Common Sense Media Review
By Christy Matte
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Playful brain workout provides social media bragging rights.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Play
Videos and Photos
Smart As...
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's It About?
SMART AS... is a brain training game with four areas of focus: observation, arithmetic, language, and logic. Each area has five different games to unlock over time, and each of the games has four difficulty levels ranging from easy to genius. Each day, players complete a set of challenges (one in each area) and receive a brain score for the day. Completing the daily challenge unlocks a new game. The games are varied and make use of all of the PS Vita's bells and whistles. Some ask you to fill in the missing letter or number in a word or math problem. Others ask you to remember certain objects in order or as they move around the screen. The logic puzzles involve moving pieces around a board or connecting pegs with certain constraints. There is a jigsaw puzzle that uses whatever is on camera as a moving image. A few games use the AR (augmented reality) cards that came with the device.
Is It Any Good?
Smart As... is certainly a fun take on brain training with a nice selection of games. Some of them feel gimmicky, especially those that use the AR cards to "shoot" objects that appear to be floating in your room. Some seem hard simply because the PS Vita is a large device to hold comfortably. And there can be frustrating moments due to the highly sensitive touch screen. Even with those drawbacks, most of the games work well and make you want to keep trying. There's an incentive to score well to unlock harder levels (and for bragging rights); and coming back each day will help you unlock new games more quickly.
Smart As... has an interesting social component. Players can upload their scores to compare with friends or with others around the world. Each day the game asks you a question about yourself to place you in a group, such as whether you're an early or late riser. As you play, the game tells you how you rank in intelligence compared to others in your group. You can see who is the smartest in your neighborhood based on those using the Near app that comes on the PS Vita. This social aspect becomes questionable since there is no break down by age. A 20-something should typically score higher than a 10-year-old on a test that requires extensive understanding of vocabulary words. You have to connect to the PlayStation Network to upload your score, so that portion is optional if you aren't feeling competitive. Overall, thumbs up to Smart As..., despite a few drawbacks, it's clever and fun and manages to keep you on your toes.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the idea of exercising your brain daily by playing games. Do you think it helps?
What do you think about comparing intelligence with others? Does it motivate you to try harder?
How do you think your scores change based on the amount of sleep you have had? What you have had for breakfast? What other factors might impact your score on a day-to-day basis?
Game Details
- Platform : PlayStation Vita
- Subjects : Math : addition , arithmetic , division , multiplication , subtraction , Language & Reading : following directions , letter or word recognition , spelling
- Skills : Self-Direction : effort , personal growth , working efficiently , Communication : listening , Thinking & Reasoning : logic , memorization , thinking critically
- Pricing structure :
- Available online? : Not available online
- Publisher : Sony Computer Entertainment
- Release date : October 30, 2012
- Genre : Puzzle
- Topics : Numbers and Letters
- ESRB rating :
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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