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Mindflex Game | 
| Brand: Mattel
Category: Toy
List Price: $79.99
Buy New: $78.88
as of 3/12/2010 08:57 CST details
You Save: $1.11 (1%)
New (72) Collectible (13) from $59.95
Seller: Amazon.com
Rating:  58 reviews
Sales Rank: 23
Color: White and Blue
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Batteries: 4
Batteries Included: No
Age: 8 - 99 years
Battery: 4 C
Shipping Weight (lbs): 4.5
Dimensions (in): 15.8 x 6 x 10.5
MPN: P2639
Model: P2639
UPC: 027084729634
EAN: 0027084729634
ASIN: B001UEUHCG
Release Date: July 28, 2009
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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| Features:
| • | 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 |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
A lightweight headset containing sensors for the forehead and earlobes measures your brainwave activity. When you focus your concentration, a small foam ball will rise on a gentle stream of air. Relax your thoughts and the ball will descend. By using a combination of physical and mental coordination, you must then guide the ball through a customizable obstacle courseâthe various obstacles can be repositioned into many different configurations. Mindflex⢠combines advanced technology with the power of thought to create an interactive experience unlike any otherâ a game where players compete in the ultimate mental marathon!
For ages 8 and up.
Requires 4 "C" and 2 "AAA' batteries.
Amazon.com Review
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
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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.)
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 58
 This toy might be a life-changing device November 7, 2009
Scott A. Herbst
174 out of 186 found this review helpful
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 September 22, 2009
J. Peterson
62 out of 69 found this review helpful
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 November 2, 2009
Nathan Venturini (Normal, IL)
41 out of 46 found this review helpful
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.
Fun challenge for everyone. Great gift. October 6, 2009
Brandon Carney
16 out of 20 found this review helpful
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.
Mindflex Game October 2, 2009
B. Cox
15 out of 20 found this review helpful
I purchased the Mindflex Game by Mattel and the Star Wars Force Trainer by Uncle Milton...from Amazon, of course. I gave them to my "grown" son to share with his friends after I tried them out. These are great conversation pieces, ice-breakers, and just plain fun with a group of friends (the right group, of course). Both games work well and as described. I found the Force Trainer to be an excellent place to learn the basics and the Mindflex great for some variety. Adults may have just as much fun (perhaps more) as the kids. I bought another Mindflex to keep for myself.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 58
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