ER Code Blue

$29.95, Win, Mac OS (CD-ROM)

Teaches: science, health

CTR Review

All you doctor wannabes and fans of hospital shows like ER- this program is gonna trip your trigger. Be forewarned, though, as success is hard to come by. As in the other programs in Legacy's Emergency Room series, you're plunked right down in an emergency room and must jump in quickly to diagnose and treat patients. This time, you're a medical student in your first ER rotation. There are charts to read, diagnostic tools to use and a research computer to look up conditions and treatments. Your chief resident is critical, wanting you to work smart and fast. You're expected to triage incoming patients to treat the critical first. The pace is fast and furious. In our first half hour of play we treated a dog bite victim, diagnosed lead poisoning and lost a patient who was having a heart attack. (Boy, did we get in trouble for that one!) New features include a tutorial level, a seasoned cast of actors (you'll recognize many from TV), 60 minutes of full screen video, 35 new patients and three levels of difficulty. We found the game captivating and extremely challenging. You'll learn a lot about emergency medicine, too, if you stick with it.