EA Announces Operation Mania
Operation Mania has been announced by EA as the second title from their deal with Hasbro. The game is video game re-working of the classic “board game” where players had to extract “ailment” pieces from a hospital patient (located in various spots of the body, including the Adam’s Apple, Broken Heart, Butterflies in Stomch, etc.) using tweezers without touching the sides.
The new video game version comes from EA’s casual games site Pogo.com and gives you a new take on the classic board game of twitch hand-eye-coordination and skill.
You play as Dr. Humerus who is an up and coming surgeon as he builds his reputation and is called in to save the day at five different hospitals in fun and wacky locations. You also must race against the clock to send a variety of patients including well-known and beloved Cavity Sam through a series of treatment stations. Perform surgery and become an expert surgeon by completing micro-games reminiscent of the board game. But you must be quick and effective with treatment before the patient’s nose starts flashing and time is up!
Operation Mania will be available online at Pogo.com in North America and the U.K. in August and at retail in North America in September for $19.95. No word on what systems the game will be available for (although IGN lists it for PC), but it seems like a natural fit for Wii and DS.
Features of Operation Mania include:
* Hospital management: Diagnose and treat both standard and emergency patients, and run them through a gauntlet of medical procedures including admissions, x-ray and of course operations!
* Unique hospital settings: Advance through 35 levels and five hospitals in different regions on a wacky continent.
* Two game modes: Rise through the ranks in Story Mode or go for a challenge in Marathon Mode to care for patients as long as possible and experiment with endless upgrade combination.
* Micro-games: Show surgical finesse by completing micro-games with a steady hand. The bite sized challenges are reminiscent of the board game that people have come to know and love.
* Upgrade the hospital: Spend money earned curing patients to buy upgrades for the hospital, including better equipment, faster service and additional staff.
* Multiplayer: Overcrowded waiting rooms can be alleviated by referring patients to friends and family online.
Pogo General Manager Andrew Pedersen said, “We are delighted to bring Hasbro’s Operation to the digital medium for the first time ever. Our goal was to stay true to a game loved by so many while giving it its own unique heart beat. By blending the urgency of time management with fun Operation micro-games inspired by the board game, we’re giving people a new way to play and enjoy a timeless classic.”
“Operation Mania challenges virtual doctors of all ages to scrub in and test their operating room skills,” said Mark Blecher, General Manager of Hasbro Digital Media and Gaming. “The Pogo.com team has done a fantastic job of taking the popular 40-year old brand and digitally bringing it to life by animating Cavity Sam, introducing new characters and settings, and creating more ways to play.”
Yay! It’s my birthday! That means it’s my day off to go out & of course do lots of gaming! 
