maze and reach the exit while being stealthy. Be careful not to walk into pits or get noticed by Romans. If a Roman sees you he will move towards you with increased speed, which will result in a fight unless you hide. You lose a life everytime you fight or fall. After losing a life you gain invincibility frames for a few seconds, the Romans cannot see you in this state. You can get extra lives by taking gourds of magic potion. If you lose all your lives or reach the exit with few lives left, your grade will be unsatisfactory.

The minigame has an essential map of the whole maze with Obelix, Romans, pits and gourds.

**Dogmatix and the Pyramid**

This minigame is a more elaborate version of The Labyrinth. You must find Dogmatix (not marked on the map) in the dark maze with the limited light of your torch and leave. The exit is locked until you pick up Dogmatix (his icon will appear in the HUD). If your torch goes out, darkness will surround you and all dots on the map will disappear. Walk into torches in the maze (marked with orange dots on the map) to renew your torch. The Romans are replaced with slow mummies and fast Egyptian guards.

The Roman FortThe LabyrinthDogmatix and the Pyramid

#### Getafix's activities

Getafix's house is located on the northeast.

**The Magic Potions**

Getafix shows which ingredients you need for the potion and how to stir it by moving your stylus, you have a bit of time to memorise these. Start by adding the ingredients. Following the order is not necessary. If you try to add the wrong ingredient, Getafix will not let you, and this will not result in grade penalty. Once you have added all the right ingredients, move on to stirring. Repeat the movement you saw earlier for a required amount of times. If you run out of time, the potion will explode.

**The Curse**

Getafix draws a few symbols on sand which you need to memorise, such as >, И (mirrored N), rhombus and more. Do not get distracted by anything that appears in the way, e.g. flying carpets. Use your stylus to reproduce the symbols in the right order. If you draw the wrong symbol you will hear a "wah wah wah" sound, you can press the broom button to clear it and draw a different one. There is no penalty for mistakes that were corrected.

**The Cap'n's Arithmetic**

Captain Redbeard and you take turns giving each other equations and answering. When Redbeard gives you equations, you only need to provide the correct answer. When you make up your own equations for Redbeard, you need to chose whether his answer is right or wrong. Tap the buttons or write with your stylus. Use the Delete button to correct your wrong symbols.

**Hiccups**

This minigame is functionally identical to The Curse. Turkeys replace carpets as distractions.

The Magic PotionsThe CurseThe Cap'n's ArithmeticHiccups

#### Geriatrix's activities

Geriatrix's house is located behind Cacofonix's house.

**Card Game**

Look at the cards and memorise them. The cards will be flipped upside down, with a question mark on one of them. You have a few cards, find the same card as the one with the question mark and drag it into the orange spot.

**Hide and Seek**

Geriatrix tells you which character you need to keep track of. After you press the "Let's go!" button several characters will run around, emerging from tents and hiding in them. Once everyone stops running, press the tent with the character you were watching.

**The Trophies**

Look at the row of Roman items and figure out the pattern. You have a few items to choose from, tap the one which fits in the last slot.

Card GameHide and SeekThe Trophies

#### Fulliautomatix's activities

Fulliautomatix's house is located on the west.

**The Egyptian Monument**

You have a reference image of the complete puzzle to help you. Drag the pieces to move them around, tap the rotation buttons to rotate them. If you place a piece correctly, it will stick to its spot, but you can still move it again if you have to get a piece behind it.

**Zurix's Door**

Memorise the door picture. Slide over the pavement left and right to look at different doors. When you find the door like in the picture, double-tap it.

**The Fresco**

Reconstruct the picture by moving the square pieces around. You cannot swap the pieces.

**Drawing is Believing**

You have a few seconds to memorise the picture. Assemble the puzzle like in The Egyptian Monument. After that a gladiator will show you a small part of a picture, you need to choose the corresponding full picture from a few similar ones (rotated and flipped variations). If you do not answer quickly, he will reveal more of the picture piece by piece until mostly complete.

The Egyptian MonumentZurix's DoorThe FrescoDrawing is Believing

#### Cacofonix's activities

Cacofonix lives in the treehouse.

**The Harp**

This minigame is a variation of "Simon Says". Watch the notes played and memorise them. Touch the strings in the right order to reproduce the sequence. To play two strings at the same time (a chord), quickly slide through them.

**Colouring**

Look at the picture and memorise the colours which you will need to reproduce. Tap a colour and a brush size (using the big one is most efficient), then drag the stylus over a picture's section to colour it. While colouring one section (e.g. the star in the shield, the top parts of the harp), you cannot accidentally colour any other. If you made a mistake, you can press the broom button to manually erase and then use another colour, or simply colour over the mistake which is faster. The picture counts as complete when most pixels' colours are correct, there is no grade penalty for a bit of wrong colours.

**The Harp and the Lions**

This minigame is functionally identical to The Harp. It takes place in the arena with lions instead of the forest.

The HarpColouringThe Harp and the Lions

#### Unhygienix's activities

Unhygienix's house is in front of Cacofonix's house.

**Pairs**

Look at the squares with items and memorise them. They will be hidden and you will need to find pairs.

**Gaulish Bowls**

Memorise the bowls (balls with different colours and patterns) and whom they belong to. A game of bowls will be played off-screen. After that look at the game field and choose the character whose bowl is the closest to the jack (small black ball). Sometimes it may be difficult to see which bowl is closer, in this case you can drag the stylus over the game field, which draws a line between the jack and the stylus, and a number written in Roman numerals will appear in the top left corner which shows the distance.

**Fish Soup**

Drag weighs onto the empty tray (or take them off if too heavy) until you balance the scales. Move onto noting the weight. Use your stylus to write the ingredient's weight. If you wrote the wrong number, tap Delete and write a new one.

PairsGaulish BowlsFish Soup

## Trivia

* The box art was originally made for the book Asterix and the Class Act (2003).
* When creating a new game profile, "ix" is automatically added to the name.
* Completing a minigame session without failed attempts may result in a 19/20 grade. The reason for this is unknown.
* In Fish Soup, after the correct answer has been found out and before it is confirmed, the scales can be unbalanced and left that way without grade penatly.