Ever since Nintendo came out with its Brain Age title there's been a preoccupation that we're all slowly and irrevocably losing the ability to use our grey matter as efficiently as we apparently could in our teens. Along with this sudden self-consciousness that we're falling into a hole of senility has come a variety of titles that will restore your mind and maintain it at its optimum "level", just like Brain Workout does.

To get started you create a user that will then be used to record all your scores and your overall progress on the way to a sharper brain. There are five categories – Logic, Memory, Numerical, Spatial, and Verbal - each containing three games that can be played at five difficulty levels. The main purpose of the game is the "Daily Brain Test" that gives you one puzzle from each category and records your results for the progress chart. You can also practice the games as much as you like, uploading your score to the Brain Workout web site, but that won't particularly help you in the quest for the perfect mind.

A while back, Sudoku was all the rage but I never tried it. I haven't got a mathematical brain in truth although one of the reasons is that there are so many other fun alternatives out there. There are many tests and quizzes on Softonic to test everything from your general knowledge to problem solving ability and powers of logic.

As an Englishman, one of my favourites is Pub Quiz Machine which is general knowledge based. It features questions on topics ranging from Film and Sport to Pot Luck. The format is very similar to Who Wants To Be A Millionaire but without the annoying host. If only it served pints of beer, it would be the perfect game. If you're looking for something a bit more sophisticated, then Trivia Machine features harder questions and a more simple, straightforward format. If you think your world knowledge is pretty impressive, then try World of Where. It tests you on your knowledge of capital cities, flags and locations of countries worldwide.

On the other hand, if you want something that just flexes your brain muscles, then Brain Booster is a pretty tough workout. The game is based on word and numeric tests of logic that proceed through 8 levels of difficulty that will either leave you feeling like Einstein or tearing your hair out. Brain Workout covers a wider range of skills including Logic, Memory, Verbal, Numeric and Spacial awareness and despite the poor graphics and presentation, is one of the toughest tests you'll find.

Finally, if it's your knowledge of the Bible that you'd like to test, Scripture Challenge is one of the few options out there for Christians that will test your knowledge from both the Old and New testaments.

Still rocking a crappy old Java-based mobile phone? I bet you're sick of all your iPhone/Android owning friends bang on about the latest cool games they've installed on their superphones.

Calm down and don't get so jealous, because there are still plenty of awesome free Java games that you can download and install on your phone. Here's a selection of some of the best free mobile games available for Java devices. They may not all be great graphically, but they can be just as much fun to play as even the most polished iPhone titles.

Arcade & action

Super Mario Planet - This reworking of the Nintendo classic sees you guide the veteran plumber around level after level of challenging platform action. It's surprisingly easy to control with the keypad and looks as good as it ever did back on the Super Nintendo.

Tankzors Pro - Like blowing stuff up? Then check out Tankzors Pro. Based around the classic NES game Battle City, Tankzors sees you try to defeat the enemy militia by getting behind the wheel of a tank and crushing any bad guys you come across.

Zelda Mobile - Another legendary Nintendo title, Zelda translates surprisingly well to the small screen of the mobile phone. Be careful when playing on the bus because you'll more than likely miss every stop on the route, such is the engrossing nature of this adventure game.

Tom & Jerry Food Fight -  The world's most famous cat and mouse combo team up in this riveting game of skill on your mobile. The object of Tom & Jerry Food Fight is to catch the falling food but it's a lot more exciting than it sounds. The cartoony graphics look great, too.

If you've got kids, you'll know that they're as interested in your phone as you are. Keep them happy when boredom strikes by installing a few of these kid-friendly apps.

Plants vs. Zombies (iPhone, iPad) is the ultimate crowd-pleaser. Adults love it, so you won't mind having it on your phone, and I've seen kids as young as 5 gets to grips with it immediately. It's got great graphics, requires plenty of brain power and has some really funny dialog. Best of all, you can create as many player accounts as you need, so someone else's badly-placed sunflower won't destroy weeks of your zombie-fighting work!

Color Me (iPhone, iPad) is a great drawing app, and there are few kids out there who aren't partial to a bit of coloring. There are lots of similar apps available these days for both iPhone and Android, but when it comes to getting the right one, it's really worth paying for a full version. Your dollar will buy you a whole lot in usability and accessibility, especially for younger kids.

Talking Tom Cat (Android) is one of those apps that I just don't get, but kids seem to love . It's basically a digital pet cat that you can stroke, feed, play with and even talk to. You can also make him fall over if you tap him hard enough, but that's probably not something you want to encourage the kids to do. You can make Talking Tom Cat say anything you want, and even record videos to play back later, guaranteeing minutes, if not quite hours, of fun.

Buka (Android) doesn't score so highly on the educational front, but you can't expect kids to be serious all thee time. This blob-exploding adventure focuses on getting Buka safely to The Happy Place, avoiding intruders as you go. The gameplay is leisurely and the graphics are mesmerizing, which makes it perfect for younger gamers, but the slow pace and childish baby-talk in between levels might not make Buka your game of choice.

Glow Puzzle (Android) is another one of those apps that at first glance looks like it's all style and no substance, but a little bit of investigation reveals something that gives the brain a workout too. The aim here is to trace the shapes with your finger, but without lifting it from the screen. As you trace, the shapes light up in glowing fluorescents, and the shapes get harder as you go on. Every level shows you an encouraging message, and there's help in case you can't figure it out.

Trace (iPhone, iPad) is a fascinating games for everybody, adults and kids alike. This game sees you helping your character get from one side of the screen to the other, drawing to help him as he goes. It's probably not great for very young kids, but the plinky plonk music and interactive nature of the game are sure to keep the older ones - and you - busy for a while.

How far are we from the day when your neurons control your favourite games rather than your keyboard or mouse? Maybe not that far at all according to US/Australian firm Emotiv who say they have developed a neuro-headset which will enable gamers to interact with games using their thoughts and emotions alone. This opens up all kinds of exciting (and frightening) possibilities. The one thing it definitely means is that games will require your full concentration because any variation in what you're thinking - such as "I need a toilet break" or "I should be working really" - will affect your gameplay. The headset will go on sale later this year at a cost of just $299 and will surely add a whole new dimension to games such as Second Life if the developers decide to support it. Software aimed at your neurons are not exactly the target of developers working on a budget but there are some interesting neuron related apps out there to help get the electrical impulses going.

Neuronyx is designed to give your neurons a workout by matching cards, sounds and texts in the shortest amount of time. The theory is that such a type of test develops your neuron's powers of recognition and strengthens the electrical impulses that power them - a more sophisticated version of Spot The Difference basically. Are your neurons dragging you down? If you're plagued by negative thoughts then try using Neuro Enhancer Self Help which ambitiously attempts to improve your well being by improving your psychological well being by transmitting subliminal messages. This rather Orwellian piece of software prompts you to select messages such as "I am happy" or "I will not be depressed" and transmit them subliminally to your neurons....

Rather more convincing on the mental health theme is Wellness which is basically a directory of natural healing and therapy advice for a range of illnesses and symptoms including those that are supposed to help your neurotransmitters. Meanwhile if you suffer from Tinnitus then did you know that it's actually a neural disorder in the brain rather than in the ear? According to the developers of TinnitusTamerWin3, "Tinnitus sounds are caused by positive feedback neurons in the auditory neural system in the brain" and their software uses a series of tones and frequency to correct and heal these neurons.

Finally, if you're a medical professional, you might find that when the neuro-headset is eventually released, you have to deal with a steady flow of gamers with neurological disorders. If so, daED is designed to categorise a range of illnesses including those related to frazzled neurons.