One of Nintendo’s greatest successes in penetrating the non-gamer market has been their ability to package “games” as something other than what they are. I’m sure you’ll be familiar with the likes of Brain Age or Wii Fit or Personal Trainer: Walking (or Walk With Me! if you’re cool and live in Europe) and know that these interactive experiences come with a far more civilized and approachable demeanour that helps them appeal to a broader market.
So with this principal in mind, surely Nintendo could pull this trick with other, perhaps more conventional, games to make them appeal to the wider market? And so I present to you “Cawiir Day”! A plan of action to get non-gamers engaged with a variety of innovative games for Wii and DS that give them the chance to try out potential careers in the comfort of their own homes.
Sound impossible? Well I’m sure Nintendo could devise some white piece of plastic doom that could measure how suited you are to that career. Or just something along such lines. But far more importantly, let’s check the vacancies’ board!
Surgeon
Ever felt the urge to heal the sick, save the dying or just turn someone into a toilet paper mummy with bandages? Well then you should try out the Trauma Center series on DS and Wii! Take on the role of a host of different specialized surgeons and tackle everything from broken bones to organ failure and even treat the wounds of biological warfare.
Gameplay revolves around the operating theatre of your resident hospital, a constant hubbub of various patients with a variety of maladies. Budding doctors will have to figure out just what’s wrong in their current case before cutting them open, delving into the gloriously detailed inner working of the body and rectifying the issue. Giving any potential med-student a crash course in the tools of the trade, Trauma Center’s cast also have to get to grips with syringes, scalpels, forceps, ultrasound scanners and other expert devices.
Not only will players partake in high quality work experience but also their adventure into the world of medicine will accurately reflect the struggles of being a real life surgeon. Whether it’s the test of successfully completing an intricate and explosively tense operation or having to cycle through pages and pages of empty dialogue paperwork, the Trauma Center series offers a true-to-life interpretation of being a doctor today.
Pirate
While not the most conventional of professions, especially compared to becoming a doctor, the piracy industry is a fast-growing business that go-getters should consider climbing aboard. Especially if they live in Somalia.
I’m sure you know all about the “dark” side of being a pirate– the murder, destruction and pillaging of civilization– but players on Wii can try out the modern, pillage-free style of pirating with Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros’ Treasure. Where you might expect piratical gameplay to focus around slaughter and sea-faring, this cute-as-a-button tale sees our young pirate hero and his monkey/magic bell companion solving puzzles to discover the mystical (talking) treasure.
If your placement sounds crazier than a box of frogs wearing party hats then you’re right. This game is entrenched in abstract, Japanese oddness, but don’t worry; this will help you cope with the intermittent hysteria caused by years on the oceans blue and rather stale rum someone found in the hold. Your crewman are also all rabbits. What’s not to like?
Lawyer
We all know that law school isn’t easy to get into, even if Legally Blonde tried to convince us otherwise. Wouldn’t it be so much easier to apply if you had prior experience defending in murder trials and always winning the case? Then you need to start playing the Ace Attorney series.
Known as the Turnabout Trial series in Japan (my apologies to anyone hoping a property law version existed), players take on the role of a budding defense attorney who has to save his innocent clients from the death penalty. During your time shadowing your mentor, you will learn all of the principles of defense law, including pointing vigorously and screaming “OBJECTION!” at every opportunity for rebuttal.
Players will have to not only construct arguments in court but also find their own evidence if they hope to prove their client’s innocence and discover the truth about the case. This is truly invaluable experience for all upstart lawyers, as all new law firms need an incredibly strong team of people who tap everything at the screen scene of the crime to figure out how to solve cases.