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Bargain Explorer: Sale Unit
If Shiren the Wanderer's turn-based system was too slow-paced to satisfy your dungeon crawling needs, you might want to look into Dungeon Explorer: Warriors of Ancient Arts, Hudson's Diablo-esque hack-and-slash follow-up to the original TurboGrafx-16 game. Amazon has Dungeon Explorer discounted to $19.49, a generous price considering the game includes online support for up to four players and even a bit of voice chat.And if you're neither a fan of dungeon crawling or dungeon exploring -- perhaps you just want to steer clear of dungeons altogether -- Amazon also has LifeSigns: Surgical Unit marked down to $19.49. While the LifeSigns series isn't as popular as that other surgery sim, Trauma Center, apparently a few of our readers are big fans of the game!%Gallery-10382%[Via CAG]Read - Dungeon Explorer: Warrior of Ancient ArtsRead - Lifesigns Surgical Unit
LifeSigns: Surgical Unit has a nicely timed sale
If you're itching to unleash your inner surgeon onto your DS after all this Trauma Center brouhaha, you might want to consider picking up LifeSigns: Surgical Unit in the meantime. Since we haven't played it, we can't recommend it ourselves (although some of our readers seem to be fond of this title), but it happens to be on sale this week at GameQuest Direct. The sale will last until April 8th, giving you plenty of time to consider whether or not you need another surgery-sim-meets-soap-opera in your life, but an $11 markdown is a pretty nice deal. Also, thanks to CAG, you can use the code CAG1SHIP in the bottom left corner for free shipping.Yet, the game did end up on some worst lists of 2007, so caveat emptor.[Via CAG]
2007's crop of crap games
Though we put together our own list of terrible DS games just two weeks ago, the more recommendations we have on games to avoid, the better off we'll all be.Aside from erroneously describing Lifesigns as a Trauma Center clone (Kenshuui Tendo Dokuta saw its Japanese release six months before Atlus' surgery sim), Pocket Gamer's ten worst DS games of 2007 excellently outlines which of this year's games you shouldn't spend your hard-earned money on. It has an even sampling of shovelware (e.g. MinDStorm: Train Your Brain and B-17 Fortress in the Sky) and titles with potential that fell flat on their faces (e.g. The Settlers and Lost in Blue 2) -- this way, you're not only warned of games that obviously suck, but of games that mask their severe failings until it's too late, as well.
Create a LifeSigns manga, (maybe) win a DS (probably not)
Remember LifeSigns? No?Well, for those of you angry at Trauma Center for breaking up with the DS, LifeSigns: Surgical Unit (which is being released this week) is a welcome substitute.You also might want to know that the folks behind LifeSigns are giving away ten DS Lites (with copies of the game, of course). All you have to do is make a manga on the LifeSigns website, advertise send it to some friends, and hope yours gets picked to win. It's similar to the Phoenix Wright and Harvey Birdman contests, but it's a trend we don't mind spreading. Make stupid comics and get free stuff? Fine by us.
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LifeSigns resurfaces at GC
It's easy to forget about LifeSigns, since it seems to keep coming and going, but the medical sim showed a few signs of life in Leipzig, and the good folks at IGN got in a little hands-on time. All signs point to good, with heavy realism in the surgery department, and the same sort of ass-kickery we've come to expect from surgery games. Thank you, Trauma Center. At least in LifeSigns, players don't have to choose their own tools -- it's done automatically -- so that's one less step for us to screw up while we're sweating over someone's heart operation.The most recent word is that the game is for-really-real scheduled for October ... but since we've seen dates both in June and this very week slip past, we're not holding our breath. We just hope it comes out eventually.
Confirmed at last: LifeSigns headed to the US
Way back in March, rumors surfaced regarding the long-overdue localization of LifeSigns: Hospital Affairs, and it looks like Siliconera's detective work was right on the button: the doctor sim is due this summer. Now here's where it gets confusing. Our original reports had Hospital Affairs coming out this week and Surgical Unit at the end of June. Now, as of this new announcement, Hospital Affairs, based on the Japanese DS launch title Kenshuui Tendo Dokuta, is coming sometime this summer. We originally assumed, based on the separate GameStop listings, that Surgical Unit was a localized version of the second Tendo Dokuta game, but according to an interview with one of the game's producers, they're two different names for the first game.During the interview, the producer asserted that the US-released LifeSigns game was going to be called Surgical Unit, but all the promotional material (including the website) uses the title Hospital Affairs. Yikes. We think this is because the promotional information is for the European release.Okay, we're getting mixed up ourselves, so here's the final breakdown in bullet-point form: There is only one LifeSigns game announced for the US so far, with some kind of subtitle. It is coming out some time this summer. %Gallery-3301%
Lifesigns producer dissects the game
While the comparisons between it and Trauma Center: Under the Knife are unavoidable, they are kind of inappropriate. See, in Lifesigns: Surgical Unit, the action is a bit more realistic, as the game has you playing a doctor who doesn't have magical powers. That's not to say the omission of such character characteristics will make it any less of a game, but for those looking for a more authentic experience on the virtual operating table, Lifesigns: Surgical Unit is going to be a game to watch.Jay Podilchuk, the game's producer, recently conducted a small Q & A with Siliconera, pointing out the reality-grounded story and gameplay of his title compared to others available on the market. Jay explains that the gameplay will include more than just the need to diagnose patients. Players will also need to exercise some bedside manner, allowing the doctor to extract information from the patient before diving into the diagnosis stage. Once diagnosed, the surgery portion will begin.Other than that, Jay doesn't really have much more to say. He does manage to tease us, however, with the idea of localizing the sequel. This is only if the first game sells enough, obviously.
Lifesigns schedules operations for June
We hadn't heard anything about the US localizations of the two Tendo Dokuta games since November. Siliconera is reporting today that the two games, called Lifesigns: Hospital Affairs and Lifesigns: Surgical Unit are being published by Dreamcatcher Interactive and released on May 15 and June 28 respectively. A quick jaunt over to EBGames' webpage confirms this information for Surgical Unit (if EB is to be trusted), but Hospital Affairs is nowhere to be seen.Tendo Dokuta was a launch title for the DS in Japan. It's amazing that someone's just now getting around to localizing it!
New hospital-based game headed to the DS
Following in the footsteps of the incredibly fun Trauma Center: Under the Knife, LifeSigns: Hospital Affairs from JoWood is a "hospital drama soap" with "dramatic human interactions." Screenshots of the game also show surgery segments, so in utilizing the touch-screen, you'll be aiding in the medical treatment of patients. The localized version of Tendo Dokuta, it revolves around a young doctor who, much like the hospital-based soap operas of the past and present, must both help patients with their physical ailments as well as their emotional ones. Starting as a lowly assistant doctor, you'll move up the ranks until you finally obtain your desired position of chief physician in the hospital. The game is currently set for a Q1 2007 release.[Via DS-x2]
