My name is Lex … February 3, 2010

… and I have gamer ADD.

At any given time, I’m playing between 5 and 10 games simultaneously.

This sounds absolutely crazy (and even worse, sounds like I’m living in my parents’ basement, just gaming all the time), but it’s true. Currently, I’m in the middle of:

• Machinarium
• Arkham Asylum
• Final Fantasy X
• KOTOR
• Phoenix Wright: Justice for All
• Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks
• Bowser’s Inside Story
• New Super Mario Bros. Wii
• Scribblenauts

I define “current” games as those that I play at least once every two weeks.

Holy shit guys, I need help.

I’ve always known that I’m a multitasker. It’s why I work well at an agency. I’m always doing at least 3 things at once. I regularly keep at least 5 windows open in each browser I’m putzing around in. I’m reading 3 books right now. BF and I are watching about 4 TV series right now.

But 8 games? I know I don’t have a lot of free time, but you’d think that would make me commit to one game before starting another. But no. I’m like a kid in the proverbial candy store, just playing EVERYTHING I have in my grubby little hands and then tossing it aside for the next yummy-looking thing.

My friend also just pointed out that I haven’t beaten 2 of my top favorite games of all time: Fallout 3 and Oblivion. Before you start laughing, I’d like to point out that I’ve put more than 120 hours into Oblivion and nearly 80 into Fallout, so it’s not like I played for 5 minutes to say that I played them and then moved on.

This has dealt a serious blow to what I feel was a pretty solid gamer status. My confidence is shaken.

Someone else please tell me they do this, too. I need to feel less crappy about my gaming habits!

image from henry9112

Video game quest update December 23, 2009

I’m about to be a bad, bad girl.

Steam is having its year-end sale, and about a bajillion  games I want to play are on there, some of which are on sale  for less than $10.

While I’m still concerned about the issues I’m having with Mass Effect playing on Steam (pissed), I am probably going to buy Braid (for a whopping $2.49, people!), see if it works, and then go from there.

In the “Less than $10″ and “Less than $5″ categories alone, Braid, Machinarium, Deus Ex and Counter Strike are for sale. I mean, come on, people. I would have to be batshit crazy to not take advantage of this.

In the name of setting myself up to succeed for my superfluous video game quest resolution, I am going to make some purchases on Steam tonight.

But don’t tell … I’ll be in BIIIIG trouble.

Steam image from Steam.com

Best Games of All Time … According to Everyone Else December 16, 2009

I read a lot about video games. I normally focus on sites targeting all levels of gamers, including big ones like Kotaku and Gossip Gamers. Additionally, I really try hard to read Gamasutra (which focuses more on the business side of making video games). Given that I have little to no experience doing anything besides playing video games, the subject matter goes over my head, but I find it fascinating regardless. (If you want to see some of the other sites I go to for VG knowledge, check out my blogroll.)

Recently, I’ve noticed that there are a handful of games that just keep coming up … and they’re nothing new. In fact, some of them are from as long as a decade ago. The problem is that I haven’t played them.

These are games that some people hail as classics, that defined a variety of genres in the video game world. People who I respect (like Leigh Alexander, for instance) really, really like these games, and often use them as points of comparison in their writing. This makes me mad, because then I have no point of reference. And I feel like less of a gamer.

So begins my research for what might be my most superfluous New Years resolution ever: PLAY THESE GAMES. Become more well-rounded, more well-versed.

I’m basically reviewing “top games” lists in order to cobble together a “to do” list for my gaming systems in 2010 (I can’t afford to buy a PS3, so no Uncharted 2 for me). Here’s the hit list so far:

• Super Mario Galaxy
• Resident Evil  (I’ve actually never played any Resident Evil games)
• Shadow of the Colossus
• Ico
• Metal Gear Solid (I’ve … never played a MGS game before, either)
• Metroid (again, another franchise I’ve never played)
• God of War
• Half Life (and 2)
• Tales of Symphonia
• The Darkness (Mitch Krpata’s review over at Insult Swordfighting made me put this game on my list)
• Suikoden
• Persona 3
• Mass Effect
• Xenogears
• Knights of the Old Republic (I’ve just started this)
• Dragon Quest VIII
• Portal
• Fire Emblem
• Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

Also, I haven’t given PC gaming a fair chance (with the notable exception of the Sims franchise) since about 3rd grade with Phantasmagoria. Here’s some games I’d like to try (especially because I share a 360 and sometimes I just don’t feel like fighting that battle):

• Starcraft
• Diablo II
• Baldur’s Gate II
• Thief
• Deus Ex

Hot damn that is a lot of gaming. It’s too bad I canceled my GameFly account … I could probably save some serious cash that way. I may have to get that thing going again.

Well, as soon as I beat Borderlands. Priorities, people.

Any to add to my list?

Giving credit where credit is due, I pulled these suggestions from lists created by IGN, VGC and AV Club

games image from freespamfree’s Flickr

Gamerscores and Achievement Whores December 11, 2009

In the realm of Xbox Live, I live in a house divided.

I play games that I find enjoyable. When I get bored with them, I stop playing. Achievements are cool, but that little “bleep bleep” noise that accompanies them doesn’t get my heart racing or anything.

BF, however, loves him some achievements … and gamerpoints. I’ve seen him crunch away at games he doesn’t particularly enjoy just to get the easier achievements before relegating them to the back of our bookshelf (or in the mail back to GameFly).

I happen to know that his gamerscore is somewhere near 11,000. I’m not quite sure where mine is, but it’s between 3,000-4,000 last time I checked. And really, I don’t care what it is.

Please don’t think I’m on a soapbox about this. If you enjoy goal-based playing and focusing on achievements, that’s just fine. Everyone enjoys video games differently, has different tastes, etc.

This all stems from an article I read on Kotaku this morning about a 24 year-old American woman who has a gamerscore of more than 165,000. I’ve been on XBL for right around four years, and I’m not even to 5,000 yet.

The part of the article that got me is near the beginning — as she’s boosting her score with the writer of the article on Madden NFL Arcade, she says, “I hate sports games.” She admits she didn’t know what a sack was, or even which player her quarterback was.

To each their own. But, is a gamerscore worth sinking hours of your life (and the woman didn’t even know how much money she’d spent) into something you don’t even remotely enjoy?

For her, obviously it is. 165K is a big deal. And when she hits 200K, she admits that it’s going to make her rethink what she’s doing. She said she’s thinking about retiring at that point, but does that mean retiring from GS grinding, or retiring from video games? Can someone who is this dedicated to building a GS ever play games recreationally?

Are you an achievement person, or could you not care less about your GC? Am I in the minority here?

I pulled my avatar pic from MyGamerCard

Madden NFL Arcade image from Amazon

Review: New Super Mario Bros. Wii November 16, 2009

As a 5-year anniversary gift, BF pre-ordered me the new SMB for Wii. I’ve been pretty vocal about wanting it, but it’s also a win-win because it means I’ll stop bugging him for 360 time (we just put the Wii in the bedroom, problem solved).

I dragged his ass out of bed at 10 a.m. on Sunday to pick it up, and we started playing 2-player the moment we got home (well, after 2 Wii updates). Later in the day, I embarked on a 1-player game.

Either way you play it, this game is great.

I was struck by the nostalgia that it evoked. From the intro screen (pretty uncomplicated) to the map and even levels, the game echoes Mario 3 to me more than any other game. There is even an airship involved for Bowser’s flock. There’s mid-world mini-castles, and the familiar lineup of enemies (although I’ve yet to see a lakitu). There are also mid-world baddie challenges (recently I got to stomp a bunch of goombas).

The controls are pretty instinctive (I’m not playing with a nunchuk). To my delight and BF’s frustration, the controls are pretty loose. BF said it was like his character was “on ice” — they don’t stop and turn on a dime. However, the shake function is pretty touchy. I must be spaztic while playing or something, because I kept accidentally sending Mario up into the air.

2-player can be frustrating. BF and I found ourselves getting in each other’s way, especially when challenging jump sequences were involved. Normally we just would have gone 1 at a time, but with a scrolling screen, you die if you get left behind. I’m not sure if I enjoy the level of complexity that adds, or if it’s just frustrating to be on par for a perfect jump and then have BF unintentionally knock me out of the way. At this point, I can’t imagine playing the story mode with more than two people. We haven’t gone very far into actual co-op (for example, me launching him into the air to find things, etc), so maybe there’s more to be found there once we stop trying to work around each other and start working with each other.

As far as single-player goes, I’m really enjoying the game. There’s a fun new optional part of the levels where a Toad is stuck in a “?” box somewhere in a course, and you have to find him and carry him throughout the level. If you succeed, new surprises show up on the map.

I’m only in the middle of world 2 (a desert map, like in Mario 3), but the difficulty level has ratcheted up already. I like this — I thought the first map was a little too easy, but it did its job getting me accustomed to the play style, controls and conventions of the game.

There are some fun additions: Star coin movies (where you can watch tips and tricks for a variety of different levels. I find this fascinating, BF thought it was dumb); and the baddies’ dance. You’ll see the baddies bopping out to the music on a variety of levels. This is cute, but can throw off your game a little bit if you’re trying to jump on them.

Overall, I love this game. It walks the thin line between reminding us of old-school Mario games, and being the same as those games, with newer graphics and a multiplayer. As far as I can tell, they’ve taken what worked about the older games, and have given it a fun new twist. I love it, and I’ll probably be playing it nonstop for the next few weeks.

Gaming Preferences September 20, 2009

I don’t think about these days much now (now that I’m officially out of the gamer-closet), but when I was younger, I never told anyone how much I enjoyed video games. A few friends and I would play MarioKart, Sonic, Donkey Kong, or whatever else was hot at the time, but for the most part, these were pretty commercially-accepted games. Few friends knew about the amount of time I spent with RPGs (which to me, were probably the geekiest type of games ever), and I pretty much maintained this low profile. (Minus the guy who introduced me to Earthbound in 5th grade – you still rock).

From GuineaPig119's web site

As I grew up, found gamers similar to myself both in person and on the Internet (the Nintendo BBS was enormously helpful at the time — what a great gathering place). It was pretty apparent that everyone liked a different variety of games (for example, I really just don’t enjoy sports games) … but for the most part, people liked a variety of things. Action/adventure, RPGs, FPS, simulation … they ran the gamut.

In my 24 years, I have never run across a person like the guy I met a couple weeks ago. When I approached him, he was playing Call of Duty 4 — cool game, for sure (I’m not a huge war game fan, either). We got to talking about video games, and BioShock came up, and he had this to say:

“I thought that game was so stupid.”

As you can imagine, my knee-jerk reflex was to shake him silly. I have a terrible poker face, so I’m pretty sure I looked like he’d told me he’d killed my dog or something.

This guy had some words for my new acquaintance (from GossipGamers.com)

He went on to say that furthermore, anything that wasn’t 100% realistic was a stupid game. I took a step back, and realized that by that definition, my top favorite games of all time were “stupid.” I didn’t realize I’d take this so personally, but I was ready to just close up the conversation and find someone who wasn’t so cripplingly closed-minded, when he affirmed my suspicions and told me the only games he played were the Call of Duty series. That was it.

Apparently he dabbled in any new games his roommates brought home (I imagine these “dabbling” sessions lasting about 5 minutes), but always went back to the tried-and-true.

At this point, I did excuse myself. I know that people have different gaming preferences, but you wouldn’t catch me calling sports games or military-based games (my two chief dislikes) “stupid.” I don’t think they’re stupid, I just dislike the lack of imagination required to play them. I get bored with them. I bet if I put this guy in front of a computer and forced him to play SimCity, his head would explode.

Point being, this guy and I had entirely opposite tastes. What bugged me the most about this, though, was how aloof this guy was, and how readily he was willing to dismiss anything else. I dislike closed-mindedness in general, but this was off the charts for me. People don’t always have to like what I do (I’d almost rather that they didn’t), but to be so dismissive is sort of alienating. I’m a pretty open-minded gal (or so I like to think), so to see someone just shut down and not be willing to discuss or even listen to anything else was so off-putting.

This disapproving rabbit disapproves (from disapprovingrabbits.com)

Speaking of BioShock, release date slated for 2 on February 9, 2010. Mega gaming session slated.

Belated review: Sims 3 July 27, 2009

I know this is sadly overdue, but I don’t care. Here are my thoughts:

It should be noted that I am a pretty big Sims fangirl. I started playing the original (like, playing it 24 hours straight on weekends) back in the day. Even when I discovered the cheat codes, I still made my Sims labor the hard way for their ridiculously expensive art and expansive backyard pools.

For the second game, I stopped drinking beer (well, at least I stopped paying for it) in order to buy it during college. The difference between Sims 1 and the majesty that was Sims 2 was enormous. The basic idea was the same, but the customization and graphics went through the roof. Check out this link to see the evolution between games.

As I started playing Sims 3, I was initially pretty shocked. Yeah, the customization is a little better (especially with furniture, you can create colors now), and the graphics are improved, but I was sort of underwhelmed. After the gap between Sims 1 and 2, I was expecting a bigger jump in Sims 3.

From IGN

Admittedly, there are things about 3 that I really enjoy. I like that going somewhere besides your home no longer takes time to load (in fact, they encourage your character to leave … they’ll start to go “stir-crazy”). My play patterns are changing, I’ve noticed … I used to always create the same kind of characters, leading the same kind of lives: Get a job, go to work, and on days off, hold parties and hang out with friends. Now, my characters are all over the place, going to town after work, going to sports events, etc etc. There’s a wider range of lifestyle choices, which makes the game appealing for me.

Other things I like about 3 are the character development tools (especially choosing key traits instead of dealing with attribute points), expanded interactions with people, more hobbies (gardening, fishing, etc), and the graphics appear to be a little sharper.

From IGN

The biggest problem I have with 3 is something that I didn’t quite understand at first — each town’s ability to continue evolving as you play different characters. While this sounds like a neat idea, I think the characters need more guidelines and restriction while they are “living” without player supervision.

If you have no idea what I’m talking about, here’s my example: In older Sims games, you can create different characters that live in the same city together. When playing one character, you may see another one of your characters out and about, but they aren’t actually making decisions that impact gameplay — they are simply part of the neighborhood.

In Sims 3, player-created characters that are not the “default character” for a particular town will continue to live their lives without input from the players. I’m not sure if their decisions are randomized or formulaic (based on player patterns, etc), but this ruined my boyfriend’s first character. His character and mine were in the same “town” — so our default character changed. The first time he went back as his character, after I’d spent a few hours with mine, he had no money, had skipped work for three (Sim) days, and there was an unknown baby on his doorstep.

If you want total control, you can choose to create a new sim in an entirely new town … but where’s the fun in that? I dislike that each character has to exist in a vacuum (unless you’re up for surprises).

Anyway, the verdict? It’s pretty fun. I’d put it aside a while ago in favor of some other games, but I brought it back out this weekend — mostly to create a character that has my ideal life. She’s a novelist with an expansive garden, no “real” job, she lives on the beach, and she travels everywhere by bike. Escapism at its best.

More E3 June 12, 2009

I’ll be honest. As E3 approached this year, part of me really just wanted to wait on everything and take in all the recaps. There’s far too much information, too many trailers, and too much news for me to be able to get to everything (especially being fully employed and at work while the expo took place). But, another part of me said “nut up, stay glued to your computer at lunch and after work, and take it in yourself.”

Second-hand information, while easier to obtain and digest, often comes tainted with someone else’s opinions and judgements — whether admitted or not. As you can imagine, the second part of me won over, and while in constant contact with a friend over email, I tried my best to keep up.

I wrote my conclusions and put together a “favorites” lists in my previous post, but now that the post-E3 lists, opinions, etc are coming out, I keep thinking that my initial post is woefully incomplete.

Example A: Wired’s “Top 10 Game Trailers from E3.” While some of my picks are on there, a few definitely slipped under my radar. Super Mario Galaxy 2, Uncharted 2 (especially Uncharted 2, that game looks SICKK), Project Natal (which blows me away but I think is so cool), and the Last Guardian had incredible trailers and I should have included them.

A note on Project Natal: like I said, this kind of creeps me out. But, AWESOME. It’s incredible that designers and programmers can create something like this — AI that reacts to a variety of situations, without seeming “programmed.” (At least, to me. Of course, I’ll admit to being totally in the dark about the mechanics of this kind of stuff.)

Anyway, if you’re still jonesing for game coverage and haven’t clicked over to Wired’s list, check it out.

Thoughts on E3 June 5, 2009

In case you either a) don’t care about video games or electronics at all (in which case I assume you’re here for the snark) or b) live under a rock, E3 was this week. 

E3 (the Electronic Entertainment Expo … read: GAMER HEAVEN) is where game developers come together to announce upcoming games, hardware, etc. Big announcements are often part of the presentation, and after a lame-ass couple of years (I’m looking at you, 2008 and 2007), the gaming community was pretty stoked for this year. It was expected that the big three (MSFT, Nintendo and Sony) would come with guns blazing, because at heart, the conference is really a way for them to try and outdo each other. 

That being said, overall, I think MSFT killed it. I was sadly underwhelmed by Nintendo, and Sony ranked somewhere in the middle. After reviewing a BUNCH of the trailers on gametrailers.com and G4, here are my thoughts on some of the upcoming games. 

• Assassin’s Creed 2: If you’ve ever talked to me about this game, you know two things — 1) I had enormously high expectations for the first AC and 2) I was really let down. I loved the visuals, the plot, etc … but I found the gameplay so repetitive that I didn’t even finish. Although there wasn’t any in-game footage in the trailer I watched, the graphics were dazzling. If they can find a way to shake up the gameplay a little, it could be cool. Verdict: I’ll probably borrow my brother’s copy before buying. 

• Castlevania: Lords of Shadow: Please, sir, can I have some more? This game looks SICK. It reminded me of a better-looking Devil May Cry 4. If they can still retain some of the good ol’ Castlevania campiness (this guy better be an f-ing Belmont), this should be a righteous game. Verdict: Will pre-order, pick up the day of, and squeal with fangirlish glee the whole trip home. 

• Final Fantasy VII (download): I know, I know, it’s not a new game, but Sony finally got with it and made it download-able. Bucking the trend of your usual FF fan, I’m not a huge fan of FFVII, but I thought this was a cool idea nonetheless. I was concerned about the way the graphics looked in the trailer, though. I lent my hard copy to a friend (check out his blog, Playing Hooky), and while he enjoyed the bit that he played, the graphics were so grossly distorted on the new, prettier TVs we have now that it was distracting. The graphics looked less-than-great in the trailer — I hope that was just a tech issue, and will be resolved. Admittedly, though, I did get some nostalgic pangs of excitement when I saw certain scenes. I’m such a softy for Shinra. Verdict: Talk to someone who downloaded it to figure out the graphics issue out of curiosity … but I own it already, so NBD.

• Splinter Cell: Conviction:  Thoroughly impressed. Great graphics, and I like the idea of Sam Fisher going rogue. He is a definite badass in this one. Not too much to say on top of that. Verdict: My brother loves these games. Odds are, he’ll buy it, and then I’ll get his opinion — but it looks like a solid purchase. 

• Super Mario Brothers Wii: I’ll be honest. When I heard that THIS was one of the announcements from Nintendo, I was definitely crestfallen. Seriously, SMB? That’s the best you can do, Nintendo? And then, I watched the trailer. It actually looks pretty fun. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I imagined myself playing with my boyfriend, and the ensuing fight as he failed some sort of co-op move. It looks like it could be a lot of fun, in a Legogame-esque sort of way. It’s not just multi-player on the same levels, but co-op, as well. Verdict: Will probably buy after the price goes down. 

• Just Cause 2: I never played the first game, but I’m intrigued after watching some of the developer walkthrough. I like the idea of base jumping, and the flexibility of the use of the parachute. Also, the main character seems like a badass. Verdict: Will monitor coverage and reviews for. Odds are, I won’t be buying this one, though. 

• InFAMOUS: At first, I was sorely unimpressed by the graphics, and the plot. But, as I watched more of the trailer, I got into it a little more. I love the idea of having comic book-esque graphics incorporated in the game, and the propoganda laced throughout it. Also, sidequests in an FPS … especially ones that allow you to choose a path (ie, good or bad) … are always good in my book. However, I was not too excited about plot development through your character’s cell phone/audio tapes you find. Even in BioShock, I didn’t like this … I want to be fully immersed in the plot, not have it played on the peripheral while I’m doing something else in-game. Why even have a plot if it’s optional to even learn about? Verdict: Knowing me, I’m just intrigued enough to buy it, as long as it doesn’t get horrendous reviews. 

• Metroid: Other M: Holy sickness. This game is going to be AWESOME. I love that Nintendo went back to the 3rd person POV, it’s more classic Metroid. No more needs to be said. Verdict: I will pre-order, call out sick from work, and beat it in 3 days. And then brag to everyone within hearing.

• Left 4 Dead 2: While I was surprised that this game came so soon (no more downloadable content for the first one, Valve?), it looks like it’s going to deliver. Seriously. From new kinds of ammo to melee weapons, there’s all sorts of mega-satisfying ways to slaughter zombies. And, even the developers got their asses kicked. Verdict: My LIVE friends and I are going to go to town on this one. I am going to startle myself into an anyuerism if I’m not careful. 

• Quantum: This one was definitely just “eh” for me. The character design was very Gears of War-ish – big guys in big armor. Except, Marcus Fenix would have never accepted help from a girl, especially a mouthy one. Verdict: Will not buy, may not even play.

• Final Fantasy XIII: If you’ve read my blog before, it’s pretty clear that I’m a pretty die-hard FF fan. YES, I can be obstinate and old-school, but I’m a fan. I think what I’m most excited about is that this is coming out for the 360 … which takes the wind out of my sails about buying a PS3. All I really saw was a battle, which was very busy and very visual. Odin was appropriately B.A. I hope it doesn’t follow the trail of the last few games and get too pretty/empty. Verdict: Who am I kidding? I’ll buy it, if only to experience the triumph of playing a Final Fantasy game on the 360. 

• The Agency: I was unimpressed by the graphics of this one at first (it’s no Splinter Cell), I am intrigued by the plot. I love a good sneaking/spy/espionage/assassin game, and this one seems to fit the bill pretty solidly. The music in the trailer struck me first — always a good sign. Verdict: If it continues to sound and look cool, I’ll definitely give it a buy. 
• Metal Gear Solid: Rising: There was almost no information about the game in this trailer, but it gave me goosebumps. ‘Nuff said. Verdict: I don’t even need to beat around the bush. This game is going to be incredible. 

• Lego Harry Potter: While I’ve heard many cry about the lame-itude of Lego games, I’m still in love with them. They are deliciously childish, and I love that. Plus, you can’t die. I consider myself a gamer, but when it’s something not-serious like Harry Potter, who cares? Verdict: Buying it as soon as it comes out. 

Trauma Center: Second Opinion May 16, 2009

I’ll be honest, usually I’m an FPS/RPG/adventure gamer. As shallow as that is, I do occasionally reach outside of my comfort zone. But, when I was younger (2nd grade and up), my best friend and I tackled all sorts of random games. One of those, Life & Death (GREAT game, if you haven’t played it and can put up with graphics from 1988), spurred my interest in simulation games. 

Life & Death – not Trauma Center. Impressive graphics for the 80s, though!

I was poking through the simulation games on GameFly and Trauma Center caught my eye. There are two games, and for some reason I decided to play the second one, Second Opinion, first. 

Anyone who knows me knows that I get fed up and frustrated with games fairly quickly, the allure dies, and I never play it again. (To be honest, that’s why I think that GameFly is perfect for me). A surgery game has a pretty high probability for this happening, but, to my surprise, I’m still hooked on it. 

There’s more plot than there was with Life & Death, for sure — between the music, the graphics, and the dialogue, it plays like a Japanese soap opera (AWESOME). After I figued out how to actually use the controls (use the control stick to navigate around the tool circle), they were pretty intuitive. 

Surgery screen shot. Tool circle on the left, hottie (but annoying) nurse on the right

The learning curve isn’t steep — not only are you debriefed prior to each surgery (they provide objectives for you), but a nurse or some other character stays with you during the operations to do one of the following: helpfully point out suggestions, lead you WAY astray, or yell at you when you do something wrong. 

There is a grading system for each surgery, based on a grade for each action you take. Depending on how clean/sloppy your work is, or how good your aim is with a syringe, the game will say “Bad,” “Cool,” etc. The more “Cool”s and “Ok”s you get, the higher your score will be at the end. Also, you can earn bonus points for being fast, keeping a patient’s vitals above a certain level, etc. You can always go back and re-do a surgery should you not be satisfied with your score, which I think is cool and adds some solid replay value. 

Prior to operations, your character helpfully declares, “I WILL save this patient!”

There were, however, a few things I didn’t like about the game. Your main character has something called the “Healing Touch,” which is apparenly some sort of time-shifting power (think Hiro from Heroes). You have to draw a start on your screen to activate it. I was really annoyed with this, and never used it (which actually netted me some bonuses, since it makes the game easier). It just seemed like an obnoxious extra. Additionally, whenever you re-start a surgery, there’s no option to skip the debriefing. Some of the debriefings are really long, so this gets annoying. 

Other than that, I’m hooked on Trauma Center. I’d definitely recommend it if you’re looking for something original, and you can stomach the soap-opera-y plotlines. I’m checking out the first game, as well as the ones they have for the DS as soon as I’m finished.