Nintendo DS players in Japan can now exercise their facial muscles to have nicer smiles and livelier expressions.
A
digital camera that comes with the new “Face Training” game fits
into the dual-screen, handheld machine to show live video of the
player’s own face on the right screen while an animation of a woman’s
face illustrates
exercises on the left screen.
The 16 types of exercises called “facening,” designed by beauty
expert Fumiko Inudo, take about two to 10 minutes each to complete.
Nintendo Co., the Kyoto-based maker of Pokemon and Super Mario games,
recommends playing “Face Training” no longer than 15 minutes at a time
to avoid overexerting face muscles or getting them “out of balance.”
The new game is part of Nintendo’s efforts to appeal to a wider
audience, including women. Nintendo has scored success with its
drill-like games, such as “Brain Age.”
Nintendo’s Wii console, which comes with a motion-sensitive remote
control for playing virtual tennis and other games, is also doing well.
Nearly 9.3 million units have been sold worldwide since its launch
seven months ago.