Trauma Center For Wii Launch, DS Title Gets Second Reissue

Irvine, California-based publisher Atlus USA has confirmed that the previously announced Trauma Center: Second Opinion for the Wii will be a launch title for the console, and that its predecessor, the oft difficult to find Trauma Center: Under the Knife for the Nintendo DS, will be reissued to retailers for a second time later this month. Trauma Center: Second Opinion, an feature enhanced port of the previously released Nintendo DS surgical adventure, will ship alongside Nintendo's upcoming console during the fourth quarter in 2006. While Nintendo has still not confirmed an exact date for the console's launch, many media outlets and analysts have speculated that the release could happen as early as October. According to Atlus, Trauma Center: Second Opinion will feature new graphics and animation, new surgical implements and operation types, a second playable character with new missions, multiple difficulty modes, and a revised control system that takes advantage of the Wii's unique remote and and nunchuk-style controller. In addition, the publisher noted that it has opted to re-release its popular Trauma Center: Under the Knife, a move the company noted was triggered by added demand that followed the recent release of the redesigned Nintendo DS Lite handheld. This marks the second time the game has been reissued to retailers, and is expected to take place in mid-August.