Trauma Center with less drama, and more species. http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/impressionsArt.cfm?artid=16530 There is absolutely no shame in being a Trauma Center clone. If you're going to copy a gameplay mechanic then it's best to copy something that's innovative and fresh and hasn't been done a million times before. Majesco's Zoo Hospital doesn't pretend to be anything more, just an enjoyable operation experience with a menagerie of patients.
For those who haven't played Trauma Center, the best way to think about the gameplay is to start with remembering the board game Operation. Using the Wii Remote and nunchuk, players select surgical tools and point at the screen to incise, inject, and inspect their patients. A steady hand is necessary to manipulate the tools and get the operation done as quickly as possible (there's a rather generous time limit) while causing as little distress to the patient as possible. Players will have stitches to close wounds, medical gel to handle an array of small problems, a razor to clear off fur, a laser to zap microscopic nasties, and other tools.
The great thing about another company taking a shot at surgical gameplay is how the formula gets tweaked. For one, Atlus' Trauma Center games are composed of an impressive amount of writing, dialogue, and medical melodrama. This isn't a bad thing, but it means that there's long stretches of story between gameplay. From what I played at E3, Zoo Hospital cuts down on that aspect, and as a result it seemed very easy to quickly jump into operations and actual gameplay.
It also helps that the game's operations aren't tied to any linear story. Instead, players get to view the entire zoo from an aerial perspective and see each animal's happiness and health meters at a glance. (You can also review each animal's statistics in a book in the doctor's office.) Clicking on an animal's portrait brings the player to a close up 3D view of the creature from which they can pet, feed, and perform medical procedures. Keeping the animal happy and relaxed is important, and sometimes you'll have to calm a distressed animal in the middle of an operation by zooming back out and holding down a button while waving the Wii Remote pointer over it. Thankfully, petting each animal on its unique sweet spot is the best way to relax them. You can also feed animals (first you'll need to read up on their info to choose the right food) and inject medicine into their food.
Keep the zoo animals happy and in good shape and more people start visiting and walking around. This also unlocks new animals for the menagerie: 48 different animals will eventually be housed in the zoo, clearing away clouds that obscure unused pens. New challenges may also arise: I spotted a plaque hanging on the wall of the game's doctor's office and was told that it commemorated the player extinguishing a viral epidemic that started when an infected animal was brought to the zoo. Other achievements and milestones will yield similar commemoratives.
While Zoo Hospital is not much of a departure from the surgical gameplay of Trauma Center, its got new additions, a streamlined pace, and a different angle on the genre. Plus, you get to take care of such exotic animals as mandrills and cassowary's. Trauma Center's got nothing on that.
Topic: IMPRESSIONS: Zoo Hospital (Read 3820 times)
