Trauma Centre: Under the Knife 2 (DS)

When you're dealing with a series like Trauma Center, only the first can be a truly great game. It's a series that thrives on novelty and that can be undone by the over-releases that characterizes many of Nintendo's great franchises. Without that creative spark -- some new addition to the game, something significant to mix things up -- a sequel is going to be something of a disappointment. And sadly, that's exactly what's happened to Trauma Center: Under the Knife 2. That's not to say that Under the Knife 2 is a bad game, because it's not. If you're like myself and loved the original to death, you'll still find something to enjoy in Under the Knife 2. But the ...  Read the complete review

Remember the Board game Operation? Where you had to remove tiny bones from a man & if you hit the edges his nose went red? Well this is a video game that has a similar objective. The game works by providing you with operations to complete using your stylus. You point & draw to represent injecting, cutting & sewing up your patient. This is all done against the clock which is represented by the patients declining pulse rate. The gameplay is very unique & lots of fun. There is a flimsy story in between levels which sort of explains the next operation but this is quite a weak element. The difficulty of the levels progresses very quickly ...  Read the complete review

--Background-- In this game you play a doctor called Derek Stiles. You don't necessarily have to have played the first game to play this second installment. It helps because then you have an idea of what to do already and know the storyline but the instructions are suitable for someone who has never played. The point of the game is to operate on patients, using the stylus. You can use tools such as a scalpul, ultrasound machine, laser, antibiotic gel and others. You get shown what to do in the first couple of operations and then you get more freedom to do it yourself. You then get a grade for each operation. --Opinions-- The ...  Read the complete review

As soon as I put this game into my DS I found it really different and exciting. The way that you are entirely dependent on the stylus makes for some different and enjoyable gameplay. It also feels vaguely real to be sewing people up or applying bandages and I suppose one could argue it offers a little medical insight. The levels to step up in difficulty quite quickly, and there is one level I am utterly stuck on. This has ruined the career mode for me, because there is no other way of progressing, and it is always frustrating when that happens after you've spent £30 on a game! The negatives are very obvious. There is a terrible story that is ...  Read the complete review

In Trauma Centre you act out the role of a young doctor who is starting to make his way in the world. At first the levels are relatively easy and they begin with tutorials that guide you in how to use the different instruments that you will need as you progress through the game. The difficulty level soon steps up though, and at points it becomes very frustrating if you cannot perfect a technique as you cannot move on until you have mastered it. This is perhaps the biggest downfall of the game, as it really spoils your gameplay if there is one bit you can not get past. To be honest this resulted in me not finishing the game and giving up before the end. The game is ...  Read the complete review