Trauma Centre first appeared on the Nintendo DS in a much simpler form. Second Opinion is a bigger and better remake, embracing the Wii motion controls so you can stitch, suture and drain your way to becoming a perfect doctor. You are Derek Stiles, a young, cocky doctor who needs to be kept in line by new nurse Angie, before he ends up killing a patient and flunking med-school.
When you first play the game you find yourself wondering just what could be the point of it all? Is it purely for real doctors to practice their moves on, or is it just Operation for the next generation (the ones who blink vacantly when you mention board games)? Trauma Centre falls somewhere in the middle. There are characters you get to know, such as Derek, Angie and Doctor Hoffman who runs things, making it all seem a bit like a comic book, or a Japanese ER, as you're introduced to new patients and guided through the operations by the nurse.
Game-play involves selecting the appropriate tools with your nunchuk directional stick (ultrasound, syringe etc) and then pointing your controller at the specified area. The tools themselves are easy to use, it's just a case of knowing which order to use them in, and keeping an eye on your patient's vitals. Make too many mistakes and he'll bleed or his heart will race. At this point, the nurse will stop you and you will have failed. The clever thing about all the character interactions before surgery is that you start to connect with Derek, so when you botch things up and leave the hospital you really do feel like a failure.
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