Theme Hospital

The Good
Everything about the game avoids being dry and long-winded, leaving the serious approach to Civilization and the like, and ensuring that the general appeal of the hospital idea isn't wasted. The graphics are bright and cartoony, and the sound effects enlivened by some comic speech ("Will patients please try not to be sick in the corridors?" is a good example).

The largely-fictional illnesses are a good idea, enlivened by a few amusing diagnosis sheets and some entertaining animations of the specialised ones being cured. The combination of ward and operating theatre, plus the multiple uses for psychiatry and pharmacy, put a premium on hospital planning.

The importance of money within the game, and the occasional compromising of patient safety in response for money (such as epidemic cover-ups and refusing to treat risky patients if you have a 100% cure rate for the year (and need the £10,000 bonus this offers)) present a neat satire on commercial medicine.

Several new features are added as you play through the levels, including training staff, which is a minor feature on level 4 but a HUGE deal on level 5, as the local doctors are all trainees. Levels which are prone to earthquakes and epidemics add some variety as well.

The Bad
There is a slight unfinished feel to the game, evident in a few oversights, bugs and 'features'. It appears possible for other hospitals to buy the land that is available to you, but (having got as far as level 8) this doesn't seem to happen. The UK box has a sticker crudely obscuring details of a multi-player mode which was dropped at the last minute. Some training-related messages appear garbled. Objects occasionally get stuck, which makes it harder to adjust your hospital's design to accommodate a new room. Considering that it was released in April, with the first Dungeon Keeper mere weeks later, there was no excuse not to resolve these issues.

The epidemics don't work as well as they should. If a patient leaves the hospital, the Health Authority are immediately notified. Fine, but this also often happens when a patient moves from one building within the hospital to another.

A few things such as setting the temperature of the radiators are the kind of Micro-Management that should be avoided in games like this.

The Bottom Line
Superficially a sequel to Theme Park (hence the nonsensical title), Theme Hospital sets you as manager of a small-town hospital. You must hire staff, place rooms and other objects, and ensure that people are treated well enough to keep your reputation high and get your bank balance high. Succeed on the first level and you will be offered increasingly tough assignments, each with different success targets.

The game hooks you in quickly, and as long as you can cope with the occasional spells where everything is running smoothly but you have to wait to build up enough cures or money, there are enough changes on each level to keep the interest going. It's funny, original, unique, and worth checking out today.

The Good
A simple concept of build-and-maintain your very own hospital, but somehow, it's highly addictive. Fun and weird illnesses walk in onto your hospital property (such as spare rib, bloaty head, people with slack tongue), and it's your job to invite, diagnose, comfort, heal and make sure the patient goes home with a smile - in that order. Sound easy? Soon your hospital becomes so popular, it's simply a huge mass of patients walking about - but be careful - lack of warmth, bad surroundings and no seating can mean that your development turns into a rat-infested sick-covered hospital. Keep the regular VIPs happy and make sure you keep that budget tight!

But what is the good highlights of this game? Well, there are many. Comedic cutscenes of your hospitals' development give you laughs, making sure you employ the right amount of staff and their attitude is a welcome challenge, trying to keep your hospital warm, well-stocked, and smart is also a cute little addictive thing. The graphics aren't too bad, but you have to remember; this game doesn't focus on graphics - it focuses on gameplay, fun and addictive stuff (how many times have i said "addictive"? I just can't stress it enough!).

Realism is also a great factor in this game; for instance, in most games (like "Theme Park", for example) all employees stay in their job roles 24/7 without hassle, but this game adds realism and fun challenge by making your employees more than just "people who do stuff" - they need good surroundings to work in, good cash pay to live on, and time to chill out in the staff room. Same goes for your patients; they need to be cared for in the same ways. This game, despite its graphical downfall, it highly makes up for it by challenges, gameplay, comedy and pure fun - and that's exactly what games should be; fun.

The few levels don't seem like much, but they are fun and long and that's what keeps you playing - knowing that you'll get your money's worth out of this game, and the fun you deserve. The one-off rat level is also adrenaline-pumped and a sort of "relief break". Buying new property, moving and starting anew, and organizing your scheme into the best and ultimate hospital is a challenge (i've also said "challenge" quite a few times, too) but is sure fun.

The Bad
If anything, the graphics are the only thing that were bad. Maybe a first-person experience as a patient may have been a nice little extra, but the graphics are the only thing to be improved on. Seriously though, if this game were ever going to be remade, it would need better graphics, about one or two more levels, and possibly more structures, employees, equipment, etc. but that's probably all.

The Bottom Line
For fans of simulations and people who love to build and control things, you'll love this game. Like I said above, the graphics are the only downfall, but the highlights surely make up for everything. Due to its age, it can be found cheap but may be hard to find slightly. But honestly, one of the best simulations ever on the PlayStation and PC, until "The Sims" can along, but some reckon Theme Hospital is still even better, and at the end of the day, this game is pure fun and excitement for those who love games. If real hospital managers played this, their real-life hospitals would surely become great.

The Good
This game is really well balanced to be just challenging enough. It's a great casual game. I've reinstalled and restarted this game several times over the last decade and never quite put in the hours to make it to the very end before the end of the life of that particular PC, but its lasting appeal always has me coming back for another go.

The Bad
There are a few glitches. There's little more frustrating than nearing the end of a level to have the whole thing crash out because a little person has merged with a door. Doesn't happen often though, what with all these fangled modern patches.

The Bottom Line
A cheeky, tightly designed and extremely well executed management sim. I'm not mad on this genre but this one, though a little dated, stands the test of time in replay value.

Well worth five quid... though due to mine being plenty played over the years, I think I'm onto my third copy now.