It’s no secret that we’re not exactly surgeons over here. I certainly wouldn’t want to trivialize the obvious importance of ensuring to maintain the balance of good and evil like we do here at the Alliance, but come on now. Most of us haven’t gone to 10 years of school to improve our headshot abilities, and very few of us have had our hands inside of a living dude’s lungs before (long story). That being said, with my personal history over the last few years, I have found myself fascinated with those operation documentaries on the health & science channels. There’s something so wrong about knowing just exactly what someone’s inflamed spleen looks like, but I just can’t stop. One time I woke up from sleep mode just as a facelift was being performed and I screamed in terror – but only because I thought I had accidentally changed the channel to a Joan Rivers red carpet special while I slept.

You might not know me yet, as this is my first official piece for Game Almighty. My name is 8bit, and a few years ago, Captain Almighty helped me out of quite a sticky situation when I was, well, pronounced legally deceased. Thanks to a team of expert surgeons and scientists, I’ve been revitalized and given another chance. If you’d seen the videos I’ve seen of what went on in my head those months ago, you’d have surgery on the brain too (pun not intended). That’s of course why I had to jump at the chance to review Trauma Center: Second Opinion for the new Nintendo Wii. Well, the surgery thing, plus this way I get to borrow the Wii Almighty for, you know, research purposes…(Superheroes do not camp out for console launches.)

I’ve played the DS version of Trauma Center (Under the Knife), and thoroughly enjoyed it, so when I heard that this game essentially repeats all of those operations I know and love, I was a little bit happy and sad at the same time. (I have a little bit of a hard time with “emotions” after the incident, but those are my closest approximation.) I was glad to know that more people would get a chance to check out the game I already knew I liked, but at the same time I yearned for newer and fresher content. To my surprise, as is not the case with most re-hashed ports, Trauma Center: Second Opinion really delivers.

The few tutorial missions in the beginning of the game may feel a little slow at first, but pay attention because any training you need is here. I know that I for one was quite skeptical in regards to how well these controls would translate from a stylus based game into a motion-sensor based game, but it’s pretty much a perfect translation. It’s a little more complicated to do the precise moves you’ll require, but gameplay and pacing has been slightly tweaked to accommodate for this fact; and it shows through how easy it is to learn to play this game. Your movements with the controller are very well represented on screen, and subtle movements are all that’s necessary to perform even the most delicate of procedures.

As it says in the opening screens (in what is quickly becoming one of my favorite video game quotes ever): “This game is controlled with the nunchuk style.” All that means is that you’ll have to plug in the second auxiliary nunchuk controller to be able to play this one. The functionality on the nunchuk is minimal, but absolutely crucial to the flow of gameplay. Instead of the clunky system of tool selection used in the DS version, each direction on the analog stick represents a different tool that can be selected and implemented absolutely seamlessly. This is the one biggest thing that makes me still love this game – not changing this control element would have been a major faux pas, so kudos for fixing this Atlus! The other new functionality provided by the nunchuk controller is also simple, but quite cool. If you’ve got a cold blue one on your hands (a dying patient), you thrust both controllers toward the screen, bringing out the defibrillator. A timed button press determines the amount of jolt you give your patient, so be careful not to go all Frankenstein on them. (ed. – That’s rich…An android makes a Frankenstein joke. What’ll this guy think of next…)

It’s definitely worth noting that although the required control movements are subtle, you’ll be using a different set of muscles than what you’re used to playing Halo with. My wrist sensors detected minor amounts of compressive and shear stress after a while, but the levels seem to be negligible with a little rest now and again. Basically, take a break sometimes or you really might hurt yourself, as weird as it sounds.

Making a triumphant return is of course the GUILT infection epidemic, something that seems to be a real problem in the area this game is set in. The GUILT will provide some unexpected turns, so I don’t want to reveal too much to the uninitiated. Suffice to say that Dr. Stiles is capable of some cool tricks in sticky situations, but you’ll have to play a little while to unleash his “Dormant Ability.” I’ve already said too much.

Something I was never really impressed with in the previous Trauma Center game was the story, and it’s still exactly the same here. I guess it’s interesting if you like to read about doctors’ internal conflicts and strange GUILT infections, because it’s all told through on-screen text dialog. Even though almost all of the dialog will be read, there are a few spoken lines that are actually delivered quite well. There are a small number of new operations where you’ll be playing in some cool new situations as a new doctor, but it didn’t make me any more interested in the “why” behind it all. Also a little bit of indifference is provided for me by the music in this game. It’s decent enough, and can serve to set the mood quite well most of the time, but it just gets repetitive a little too soon.

The graphics are quite well done, and recreate a feeling of a scaled up version of the DS game without sacrificing any quality. The stylized 2D anime characters were a great choice for this game, and the art is really done well. When you move from cutscene to operation, the graphics shift from 2D to 3D, and while it may not be as intense as the bloody guts you’ll find in games like Gears of War, it definitely gets the point across. If you’re especially squeamish, you’ll want to steer clear of this. On the other hand, if someone you know or live with is extremely sensitive and you find that hilarious, then you must buy this game.

Overall, this game really impressed me, even though I’ve already played it before. I was worried how games would be able to translate the new control mechanics of the Wii into gameplay, but this is a very solid example of how it should feel when it’s done correctly. This one’s going on to my short list of worthwhile Wii games, and I have a feeling it’s going to remain there for a while. There’s no multiplayer of any sort, so you won’t necessarily get a thousand hours of gameplay out of this title, but it’s a great disc to keep around for convincing any non-believers of the true potential in the Wii.