There are a few levels beyond what you may expect in this game, but you get to use your regular surgery tools for them. There is a level there you have to diffuse a bomb, which was a welcomed change. There is another level where you perform medical research to create a new nano-machine through the completion of a simple puzzle. While the puzzle was a decent change, it was nowhere as fun as defusing a bomb, which may be hinting at another innovative game they could do for the DS, something that could knock the socks off of Smart Bomb for the PSP.

Something I would have loved to see is that all actions you have would have a permanent reflection on the body. Like if you lasered your name on their torso, they would have it until the end of the operation. Another nice thing would be if you could amputate limbs, just to expand upon the experience of being a doctor, even if it would be gory. I enjoyed the fact that if you have closed up a wound, it can be reopened if you cut the wrong area, or if you use some of your tools improperly such as accidentally dragging your scalpel across the patient it would spawn another wound.

A challenge mode was included, which allows you to visit any of the previous surgeries, without including the storyline. You will get a brief summery of what the problem is, and then they let you go and try and fix it. What I would have liked for a challenge mode would be a constant set of problems coming your way. Where you were trying to last as long as you could with one person, or moving from one medical emergency to another like you were working in a real emergency room. Another thing that would have been interesting would be to see how many people you could treat in an hour. Any of those modes would have been greatly welcomed and will hopefully be included in future iterations.

In the end, the game is sort of like a simulation, while the storyline does not follow that path. It is fun while you are playing the game, even though the game can be extremely unforgiving with your moves, as it should be if you were actually operating on someone. I would have liked to see more chapters, because once you pop, you can't stop and that is not a joke about the aneurisms you have to remove. All and all, Captain Gordon gives this game an A-, and it is a must have for the DS.

Questions? Comments? Contact the author at CaptainGordonEdward@gmail.com .