Parents' Guide to

Trauma Center: Second Opinion

By Andrew Bub, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 12+

Medical simulation game is bloody but educational.

Game Nintendo Wii 2006
Trauma Center: Second Opinion Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

Community Reviews

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age 13+

Based on 1 parent review

CaramelldansenWeegee
CaramelldansenWeegee Adult
January 3, 2009
age 13+

Love it

I love this game. It was one of the first games I got when I got the Wii for Xmas. There's a lot of blood, but that's because you're dealing with the human body. And there's medical terrorism-ish stuff too. There is some flirting, and at one point, a person says something sexual that I will NOT repeat. The language is mostly from one person too. It's a pretty good game overall.
See all 1 parent review

What’s It About?

TRAUMA CENTER: SECOND OPINION casts the player in the role of a hotshot young surgeon out to save lives in a soap opera world of Japanese anime -- think General Hospital crossed with House. The Wii nunchuk thumbstick is used to choose instruments, while the remote acts as a scalpel, syringe, and even a needle that lets you stitch a wound closed. Trauma Center: Second Opinion is a surgical game, so it's bloody and features the gooey inside of the body, including things like tumors and broken bones. While operating, you are constantly aware of the beeping heart monitor, which can be very nerve-wracking.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1):
Kids say (5):

The game is tasteful and respectful of the human body. One of the main recurring themes involves nurses scolding our hero for being too callous or not paying attention. Young players will learn a lot about anatomy and basic surgical procedure. Memorization of steps is the key to keeping patients alive on the table during long, grueling surgeries late in the game.

But there's enough fantasy and even science fiction at hand here to make the game feel like ER crossed with the board game Operation, from Milton Bradley. While the setting is not realistic, the still pictures and anime characters are well done. It's all very clever and satisfying, it gives a "futuristic doctor" feeling that's a thrill, and one that is unique in gaming. It makes you wonder if, one day, real surgery will be performed remotely like this.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the medical problems that can affect the human body and the procedures and skills required to fix it. Patching patients up and earning the praise of the nursing staff can make players proud of what they have accomplished. Do you think this is how doctors feel? Does this game make you want to be a doctor or nurse?

Game Details

  • Platform: Nintendo Wii
  • Available online?: Not available online
  • Publisher: Atlus
  • Release date: November 14, 2006
  • Genre: Simulation
  • ESRB rating: T for blood, mild language, mild violence
  • Last updated: November 4, 2015

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