My brother recently purchased a Sim combo pack. It included various Sim games, such as Sim City, Sim Farm, Sim Safari, Theme Park, and others. Theme Hospital was also one of the games included in the package. I had played Theme Park before, and Theme Hospital looked quite appealing, as that is the type of game I have interest in.

Implanting the software on my hard drive was easy (a person fresh out of med school could do it), as there was an installation program on the CD and an Autorun menu. There was also a patch on the CD, which activated some extra feature, such as Multiplayer. The patch requires some knowledge of computers to install.

“Doctor Required in GP office”
The game is fairly easy to learn, and includes some funny animations. Like Theme Park, Theme Hospital includes a tutorial, which guides the player through building rooms and hiring staff. The goal of the game is to cure patients and run a hospital without having everyone puke everywhere or even die. There are many different types of diseases, ranging from Bloaty Head (must be popped and re-inflated to the correct size) to Kidney Beans (they must be removed by surgeons) and from King Syndrome (patient enters the hospital looking like Elvis, and requires psychological treatment) to Baldness (a special machine restores hair back to the patient)

What’s up Doc, can we rock?
Once the level criteria are met, the player gets the option to either advance to the next level or continue the same level. The next level is usually harder, but allows more items to be researched and more expansion. The later levels even include earthquakes, emergencies, and epidemics. The first level usually requires a simple pharmacy for drugs, and possibly an inflator room (for patients with bloaty heads). Later levels require operating theatres, DNA fixers, and decontamination showers. Many of these items need to be researched.

The infection gets worse
Adding to the challenge is the need for staff. Doctors are essential for a hospital, and they can range from someone who has trouble with a stethoscope to a doc who is skillful with the scalpel. Doctors can be promoted, and can also learn new skills. Along with doctors, nurses are needed to take care of the pharmacy and ward, and handymen are needed for fixing machines and for cleaning up puke (sick people come for a reason) and accidents (resulting from the lack of bathroom facilities). Unlike Theme Park, the staff members have moods, and they are not as effective when they are tired. Patients are also like staff, but when they are left for a long time, they start puking in the corridors and even pass away.

Is there a doctor in the house?
Overall, Theme Hospital is a fun game, and does not take long to learn. The game engine is a simple isometric interface, like The Sims, Roller Coaster Tycoon, and Sim City. There is also a multiplayer option, but I was not able to get it working on my network. I have read the network play adds a few extras, such as litter bombs, and staff bribery.
The game can be found in combo packs for under $20 or in "classic" packs for even less.

Recommended: Yes