Despite all the thematic variations on Hasbro's classic board game Operation, the thing plays pretty much the same no matter whether you're pulling out Cavity Sam's breadbasket or going to work on SpongeBob, Spider-Man or Homer. But with Electronic Arts' upcoming Operation Mania video game, you also get a full-blown storyline and a slew of new challenges to match.
Playing as the aspiring surgeon Dr. Humerus (yuk yuk), you work your way through the hospital ranks, admitting, diagnosing and treating patients whose ailments make Cavity Sam (who, incidentally, is also a character here) look like a hypochondriac. The game boasts 35 levels across five different hospitals spread across the globe (see below), and you have the option of playing either in Story Mode, where you progress through the hospital pecking order, or Marathon Mode, where you try to keep patients going for as long as possible.
Of course, if you thought having Operation in video-game form meant freedom from the nerve-wracking buzzers and fine-motor-skill challenges of the board game, think again: Thanks to a number of challenging micro games, you're also put on the spot to show your surgical finesse. Luckily for stressed-out surgeons, there's also a Multiplayer mode: When your waiting room gets overcrowded, just start referring patients to friends and family online.
Operation Mania will be available this month via Pogo, with a retail version of the game hitting stores in September for $19.95.
