Publisher: Oxygen Games
Developer: GameInvest
Genre: Sim
Release Date: Available now

Handheld systems have long been the perfect remedy for whiling away a long wait – whether it be in those Black Friday lines as we chase down the last copy of New Super Mario Bros., or at our local health clinic as we look to procure that life-saving substance that will ward off this season’s media emboldened Big Bad – the H1N1 virus. What better way to kill the hours spent suffering through an interminable hospital wait than by guiding ourselves through a virtual medical drama – the salve that the game designers at GameInvest have concocted in their latest release, Hysteria Hospital: Emergency Ward.

In Hysteria Hospital: Emergency Ward, the player assumes the role of a nurse who is charged with guiding a bustling hospital through a manic stretch of nine days, during which all manner of medical mysteries must be resolved via quick application of your stylus. Each day is dominated by minigames, in the guise of patient visits, which must be resolved within a time limit in order to progress further in the adventure. The player will be called upon to guide a patient to the appropriate area for diagnosis (using the touch screen) and then work on the treatment depending upon which diagnosis is prompted in an on-screen thought bubble.

This system leads to some Sims-style micromanagement, where the player will need to get patients the appropriate diagnosis and medication while also insuring that other day-to-day elements of hospital management are attended to including room preparation (which is accomplished by clicking on beds and laundry baskets to prepare the bed for a new patient). Eventually, the player will accumulate a queue of tasks which they can prioritize using the stylus and touch screen, which introduces an element of project management to the game. Time is of the essence and if a patient is not attended to within a timely fashion, they will leave and the hospital will suffer. Prompt and proper service will result in increased funds for the hospital, which can then be allocated to resource development (i.e. new equipment and salary boosts for the staff).

While the idea of running a busy hospital caters to that cabal of gamers who enjoy shaping sim cities and the like to prosperity, the game play in Hysteria Hospital is too superficial to offer much enjoyment to the hardcore sim crowd. The game descends into a very cookie-cutter approach to treating patients with a small variety of actions and minigames called upon to handle the unhealthy hordes. While the game quickly introduces elements of resource management, the lack of depth kills any potential for truly strategic game play.

In addition, the visuals are lacking with character models and environments displaying all the flair of last generation handheld titles. I realize hospitals are antiseptic and utilitarian by design but on the small screen, liberties should be taken to make the game visually appealing and sell the fantasy. While the DS may lag behind the PSP, it is still capable of producing some compelling artwork, and the developers have not exploited the system’s strengths.

Over the years, I’ve railed against the legions of publishers who have taken aim at the Wii’s large, built-in audience of casual consumers and plied them with collections of shovelware detritus and largely, those titles have come from shady publishers who know no shame. A short while back, I reviewed Oxygen’s Wii release, Cid the Dummy, and railed against the company for following this same tactic. Once again, they’ve returned with a barebones release aimed at liberating funds from unsuspecting casual consumers. After the release of Hysteria Hospital, I am seriously considering a malpractice suit.

Our Score:

Our Recommendation: