There are fewer insults more emotionally damaging than being called a 'thickie'. There's an almost perverse pleasure to be had in commenting on how 'stupid' or 'dumb' someone is – although if the person in question is a Big Brother contestant, it usually goes beyond mild conjecture and is probably closer to being fact.
If you have ever been on the receiving end of such an insult, then you might want to check out AMA IQ Booster. This ingenious piece of software aims to overcome such hurtful jibes by granting the opportunity to flex your brain muscles with a series of questions that range from the forehead-slappingly obvious to the downright fiendish.
Although the concept sounds uncomfortably similar to that of Nintendo's blisteringly successful Brain Training, it's actually quite different. The questions encompass general knowledge, mathematic conundrums, word problems and shape comparisons. With every query you're given four possible answers, three of which are incorrect.
A wide variety of play modes are available to get your grey matter working.
IQ Test is the meat of the game, with a series of 30 different questions for you to tackle, each more taxing than the last. Gaining an IQ score of over 110 unlocks the Master mode – only egg-head brainiacs need apply here. Flash mode throws up a single question for you to answer – like a daily brainteaser, if you will. Meanwhile, Training enables you to get to grips with a few of the conundrums without worrying about clocking a dunce's score at the end.
Overseeing your quest for intellectual glory are two cartoon robots who provide insightful commentary as the game progresses.
One is friendly and encouraging, offering support when you struggle and congratulations when you do well. The other is the polar opposite – he's mean spirited and disparaging, reveling in your failure and is spiteful of your success. Between the two of them, they provide some much-needed comic relief – the fact that they often speak in hilariously broken English only adds to their charm.
Presentation is excellent throughout, with all the menus featuring animation, bold and appealing graphics (if a little on the green side) and music of a high standard that fits in nicely with the theme. And your two robotic companions possess a wide range of facial expressions, which adds immeasurably to their light-hearted vignettes.
Obviously, once you've seen all the possible questions IQ Booster starts to lose its appeal, but thankfully the two-player Challenge mode helps keep things fresh with a little bit of good-natured human rivalry – you and a friend are asked the same set of ten questions in order to ascertain who owns the better brain.
We've seen a fair few decent brain games on mobile, but the addition of the two-player mode gives this one something different. IQ Booster is unlikely to stop people bullying you over your perceived lack of brain cells and certainly shouldn't be taken as an accurate guide of how smart you are. But it is perfect mobile entertainment and is well worth a look.
AMA IQ Booster
It won't get you into MENSA but IQ Booster is an excellent way of passing the time that refreshingly doesn't involve laser-death, nude ladies or racing cars
Damien McFerran
Damien's mum hoped he would grow out of playing silly video games and gain respectable employment. Perhaps become a teacher or a scientist, that kind of thing. Needless to say she now weeps openly whenever anyone asks how her son's getting on these days.