[#09] Trauma Center: Second Opinion

Genre: Simulation
Publisher: Atlus
Developer: Atlus
Number of Players: 1
ESRB: T for Teen

The Story

The year is 2018 and "Cancer, AIDS and FTA are nearly things of past. However, people still get sick, and doctors are still around to take care of them. " You play a surgeon equipped with a medical toolkit full of things like syringes and scalpels, and your job is to do what you do best - help people. The most dangerous threat in the world is a terrorist-designed virus called GUILT (Gangliated Utrophin Immuno Latency toxin), and you might be the only one able to stop it.

The Facts

"Wii-make" of the original hit title, Trauma Center: Under the Knife for the Nintendo DS, Atlus' enhances and expands on the Wii with Trauma Center: Second Opinion. In what is the only medical simulation game at Wii launch, Second Opinion makes good use of the Wii remote in a multitude of ways that can be described only as "intuitive." As an example, players can use forceps by pressing both the A and B button the Wii-mote, and with the B button on the bottom and A button on top, the squeezing feel of picking something up with tweezers feels natural.

Besides the obvious graphical transition from DS to Wii, players will also enjoy a more simplistic way of selecting tools - simply point the nunchaku's analog stick in one of eight directions. Among the tools available in the DS version, a Defibrillator, Penlight and another unnamed tool will also join the selection. And for those of you that have already played through the original version, don't worry, Second Opinion sports a whole new chapter and ending to match its graphical maturity.

Below you will find 3 brief character bios by the Second Opinion team.

Derek Stiles, 26 (Surgeon at Hope Hospital): A young surgeon in his residency at Hope Hospital on the brink of discovering his unique Healing Touch talent. This young surgeon is the main character of the game. He grew up in Northridge, a suburb just outside of Angeles Bay. Derek decided to become a doctor after losing his father to an incurable illness. He just completed his residency, and he's eager to start operating as a full-time surgeon. However, Dr.Stiles is about to learn that there's more to saving lives than good intentions.

Nazomi Weaver, 29 (Surgeon at St. Francis Hospital): Born near the military base in Okinawa, Japan, Nozomi Weaver grew up with a passion for medicine. She graduated from med school early and became something of a famous doctor. However, she's spent the last year in America on an exchange program, performing surgery at St. Francis Hospital. Things are going well, and Weaver is friendly with coworkers, but she seems evasive about her personal life.

Angie Thompson, 21 (Nurse at Hope Hospital): Angie is a young but experienced nurse from a well educated family. She transfers to Hope Hospital, where she's to be trained as Mary Fulton's replacement. Nurse Thompson isn't very impressed with Dr. Stiles initially, but her trust grows after a dumber of hardships drew them together. As professional as she is, Angie can be childish and moody from time to time.

Best Medical Game In The History of Consoles Award

You know, it's not every day a title gets the B.M.G.I.T.H.O.C award, but let's be honest, how many good surgeon games have there ever been on a console (non-hand held)? Even if this title were to get mediocre reviews, it would be far and away the best game of its kind on a "next-gen" system. Early reports have actually been pretty good, too.