Praise focused on improvements made on Brain Age, while criticism targeted the game's inability to consistently understand written and spoken answers.

Once the player is told their initial brain age, three modes are unlocked: Quick Play, Daily Training, and Sudoku.

[9] The game is targeted to casual gamers, similar to its predecessor;[10] its basic concepts stay the same as in Brain Age, along with the graphics, menu, and presentation.

The company announced on June 25, 2007, that Australian actress Nicole Kidman would appear in European television and newspaper advertisements to promote the game.

Nintendo chose to feature her because of "her universal appeal to mainstream audiences of all ages and backgrounds, as well as her reputation for being intelligent, entertaining and genuine".

[11] Kidman praised Nintendo's desire to reach out to new audiences with self-improvement products, and found that playing the game made her feel young.

"[12] In the United States, print advertisements and television commercials for the game featured American actress Liv Tyler.

[2] At a Nintendo Conference on October 2, 2008, Nintendo's president Satoru Iwata announced during his keynote address that both games in the Brain Age series were redeveloped as two DSiWare games called Small Brain DSi Training Everyday for Adults Literature Edition and Science Edition.

Praise focused on improvements made on Brain Age, while criticism targeted the game's inability to consistently understand written and spoken answers.

They found the daily training and quick play modes "simply addictive", and appreciated the game's "simple and easy to use interface".

They also considered Brain Age 2 a "noble effort towards the betterment of our mental health through a painless training regimen".

[18] Singapore's The Straits Times considered Brain Age 2 a good investment, despite noting that hardcore gamers might find the minigames "gimmicky".

[15] Disappointed with the lack of new additions to Brain Age 2, GamePro asked readers "[not to] expect too much more content than new tests and more Sudoku grids".

[17] Nintendo World Report was also unhappy with the game, telling players who were "hoping for an overhaul [...] to wait for the inevitable Brain Age 3".

'"[29] Brain Age 2 was the 13th best-selling game in its debut month of August 2007 in the United States,[30] and climbed up to 9th place in September 2007, selling 141,000 copies.

[3] A survey conducted by Alain Lieury, a professor of cognitive psychology at the University of Rennes 2 – Upper Brittany, indicates that working on exercises with a pencil and paper is just as good as Brain Age 2 at stimulating the memory.

After evaluating ten-year-old children, the survey found "no evidence to support claims in Nintendo's advertising campaign, featuring Nicole Kidman, that users can test and rejuvenate their grey cells".