Trauma Center is one of the few games that can only be described as a unique gaming experience. While it offers more innovation and creativity than any title I have ever played, this does not necessarily mean that it will be enjoyed by everyone who plays the game.
The premise of surgery is a new one to most gamers, and this makes many aspects of the game difficult to judge. It is hard for me to label the graphics as "good" or "bad" because I am not 100% sure how the inner lining of the human stomach or throat is supposed to look. It is safe to call the graphics "beneficial to gameplay." This means that the graphics make it easy for the player to locate the problem they are supposed to fix. While the graphics could definitely be more detailed, this would probably make actual gameplay very difficult.
The music and sound aren't great, but they are a very minor part of the game. Almost all cut scenes involve still images and printed text, with minimal voice acting. The various "assistant" characters occasionally say one or two repetitive phrases during surgery that can become somewhat annoying.
The controls are much more accurate than I first expected from a touch screen and stylus. This is a nod to both the developer's efforts and the quality design of the system. The glitch-free control system allows gamers to focus on gameplay, but also forces them to take responsibility for any in-game screw-ups.
My only problem with Trauma Center is that some of the instructions are vague or misleading. When using the magnifier, you will be told to "quickly make a small circle" in the desired area. When your first attempts fail, it is up to the player to figure out if the failure was caused by slow performance time, improper placement, or poor circle technique or dimensions. Only after you play through many failed attempts will players discover that instead of a circle, they should be drawing a "C" shape. Properly applying stitches can also be amazingly hard at the end of an operation.
The gameplay is addicting enough to make players continue playing even after multiple failures. The DS uses short operation times (approx 5 minutes), which makes multiple failures easier to deal with. The soap opera style story can get very long-winded, but players always reserve the right to quickly scroll through the written dialogue if they choose.
Trauma Center offers a unique experience for gamers and is worth at least a rental for anyone with a DS. The minor flaws do not detract from the fact that this game features what many players will find to be addictive gameplay in a manner that is perfectly suited to a portable format. Basically, if you like this game after playing it for 10 minutes, you will be hooked. If you hated it after playing through the first operation you won't want to perform any others. A player's individual taste will determine if this game is a must own or a bust, but either way developers deserve credit for the quality innovation it presents to gamers.
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