Mindflex--featuring a headset that reads your brain waves and a levitating foam ball--is the kind of game that must be seen to be believed. Recommended for players aged eight and older, the game begins when you strap on the headset so you can use your powers of concentration to move the ball around the game console and through a mind-bending obstacle course. A dial-in console lets you to keep the ball lifted on a cushion of air, but raising and lowering the ball must be accomplished by alternating concentrating and relaxing your mind.
At a Glance
Ages: 8+
Requires:
4 "C" and 3 "AAA" batteries (not included)
Screwdriver for battery installation
What We Think
Fun factor: Durability: Ease of assembly: Educational factor: Novelty factor:
The Good: Adults and kids guide a foam ball through obstacles using the power of their minds.
The Challenging: Players unable to perceive a relationship between their minds and the ball's height may grow impatient.
In a Nutshell: Foam ball really does rise and fall, and choice of games and obstacle courses provides hours of amusement.
Your telekinetic fantasies becomes a reality with the Mattel Mindflex. View larger.
The challenging obstacle course will hone your mental focus. View larger.
Headset Measures your Brain Waves Tired of games that depend on the roll of a die or lucky draw? With the help of advanced technology, Mindflex introduces a whole new way to play--by using the power of your mind!
You'll feel like a character in a science fiction movie as you strap on the headset, connect the clips to your ear lobes, and align the metal forehead sensor just above your left eyebrow. But even this strange accessory won't prepare you for the sight of a foam ball quivering five inches above the game console!
Move the Ball with the Power of your Mind Skeptics will be quick to point out that the console's moveable fan nozzle holds the ball aloft on a cushion of air. However, as players learn to alternately focus and relax their minds, the ball will respond by rising and falling. An instruction manual provides various concentration and relaxation techniques to try such as math problems or visualization and practice exercises.
Once you feel like you've mastered the art of telekinesis, you can test your mental acuity with five challenging games designed for groups of one to four players. Use the game console to select your game, set the difficulty level, and track your scores.
Design a Mind-Bending Obstacle Course A variety of hoops, hurdles, funnels, and a teeter-totter can be positioned however you choose on the game console. Players use their minds to move the ball under, over, or through the obstacles. Several games test speed, while another challenges players to lift a ball up and through a funnel, shooting it across the game console to score points.
While Mindflex's advanced technology is sure to intrigue, mastering the games may prove difficult for some. Because concentration techniques will vary from person to person, the game rewards patience and a willingness to experiment. Fans of mazes and brain teasers will appreciate the mental challenge, and creative types will like designing the obstacle courses.
Mindflex's game console requires four "C" batteries (not included), and the headset requires three "AAA" batteries (not included). The four foam balls should be handled with care to keep their ability to levitate. Fortunately, the game console features an inner compartment for safe ball storage.
What's in the Box Game console, headset, four foam balls, and various obstacles. (Batteries not included.)
OK, I just came across this one recently and I've got to admit - it
looks pretty cool. It kind of reminded me of the game Mouse Trap that I
used to play when I was a kid - except Mindflex is WAY more
advanced! Who would think that they would be making games that read
your brain waves for game control?
Also, I'm not sure if this particular review will show up for you, but
one person ordered the Mindflex Game for her autistic son, with great
results. She claims that it slowed him down and helped him to focus.
In looking through the negative reviews, it seems that many of them are
by adults who may have bought it for themselves. They claim that the
novelty wears off quickly, and it's not entertaining for very long.
Well, I'm not sure if that's a fair assessment. I mean, it's meant for
kids. Yes, kids get bored with stuff too - but I think the cool-factor
will last a lot longer with a kid who is probably 8-12 years old.
Especially if he/she is scientifically-minded.
Here's a video I found from Comic-Con 2009:
Product Details
Mindflex, the new mental acuity game from Mattel, makes that dream a reality
Mindflex combines advanced technology with the power of thought!
A game where players compete in the ultimate mental marathon
The various obstacles can be repositioned into many different configurations
Finalists for 10th Annual Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards
Video Reviews
No video reviews found for this product.
Customer Reviews
This toy might be a life-changing device
Review Date: November 7, 2009
Reviewer: Scott A. Herbst,
If you know the premise of the toy, skip to the second paragraph. This toy takes a measure of brain activity in the left frontal lobe and, based on the amount of activity there, sends power to a fan (high power when high; low or off when low). This raises a foam ball in the air and a dial can be turned with the hands to move the ball through an obstacle course that arrange with detachable pieces.
I read the other reviews. They make some good points. This toy could get boring fast. The headset does get uncomfortable after about 10 minutes. The guy who said that all it does is measure stress is way off-base. He is right that the ear clips are used to complete a circuit, but that is not all this toy does. After playing it for awhile, I can say it responds negatively to stress (i.e., the ball lowers and the fan turns off). I'm basing that off of the fact the fan tended to turn off when I would get worried about it turning off. If it was responding to stress, the power should have increased.
So why am I recommending this toy? Because studies have shown that if you can increase frontal lobe activity through exercises like this, you can increase objective measures of concentration (e.g., amount of time engaged with a task) and decrease measures of impulsivity. And not just for the task where the skill was trained. So a child who got adept at playing this game should also pay better attention in school, likely increase their reading comprehension, do better on homework, etc.
My recommendation is that, if this is something that is interesting to you, you buy this toy for your child and that you play it with them. Set performance goals with them and give them some sort of reward for meeting and exceeding those goals. Start small. At first, get a stopwatch and see how long they can keep the ball in the air. After that, see if they can start to raise and lower the ball a couple of times, then see how many times they can pass it through one of the hoops. And take data the whole time. Chart their data in some way so they can see the progress they are making.
But get this toy!!! In labs where they do this sort of therapy, children with ADHD have shown serious improvement in functioning. Some kids are able to get off meds altogether.
If you want to do a little extra research before purchasing, go to wikipedia and search neurofeedback. There's a good synopsis there with links to some peer-reviewed research at the bottom.
Scott Herbst, Ph.D. (in behavioral psychology)
Great Demo
Review Date: September 22, 2009
Reviewer: J. Peterson,
I was able to try this at GenCon this year. It took about 5 seconds to learn how it works and then the rest of the 5 minute demo flew by as I was trying to just focus on the challenge. Interesting game to say the least. My only negative is that there isn't any multi-player option. (other than timing each other to see how far you can get in the course in a set time)
Great toy for the technology age
Review Date: November 2, 2009
Reviewer: Nathan Venturini, Normal, IL
Best use: Dynamically! Put it on your friends while they read, do math, watch tv, or try something they've never done before. You'd be surprised what makes some people think and others just space out.
Pros:
-Easy to use
-Ready out of box
-Many fun game types, even though I use "Freestyle" and set up obstacle courses myself
Cons:
-Mine didn't come with batteries
-Fan could be a little quieter but the user doesn't notice after a while
-My cat did not want to wear the headset
Definitely worth the buy. Everyone I know had to try it at least once.
Mindflex
Review Date: April 22, 2010
Reviewer: T.B.,
I received Mindflex for my 13th birthday from my mom, I'd looked into it a few times before, and was sure to ask her about it. To start, the packaging might be a bit complex as the items come in two smaller boxes and the console itself within the large box. And all the obstacles are in little bags, but are easy to open as most of them are taped. Their is also included a manual on various subjects, like how to set up the headband or how to play certain games. When I first tried on the headband, it was pretty uncomfortable, but not due to the two side sensors. What really bugs you, is the metallic piece or sensor that is found behind the logo on the front part of band, that digs into your bare forehead. But if you put some hair between it, along with moving it to a sweet spot, it shouldn't bother you too much. Finally, after getting used to the controls, I got around to setting up the obstacles. The pieces are made of a plastic that isn't that thick, but as long as you don't abuse them, they'll be alright. The balls are also pretty soft, so you might want to try not to sit on them (which is where the extra 3 come in). The game's pretty fun if you've got patience for that sort of thing. There are a few game modes in which you can, play, the interesting part is that most of the modes can be multiplayer. Overall Mindflex is pretty cool when you get used to it, my technique for lifting the ball is by singing a song in my head or imagining some t.v. character walking around the ball. A downside that's pretty annoying is that the ball falls out of the air a number of times if you move it around too quickly, or simply because it gets unstable while floating.
Note: I've noticed a bunch of people saying the technology in the console is fake, and that it just makes the movements up. Well if you look around on the internet, you can see some sites where they take the console and band apart and show you different parts.
Fun challenge for everyone. Great gift.
Review Date: October 6, 2009
Reviewer: Brandon Carney,
I was skeptical about how well the game would work but I was pleasantly surprised. With some practice I was able to control the hieght of the ball and move it through parts of the obstacle course. It took some practice for my daughter but she was able to control the height of the ball as well. She likes to use it during tv commercials so she has something to do until her show returns. The modular obstacles make it easy to make courses of varying deifficulty. It will be fun during the holidays when the whole family can try it.
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I've just chosen Mr. Squiggles as an example (and he seems to be the
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Here's a quick rundown on their personalities:
Mr. Squiggles (light brown): a modern-day Houdini
Chunk (white): a laid-back surfer with a big heart
Num Nums (gray): shy but sweet
Pipsqueek (yellow): a daredevil with the curiosity of a dozen cats
I've listed these guys for preschool-aged kids (and up) because there
are small parts.
Also, be sure to check out their habitats, like the funhouse, hamster
wheel, and add-on garage.
No video reviews found for this product.
This toy might be a life-changing device
