Trauma Center (video game series)

Trauma Center is a series of video games developed by Atlus, and published by Atlus (Japan, North America) and Nintendo (Europe, Australia). Beginning with Trauma Center: Under the Knife in 2005 for the Nintendo DS, four more entries were released on the DS and Wii between 2006 and 2010. The gameplay is split between a surgical gameplay simulation, and visual novel storytelling. The games follow different characters in a near-future Earth where advanced medical procedures have cured most diseases. A recurring organisation is Caduceus, a worldwide semi-covert medical research foundation. The games commonly feature outbreaks of various man-made diseases that pose a significant threat to humanity, as well as themes of bioterrorism.

The series was created by Katsura Hashino, who wanted to use the DS's controls to explore a simulation type only previously possible on PCs. Following the first game, a dedicated production team dubbed "CaduceTeam" was created to handle future games. Beginning with the Wii remake Second Opinion, the series was directed by Daisuke Kanada. The final entry to date, Trauma Team, expanded into other gameplay styles to combat player fatigue with the established gameplay. Commentary has focused both the series' theme on saving lives rather than killing enemies as was traditional in gaming, and the lack of innovation across its entries. Its first three entries saw commercial success, particularly in North America and Europe.