casual
EA Announces Operation Mania
Posted by Leigh Alexander at 2:20 PM on July 24, 2008
The next title to come out of the partnership between Electronic Arts and Hasbro is Operation Mania, a reworking of that surgery game we all used to play when we were kids — remember the poor patient with the light-up nose?
The video game version seems to have added a bit more than just pulling out plastic organs from a precarious piece of human-shaped plastic machinery, though. You play as up-and-coming surgeon Dr. Humerus, who diagnoses patients with wacky illnesses at five different hospitals on his way to becoming an expert surgeon through microgames "reminiscent of the board game", but it's also got a story mode, upgradeable hospitals, and multiplayer.
EA's launching it on its casual Pogo site in North America and Europe in August, and in a retail box in North America in September. Full details after the jump.
EA Injects Zany Medical Mayhem With Operation Mania
Wednesday July 23, 8:11 am ET
Hasbro Family Favourite Goes Digital on Pogo.com and at RetailREDWOOD CITY, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—What do you do when you are the doctor and someone comes into your hospital with butterflies in their stomach, water on the knee, and a frog in the throat? Operate of course! From EA's (Nasdaq:ERTS - News) casual games site Pogo.comTM comes OPERATIONTM Mania - a new twist on the classic OPERATION board game from Hasbro. Become an expert surgeon as you admit, diagnose and treat patients with the zaniest ailments in healthcare history. 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.
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. 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.Key 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 combinations.
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."
For more information and to experience some of the best online games on the Internet, visit www.pogo.com. For screenshots and assets, please visit info.ea.com.

Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
laughinwater
Posted August 31, 2008 9:20 AM
Hi there, I have actually downloaded and played this game (on my PC) the game being described in the above article is a PC game and it is not yet to my knowledge in this current form of the traditional Operation Game been made for any other operating systems such as gamecube, playstation's 1 2 or 3, xbox, or any other that I can think of. I liked this game very much. Operation Mania is quirky and amusing. It has been made into an arcade/action PC game. You do play the little games of catching butterflies out of peoples tummies and thawing brain freezes with a blow torch but you still have to build you wealth on the game. Operation Mania is a very fun game that doesnt make you think much but does remind you of your childhood. I think that this game will ultimately be a big hit as will most of the Hasbro games already out have. So in closing if you like PC games then try it before you judge it in any way.
VakeroRokero
Posted 3:11 PM 24/7/08
This one and Wiimote plus would be fucking awesome, maybe add a couple wires and ZAP!!!! Goodbye Grandma!
VakeroRokero
gamadaya
Posted 3:00 PM 24/7/08
What system is this for? I don't see the word Wii anywhere on the page.
gamadaya
MadSystem
Posted 2:40 PM 24/7/08
Nice move EA,this should satisfy the "Geeks and otaku"...
MadSystem
Kyattsuai
Posted 2:31 PM 24/7/08
@shichi: YES YES HELL YES. Nintendo, I guaran-damn-tee that I would buy a Wii Shock peripheral even if it meant constant battery replacement and 2 or 3 more warning screens before every game.
Kyattsuai
burpingcat
Posted 2:30 PM 24/7/08
Trauma Center with EA Trax and DJ Atomica
burpingcat
Beximus
Posted 2:29 PM 24/7/08
I'm going to enjoy watching this devision of EA flap its god damned feathers off.
Beximus
Kaizuden
Posted 2:28 PM 24/7/08
So... my guess it's going to be a Trauma Center clone.
Kaizuden
shichi
Posted 2:28 PM 24/7/08
they should shock you every time you mess up during the operation
shichi
djgil
Posted 2:25 PM 24/7/08
I smell Wii tweezers being used...!
djgil
Andrewteix
Posted 2:24 PM 24/7/08
Coming soon. Mouse Trap on Xbox Live.
Andrewteix
Pattypie
Posted 3:41 PM 24/7/08
@gamadaya: Probably the Wii, it's market seems right for this kind of game.
Pattypie
gameware
Posted 3:37 PM 24/7/08
Theme Hospital was such a great game! Still play it to this day on occasion. Too bad no one will say the same thing about EAs Hasbro line 10 years from now.
gameware
aestheticity
Posted 3:21 PM 24/7/08
sounds like next gen theme hospital. will we get to cure bloaty head syndrome?
aestheticity
Polite Society
Posted 3:51 PM 24/7/08
You say we all used to play... but i never had a chance to play it!! *runs out of the room crying*
Polite Society
Shachihoko
Posted 5:10 PM 24/7/08
Wow, it been a real long time since I've heard of and played Operation. *brings back memories*
Would be cool to bring back those old skool games such as Mouse Trap, Clue, Twister, Candy Land, Trouble, Sorry, and there was this game I can't remember the name..
Let see if someone can remember this game and help me out. It was out around 1993, There this game that have a jungle theme, the whole board have illustration of a raging river, and two piece of plastic mountains on each side with a bridge suspending across. One of the mountain show an evil face with two hands holding bunch of red gems and his eyes have two red gem in it. Once you pushed his head, the whole bridge will shake violently and trying to get your man fall in the river and start from the beginning, the most red gem you get is the winner.
Shachihoko
Billkwando
Posted 9:13 PM 24/7/08
I stopped reading at "Dr. Humerus"
I like a bad pun as much as the next guy (more!) but daaaaaaaaaaamn.
I think I'll stick with Trauma Center.
Billkwando
KensterFox
Posted 9:11 PM 24/7/08
It's launching on Pogo. A website. A website for browser-based Java games.
I may be reaching here, but that probably means it's being released for the personal computer, or PC. You remember the PC, right? That thing you're probably viewing this site on right now? The machine that nobody seems to game on except those who were somehow immune to the rampant Retard Virus?
KensterFox
fuchikoma
Posted 2:43 AM 25/7/08
Sounds like a shoe-in for the Wii. Maybe DS too.
fuchikoma
jesthestar
Posted 2:42 AM 25/7/08
@Andrewteix: Meh, there's already a crappy DS version =/
jesthestar
jesthestar
Posted 2:32 AM 25/7/08
I won't lie, the nerd in me wants to see Clue on xbox live.
jesthestar
kidCasey13
Posted 2:28 AM 26/7/08
@aestheticity: I won't lie, Theme Hospital remains as one of my top 10 favorite games ever.
If this is anything like the original Theme Hospital, count me in. If this is anything like Theme Hospital 2, count me out.
kidCasey13