Trauma Team - 6 specialties - Out now! - $39.99 MSRP

[Cao Cao]

Preorder Deals
Probably a good time to mention the pre-order deals being offered by GameStop and Amazon:
GameStop: $5 off the price with reserve (http://www.gamestop.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=76268) (Like MHTri, the discount will be taken at the time of purchase)
Amazon: $10 Gaming Credit with pre-order (http://www.amazon.com/Trauma-Team-Nintendo-Wii/dp/B002BHSPXO/)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/bd/Trauma_Team_cover.png

Metacritic score (http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/wii/traumateam)
Trailer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ry60m3ZBmLE)

Atlus has been putting up these Youtube videos describing each of the different professions:
Surgery (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NamSBZYwNM)
Endoscopy (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-238ib5Tmdw)
Orthopedics (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4mkB4oPgGA)
Forensics (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMd0y74flTU)
First-Response (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkuKBPh--Hc)
Diagnosis (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yX-EgrY-ob0)

http://kotaku.com/5272482/atlus-announces-trauma-team-for-wii
Well, Atlus decided to make the connection even clearer by announcing it for release in the US under the title of Trauma Team. As the title hints, you are no longer restricted to following the procedures of one or two doctors. Instead, you now have an entire team of doctors, each specializing in a different field of medicine. (General surgeon, diagnostician, E.M.T., orthopedic surgeon, endoscope technician and medical examiner)

True-Gaming (http://www.true-gaming.net/home/?p=1108) has high quality scans of the Famitsu piece:
http://www.true-gaming.net/tgupload/images2/hospital.jpg
http://www.true-gaming.net/tgupload/images2/hospital2.jpg

Famitsu put up some character profiles, I'll list the characters and their occupations here so we know who's who:
http://www.famitsu.com/game/coming/1224475_1407.html

General Surgeon - Prisoner No. CR-SO1
http://www.famitsu.com/image/1582/s201_qsOeSSHd7tbki7h4nLXgz633p413N3ut.jpg

Diagnostician - Gabriel Cunningham
http://www.famitsu.com/image/1582/s202_UUxO4TJGhl78P5Ot7nP4Vv3iIicNTjsv.jpg

Orthopedic Surgeon - Hank Freebird
http://www.famitsu.com/image/1582/s203_HH4VX17wQS57171DAh3rI6l2P2A6b1rj.jpg

E.M.T. - Maria Torres
http://www.famitsu.com/image/1582/s204_Kl32M78f17pKzn2YV1d472Z9t2BWQt9O.jpg

Endoscope Technician - Tomoe Tachibana
http://www.famitsu.com/image/1582/s205_KmvzjfR5R9GergyihaM8e7f1YL5L7qW7.jpg

Medical Examiner/Hospital Director - Naomi Kimishima (AKA Nozomi Weaver from Second Opinion)
http://www.famitsu.com/image/1582/s206_nRh487RZ83S2icUP7Mo31qJ6n456Q96z.jpg

[EXStrike]

http://www.atlus.com/res/traumateam_screens_endoscope.jpg
http://www.atlus.com/res/traumateam_screens_medicalexaminer.jpg
http://www.atlus.com/res/traumateam_screens_diagnostician.jpg
http://www.atlus.com/res/traumateam_screens_orthopedics.jpg
http://www.atlus.com/res/traumateam_screens_paramedic.jpg
http://www.atlus.com/res/traumateam_screens_surgery.jpg

[pete5883]

So does this mean no more GUILT?

[Cao Cao]

So does this mean no more GUILT?

It'll probably make an appearance in some form.

The Famitsu article details the background of one doctor referred to as CR-SO1, the general surgeon (Red-eyed guy with the black hair). Apparently, he was in prison for some reason and was somehow released by this hospital to perform surgeries. He seems to possess the Healing Touch, and I'm sure that we'll learn more about his mysterious past as the plot advances.

[Lone_Prodigy]

Looks more colourful than New Blood.

Hope there's co-op play.

[lilboo]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
:whee:

MASTURBATING.
ALL OVER.
MY FACE.

NOW.

['Cube Daddy]

Second image from the bottom seems to suggest the use of palm farts to cure patients. YES, PLEASE!

[Redeema]

I prefer the one where the chick is lifting up her top. Will they have nipples? I know they like their anime nipple-free.

[Squarehard]

Does this also mean its up to 4 players now, since after all its "Trauma Team". Thatd be sweet. I mean the first one was only 1 player, second one went 2 player, come on 4 players? :D

[lilboo]

4 Players would be too much I think.. :lol:

[Kaoz]

I love trauma center on the DS, havnt tried either of the Wii versions.

Will have to pick this up once it comes out.

[lilboo]

I enjoy the Wii games more than the DS games. The controls, for once, are what make this game.

[Squarehard]

personally i liked new blood much better than any of the DS versions, but Second Opinion on the Wii just didnt sell it as much for me since I had already played the first Under the Knife for the DS and they didnt really add too much, although it was great that they did add extra content to it. but it was still pretty enjoyable, but I think New Blood sold me on the multiplayer.

[Kaoz]

Hm, I assumed the DS version would control better thats why I got the games for it. Will have to keep an eye out for a good deal on New Blood now.

[Lone_Prodigy]

I never played the DS versions, but New Blood was one of the best games to use the Wii controls. Plus it's a blast to play co-op: the only quibble I had was that activating the Healing Touch (beat the whole game on Easy but needed it on the last level) was a pain. The story is horrible but hilarious in an anime/campy sort of way.

[robin2099]

I'm excited, though hopefully they tone down the difficulty a bit. I still cant get past the artificial skin on the hart stage of the second game.

[ratzombie]

Looks more colourful than New Blood.

Hope there's co-op play. Yeah, definitely. I enjoyed playing TC: New Blood with the girlfriend.

[EXStrike]

Hope there's co-op play.

Actually it looks like there's co-op play looking at this screen:

http://www.atlus.com/res/traumateam_screens_surgery.jpg

[Cao Cao]

For the past few weeks, Atlus has been posting these overview videos that cover each of the specialties in the game. 5 have been released so far, and the last one, diagnostics, is set to come out next week, I believe. Some of these look pretty interesting; Forensics looks like something out of an Ace Attorney game, examining at the crime scene like in Phoenix Wright, analyzing the evidence like in Apollo Justice, and using a Logic system like in Miles Edgeworth to solve the case. Also, there have been some fairly recent screenshots (http://www.cubed3.com/screens/1886).

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=27AE2075E3344332

[lilboo]

How fun! Can't wait!

[FriskyTanuki]

I've seen the game in action and it looked like Atlus knows exactly of the issues with the previous games (scifi viruses, over the top story) and are doing a good job of offering a good variety of what you're doing between the different characters you're playing with.

I've seen the Diagnostics and Forensics modes along with a bit of First Response and the first two are very much adventure-style modes with Diagnostics being kind of like Phoenix Wright. The demo for that mode featured an older man who had collapsed, but refused to be admitted for an examination, so you had to examine his description of past medical history to point out potential causes of his collapse to make him aware of how serious this problem may be and eventually come up with your conclusion of what he may have. There was one part where you had to anger this man so he opened his eyes up really wide so you could see the discoloration his eyes and you can even use a CAT scan to see his insides to find irregularities.

The forensics mode is sort of like the typical point and click adventure game where you're investigating the scene of a murder to find and analyze clues to help you figure out what happened.

First response is like you'd expect, as you have multiple people to fix up or stabilize so they can be taken to the hospital. The level I saw was at an amusement park where an accident happened and you're juggling your work between multiple people to keep any of them from dying, which is game over if you let one person die on you.

The only downside doesn't really have to do with the game, but that there are at least six or seven big games that are coming out on the 18th along with SMG2 on the Sunday after and 3D Dot Game Heroes on the PS3 the week before, so the middle of May will be a very busy month for me.

[Cao Cao]

Atlus posted the final video, Diagnosis:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yX-EgrY-ob0

[evanft]

I really hope the last diagnosis is lupus.

[doodofdoods]

Dammit otto, you have lupus.

[evanft]

Is there a throwing out the rulebook minigame?

[BlueWingX]

Man, this is looking really good! I can't say I've been excited for a Trauma Center game since the first, but this one's definetly on the radar now.

[Nirron]

It looks like the MSRP may have dropped to $39.99. I was looking through my Wish List on Amazon and saw it listed as such, and then checked Gamestop.com and saw it listed for the same there. I may pick it up now. I love Trauma Center and was eventually going to get this, but with 3D Dot Game Heroes out a week before and SMG a week after this game, it got a bit cramped.

[FriskyTanuki]

The price cut's been officially announced:

TRAUMA TEAM PRICE GOES UNDER THE KNIFE, NOW $39.99; ATLUS CELEBRATES WITH FULL VIDEO TRAILER, NEW DEVELOPER FEATURETTE

"Doctor, is this permanent?"
"Yes, Trauma Team, just as soon as the swelling goes down."


IRVINE, CALIFORNIA -- MARCH 30, 2010 -- Atlus U.S.A., Inc. today announced that Trauma Team, its upcoming medical drama experience for Wii™, will launch at a newly reduced price point of $39.99. The game, which features six different fields of medicine to master and represents the largest expansion of the bestselling series to-date, offers series fans more variety and deeper gameplay than ever before.

"Every heart-pounding moment of the full Trauma Team video trailer now hits even harder with the knowledge that the game's vastly increased scope can be had for a decreased price of only $39.99," mused Aram Jabbari, Manager of PR and Sales at Atlus. "Watch the trailer to learn more about how Trauma Team combines your favorite aspects of medical dramas and crime investigation shows with satisfying arcade-style gameplay and now at the attractive price of just $39.99, tremendous value as well."

In addition to the full trailer and news of the lower price point, Atlus also released the latest entry in its series of Developer Featurettes, this time starring seven key members of the development staff in a frank roundtable discussion about the design and conceptualization of the game.

The story of each specialty's main character is brought to life through all-new dynamic story sequences inspired by Japanese animation and comics that perfectly capture the raw intensity, excitement, and danger of every heart-pounding moment! Bigger and more exciting than ever before, Trauma Team is the ultimate medical drama!

For more info, visit the game's official website: http://www.atlus.com/traumateam (http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103226278756&s=46384&e=001mXXMPYjc6pFaU68Ry5I5-rGD3A7-IiJd01tX73h0iRZL1_MCBfgnhjI_Uz4pOKGT8hO5fmsRnIYlys dy0WlLoU5u9k4RZGy-JU7H_JRcSbEJH5t9B2aF2P39uc_FJ837)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ry60m3ZBmLE

[The Crotch]

Hot damn!

...

And of course, it launches two days before my three-month excursion into the middle of a fucking clearcut...

[FriskyTanuki]

I got my review build the other day and have been enjoying it a lot so far. I've only played a few missions with Tomoe (Endoscopy), Gabriel (Diagnosis), and Naomi (Forensics) at the moment.

Tomoe's missions work similarly to previous Trauma Center games, though you have the added need to move the endoscope forward through the throat, stomach, and more if the mission requires it. You do that by holding the A and B buttons down and moving the Wii Remote forward, which I'm not really a fan of needing to constantly do that to move forward. It's not an on-rails kind of thing, as you use the analog stick to direct the endoscope. You switch between tools by pressing C, selecting the tool on the wheel with the analog stick, and then pressing C again to confirm selection. Z uses the item and some of these tools require timing to get the best score/rating at the end.

Gabriel's missions are more in the style of an adventure game, particularly the courtroom scenes. You start off by talking to the patient and noting symptoms that they mention along with being able to use the stethoscope and get some test results whenever those may come into play. The stethoscope, by default, plays the audio of the breathing, heart beats, and stomach sounds on the Wii Remote, though you can switch to going through the TV if you want. You just compare it to what these things normally sound like to see if there are more things you need to jot down.

There is also the imaging room that does the X-rays, CT scans, and all of that good stuff where you're also comparing the images to what a healthy person should look like so you can note more symptoms for your records. Then you can make use of those symptoms on the RONI computer (Gabriel's robot/supercomputer partner that gets on his nerves since he doesn't really think he needed it) for the diagnosis. You're presented with a number of potential diseases or conditions that you read the description of one and drag over symptoms that match the description until you get a full match to make a final diagnosis. The missions aren't graded, but you do have hearts that you can lose if you make mistakes in the diagnosis or the testimony parts of the game, so you just need at least one heart left when you beat the mission.

Naomi's missions are also like an adventure game, but more like a point-and-click adventure game where you're investigating a crime scene for clues with the tools you have to figure out what happened. The first mission is about a supposed suicide in a locked room where your magical spirit phone that called you with what he said before he died tells you that there's more to this. So you start by examining the corpse (think more like a nude Ken than anything graphic) and his clothes for clues to start piecing together on her computer. This part is where you're either dragging one item to another to discuss the link between them, usually with a question about what they mean for the case that requires more thinking than diagnosis. You have a partner, who shows up as a Mii on the corner of the computer screen, that can examine items for details and he can get testimony from people that are related to the case. You then get sent a recording of their statements where you point out relevant parts of the audio like the diagnosis mission, which adds more clues to the computer screen.

So you're basically gathering clues, fitting the logical pieces together, and answering the quick quizzes to show that you understand what's going on until you have just solid evidence and the whole picture to finish the mission. Like diagnosis, you're not graded and instead have these lives that you lose when you miss questions, so you just have to have a heart left at the end to complete the mission.

The presentation of these missions is sort of in a time line for each character so you can push left or right to get an idea of when different missions are taking place for each character. I can tell that Tomoe and Gabriel's stories start first, then Naomi and Hank, and finally Maria and CR-501 (from his intro video he must have done some bad shit to end up in prison with a 200+ year sentence under extreme security measures with a weird robotic mask on his head) starting up last. There is a good amount of crossover between stories, as Gabriel's son is Tomoe's first patient, though he's not really his father anymore since it seems like he's divorced and is apathetic about continuing to be his father. Hank shows up after Tomoe's second mission with an antidote. Gabriel's second patient shows up later as I suspect that he may be CR-501's first patient, so even the patients can show up multiple times.

I'm enjoying this a lot so far and I want to see how the six stories progress and connect as I play the others' missions. I'll make another post once I get some time with Hank, Maria, and CR-501.

[Cao Cao]

Probably a good time to mention the pre-order deals being offered by GameStop and Amazon:
GameStop: $5 off the price with reserve (http://www.gamestop.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=76268) (Like MHTri, the discount will be taken at the time of purchase)
Amazon: $10 Gaming Credit with pre-order (http://www.amazon.com/Trauma-Team-Nintendo-Wii/dp/B002BHSPXO/)

[Cao Cao]

Giant Bomb put up a quick look (Ryan and Vinny):
http://www.giantbomb.com/quick-look-trauma-team/17-2375/

:lol: at Ryan's reaction to Nolan North.

[FriskyTanuki]

It's a shame they didn't show at least two or three other people, as just showing CR-S01 just makes it seem like Trauma Team is only Trauma Center 3.

I'm finishing up my preview for Trauma Team right now, so I'll post when that's live.

[FriskyTanuki]

My preview is live: http://blog.gamer20.com/2010/04/preview-trauma-team-wii/

The review embargo lifts on Monday for anybody wondering when to expect to see reviews.

[FriskyTanuki]

My review is now live: http://blog.gamer20.com/2010/04/review-trauma-team-wii/

[Dead of Knight]

My review is now live: http://blog.gamer20.com/2010/04/review-trauma-team-wii/

Your review + the $10 credit from Amazon essentially bringing the price down to $30 has me interested. Just one question that wasn't really addressed in your review: Does it sometimes have the infuriating difficulty of the original DS Trauma Center? If so I'll have to pass. If it's more accessible, and the controls aren't ridiculously finicky like Trauma Center, then I'll probably get it.

I'm liking Atlus's strategy of allowing early lifts of review embargoes for its upcoming games (3D Dot Game Heroes and now this). I think it really helps to generate interest and preorders.

[FriskyTanuki]

No, the difficulty is much more manageable this time around on normal.

[Dead of Knight]

Nice. I'll definitely consider a purchase then. Thanks for the informative review.

[pochaccoheaven]

i got rid of this game when you had to do the star move. it was easier on the ds then it was using the motion controller. it could be that i did it wrong but i tried it several times and didn't succeed so i sold it.

[icebeast]

I don't know, I guess it is the publicity that Atlus is putting into this game and reading this thread to hear the difficulty has been turned down that has me really excited about it even though I never beat the first one and never played the second one. I guess the whole having multiple characters intrigues me as well. I pre-ordered it today and I'm looking forward to playing it when it comes out.

[Dead of Knight]

It comes out tomorrow, so today is the last day I can get the $10 credit on Amazon, and I still haven't bitten yet. It seems like every Wii game I've played other than the rail shooters that uses the motion controls always controls like ass. I haven't heard too many complaints about the controls for this outside of the endoscopy and orthopedics, but I'm still very wary. It would probably be a no-brainer if it were on DS but I just always seem to have problems with Wii controls. If anyone wants to convince me either way I'd appreciate it.

[slfc]

I didn't even know about the $10 credit until I read your post and I just bit on it. Is that convincing at all? :lol:

[Dead of Knight]

I bit on it. Had a $12.75 trade-in credit on Amazon anyway. If it sucks I can resell it and probably at least break even. I'm such a sucker.

[Dead of Knight]

Did anyone who ordered from Amazon get their $10 code yet?

Edit: Got it lolz. Game is coming later today.

[Cheska19]

Great review Frisky, I was hesitant to pick this up, but after seeing all these positive thoughts on the game and that $10 credit, I couldn't resist.

[LostRoad]

Seems my doorman started to sign for my packages, so I should have this when I get home today :)

[Dead of Knight]

Done the first four of six missions so far. Trying to go in chronological order. I've done diagnostics, endoscopy, orthopedics, and forensics. Endoscopy and orthopedics were very short and simplistic so I can't say much on those, but they were all right (once I got used to the endoscopy controls!). I liked diagnostics, not too long but still interesting. Surprisingly I didn't like forensics much. The case dragged on for way too long and some of the logic was a little silly. Overall I'm looking forward to playing more tomorrow.

[LostRoad]

I've gotten about as far as you have Dead. Controls seem to be about as well as the first Trauma Center on the Wii. I kinda wish it would use wii motion plus just to make it a little smother. Moving the endoscope is going to get old real quick. The wii doesn't seem to do to well of a job picking up motions like that. Pretty fun so far, though the doctors are just plain out goofy, ninja butlers? wth

[Cao Cao]

Just a quick bump to point out that this is currently Amazon's Deal of the Day. They're knocking $10 off of the price, making it $30 instead of $40.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B002BHSPXO/ref=nosim/cheapassgam08-20

[Lone_Prodigy]

How's the co-op? I've heard that you take turns, which is different from NB.

[FriskyTanuki]

Depends on the mode. Some are simultaneous, some are not.