Game players who want to be doctors someday can get a head start Tuesday, when Atlus, USA in Irvine releases the latest version of its “Trauma Center” doctor game for the Nintendo Wii.
“New Blood” is the third installment of the dramatic operating room saga that debuted in 2005 for the handheld Nintendo DS. The second version emerged last November as one of the first games for the Nintendo Wii console. Now that the Wii is a year old, the game has been upgraded with a new plot, new characters and a new title.
Players begin with an introductory lesson in treating patients: applying bandages and cutting open, cleaning and suturing wounds. The game eventually builds up to very difficult surgeries, including operating on a heart, a brain, children and even a dog.
At the more advanced levels, the game’s main characters – two young and eager doctors – find themselves in the middle of a dangerous conspiracy when they are recruited into a government organization called Caduceus.
The new “Trauma Center” includes more than 40 operations, with different plotlines, injuries and challenges. For example, you can take your time with some patients, but others will die on the table if you don’t finish the procedure quickly enough.
The operations are not for people with sensitive stomachs, which probably explains the label for “mature audiences.” But the wounds are more stylized when compared to other graphic titles. Atlus’ spokesman Aram Jabbari said that the game’s focus is on player interaction more than real-life, accurate procedures.
Jabbari said the new “Trauma Center” was made to improve upon the first Wii version. “The first game was rushed out the door to get it on shelves Nov. 19 with the Nintendo Wii,” said Jabbari. “This version fixes all the complaints.”
Those improvements include:
- A new plot. The first Wii game included the same plotline and characters as the original DS game; the new game includes all new characters and plots, with a few cameos by former characters.
- Lines read aloud. In the first version, players were forced to read the story lines. Now, all of the lines are read aloud by voice actors.
- Optimized for hi-definition TVs. The game now takes advantage of modern television technology, including a widescreen format.
- Two-player mode. Players before had to operate alone. Now, they can operate on patients together, without a split screen. But, online play has not been added because Jabbari said communication is required between the doctors and there is no ability with the Wii console for players to talk to each other over the Internet.
- World ranking of players. For players who will not settle for beating personal bests, scores are now tallied across the globe.
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