A study has come out that makes me feel a bit less guilty about never playing anything that came with my DS copy of Brain Training 2 other than the Dr. Mario game they included for relaxation. Nintendo and cognitive researcher Dr. Kawashima have long been touting the ability of some of their games to increase ones brainpower.

Alain Lieury, professor of cognitive psychology of the University of Rennes in France has published a study that suggests Nintendo’s claims might be nothing but air. He conducted a study that tested the memory of two groups of children, one who attempted to hone their mental capabilities via the DS and one who didn’t. There was pretty much no difference between the two groups, leading professor Lieury to conclude that the game has no effect beyond sheer entertainment value.