Trauma Center: New Blood

Better than last year’s counterpart, Trauma Center: New Blood is all-around improved. If you’re looking for a quirky game this holiday, I suggest picking up New Blood for the co-op multiplayer component alone.

A new blood transfusión comes to Wii with an updated videogame which has a new story, a cooperative mode and the same surgical taste as ever. Trauma Center: New Blood is a good solution to enlarge the life of the wiimote as a scalpel, but also an interesting option for people looking for a way to play doctors in Wii.

No global changes were needed, but the new game has more depth in gameplay, added multiplayer support, online ranking, more VO, and better overall story, improved presentation – now with 16:9 as well as the previously included 480p – a larger span of difficulty on both the easy and hard side of thins, and a fresh coat of polish around the entire package.

The storyline is great and the gameplay is as entertaining as you all remember from the other games. If you liked the excellent Second Opinion, you'll love New Blood just as much.

New Blood is the best (and hardest) Trauma Center game yet. For those who consider themselves "real gamers" and are still bemoaning the lack of real games and difficulty on the Wii, this is the answer to your prayers.

New Blood is a wonderful game that combines a compelling story, challenging gameplay with fully adjustable difficulty, and plenty of variety and longevity. It’s perfect for fans of Second Opinion, while the cooperative mode and optional tutorials make it easier for new players to learn.

Fans of the original game as well as those seeking a challenging game for their Wii owe it to themselves to pick up Trauma Center: New Blood.

New Blood represents third-party innovation at its finest and is a solid buy or, for the more cash-strapped, an absolute must-rent.

The best Trauma Center to date, we recognise that the game is ultra niche - so we've dropped our original score a little. [Dec 2008, p.73]

Trauma Center: New Blood does not outshine the original, but it really does not need to do so to be a solid, exceptional work.

The controls continue to be a showcase for the console and really exploit the strength of the platform. The developers should be applauded for continuing to think outside the box and keep the franchise fresh and exciting.

Although the "cinematics" remain fairly archaic, the noticeable bump to its graphics and the excellent addition of voice work makes New Blood a more compelling experience overall.

The whole Trauma Center experience trends towards the sterile.

It's not the breakthrough of medicine and motion controls it was last year, but Trauma Center: New Blood greatly improves on one of the Wii's best showcases.

If you missed out on "Trauma Center" before, this is the version to buy. If you're a series veteran, then--as good as New Blood is--it's really just more of the same, so it's your call. [Holiday 2007, p.86]

Some of the operations will drive you nutty, thanks to wonky controls and increased difficulty, but working alongside a friend makes things easier, and the ability to upload your scores to online leader boards offers unlimited replay value.

Trauma Center: New Blood builds upon everything done in Second Opinion and approves on it.

This operation has its share of complications, but most of them are good ones.

Brilliant, but too close to a second "Second Opinion" for our liking. Atlus really needs to take a few risks next time. [Issue#18, p.70]

Each patient is something different, but the theme of the game keeps Trauma Center from becoming yet another minigame-fest.

Just as distinctively great as it always was.

New Blood is the furthest thing from what you’d call “casual”, but it’s so far from it that it also will turn away many hardcore gamers because of its unrelenting difficulty.

Trauma Center: New Blood is everything that Second Opinion was, only a little bit better. All the operations are fun and challenging to do and the extras and adjustments offer enough new gameplay elements that it justifies a new game instead of an add-on. Just beware of the difficulty setting, that only a true doctor will enjoy.

It's incredibly difficult and frustrating in places, but it's still a recommended purchase if the idea of carving up skin, lasering tumours and drawing five-point stars floats your boat.

It's fun, serious and silly by turns, and, dare I doom it by saying... possibly educational?

Less crazy, more motivating and imaginative, this is New Blood. If you have ever dreamt of becoming a surgeon you can see what it takes — and you will enjoy every single operation. [Feb 2009]

New Blood is the most fun you'll ever have performing open heart surgery. With parasites that shoot mucus clouds.

The title’s gameplay is fun and the coordination between the Wii remote and nunchuk enables you to act quickly when it comes to using surgical tools.

Trauma Center returns to Nintendo Wii showing no sign of innovation. However, the two players co-op mode offers some very exciting moments. The two main characters, Markus Vaughn and Valerie Blaylock, show interesting personalities and are perfect to give flavor to a well executed story.

Just like your typical medical soap, there’s a seemingly endless 42 episodes to contend with, plus bonus challenges.

Like the previous entries in the series, it has a strong storyline and gripping, tight gameplay. But it's because of the subject matter at times that the player might be turned off.

Trauma Center: New Blood is an entertaining game with a fun and efficient control system. The combination of actual medical work and a more spiritual view works, although the ‘healing touch’ is perhaps a bit far-fetched. Operating on patients hasn’t changed much since the last game, but is entertaining and challenging, both alone and in co-op. Unfortunately, the storyline is less impressive, despite some good voice acting.

Still, Trauma Center: Second Opinion was one of my favorite games during the launch window for the Wii, and New Blood delivers more of the same joy. [Dec 2007, p.73]

When it comes down to it, Trauma Center: New Blood fixes the few flaws of Second Opinion while creating a few of its own that hurt the game more than it helps.

More of the same with some nice extra touches that don’t quite fulfil their potential. [Feb 2008, p.118]

No task is impossible alone, but the ease of co-op mustn't cloud the the fact that Atlus is still to find that sweet spot between virtual and actual brain surgery. [Mar 2008, p.100]

Alas, you can expect more of the same, except for a substantially increased difficulty. New Blood is still a load of fun, but it also comes with a load of aggravation.

It's a tough game but for all the wrong reasons. For Trauma Center die-hards only.

Trauma Center's developers need some serious interventional design therapy before the series's prognosis degrades beyond hope of recovery.

I've been willing to somewhat forgive the series' unbalanced gameplay until now, but after three games on two distinct platforms, the developers should be full-fledged M.D.s by now...so why do they keep making the same med-school mishaps?

But New Blood's single-player experience has all of the frustration of the original without the promise of eventual success. It's all stick and no carrot.