Trauma Center

The link between videogame experience and surgical ability has been widely reported in the media. Until now, however, there has been no published research regarding the question of how videogame experience affects the speed of surgical skill acquisition.

Volunteering for a third tour of duty with the unusual Trauma Center series, I found New Blood to be an extremely unbalanced experience. Though it's undoubtedly one of the most effective uses of the Wii's control system and presents content that virtually no other console developer has attempted, the designers have turned something that should have been a sure thing into a difficult recommend due to an unacceptable level of difficulty.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Mild Violence, Blood, Drug Reference, and Mild Language

Game Description: Keep your hands steady and your mind focused for Trauma Center: New Blood, sequel to Trauma Center: Second Opinion. This time around there's a lot more on the line. Every cut of the scalpel, every pinch of the forceps, each and every second that ticks by is of the absolute greatest importance. If you think it's too much to handle alone, invite a friend to assist with the operation and work together to save patients from flat lining. The adrenaline is pumping, lives are at stake, and only you can save the day. Have you got what it takes?

When I reviewed the first iteration of Trauma Center on the Nintendo DS, I said that it was the first game that truly felt like it couldn't have been done on any other platform. Now that there's a revision of it on the Wii, I guess I'm going to have to eat those words. Although Second Opinion is essentially the same game as the DS's Under the Knife, not only is it just as good, it's the definitive version.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Blood, Mild Language, Mild Violence

Game Description: The follow-up to Trauma Center: Under the Knife, this is the first surgical video game for the Nintendo Wii. The critically acclaimed medical drama simulation is making a house call on your Wii! Dr. Derek Stiles is back, but he's not the only surgeon on call, a new player joins the team, bringing along everything the doctor ordered: difficulty modes, new surgical implements like the defibrillator, and an exciting never-before-seen conclusion. So what are you waiting for? If one dose of Trauma Center wasn't enough, it's time you got a Second Opinion!

According to the ESRB, this game contains: Blood, Mild Language, Mild Violence, Partial Nudity

With the unconventional design of the DS, Nintendo suggested that developers would step in and use its technological opportunities to create innovative games and new play experiences. Up to this point, I would say that this prophecy has gone largely unfulfilled. There have been some neat games to be sure, but in my opinion, very few of them have really capitalized on the things that separate the DS from the competition until Trauma Center: Under the Knife came along.

Game Description: Trauma Center: Under the Knife gives you the chance to play doctor. It's just another day in the O.R. until a mysterious outbreak sweeps the area. As the problems get more complex, it's up to you to wield your scalpel and test your medical skills under the most difficult conditions. Patients' lives are in your hands.