WP writes: "Of all the DS games that I checked out this week, Emergency! Disaster Rescue Squad was easily the best of the bunch, and while it's not going to be a game that impresses most, it's certainly more unique than I expected it to be. After the success of titles like Trauma Center on the DS, developers have been wanting to tap into the pseudo-real drama aspect of gaming, and we've seen a lot of adventure, text-heavy games like Phoenix Wright, Hotel Dusk and so on do a great job of tackling that aspect. Until Emergency!, though, we haven't seen many good representations of the strategy genre on the DS."
Emergency! EMERGENCY! Although in the age of cell phones and other gadgets no one yells that out anymore rather than call 911. But it is still and interesting concept. Emergency pretty much places you in the eyes and ears of an Emergency Dispatcher. Some bad stuff goes down in your fictional city and it is your job to send out the right emergency crews to do the job right. But it doesn't end there; you will also have to make sure they do the job to the best of their abilities. Seeing as innocent (and very slow and dim-witted) lives are at stake here. You can't afford to mess up. It's a shame your biggest enemy happens to be incompetence in the workforce.
Tech-Gaming writes: "Although the genre is largely overlooked by critics, fans must adore the time-management simulation. How else could one explain the proliferation of operation supervision titles like Cake Mania, Sally's Salon, and Diner Dash? Each is strikingly similar, requiring players to prioritize a situation that becomes ever-increasingly hectic. As the aforementioned titles indicate, even the game's settings offer little more than variations on a form. Surely, the genre could be contextualized to introduce locales beyond restaurants, cake shops, and beauty parlors."
Don't be turned away by Emergency!'s bland visuals and bargain bin-sounding name. This is a unique and compelling DS experience that puts players in a pretty unfamiliar role. It's empowering having a small army of rescue workers at your disposal, ready to charge into blazing fires at your command. One minute your team is using Jaws of Life to pry a body from a crushed car, the next it is questioning witnesses of a bank robbery in order to root out the suspects. It can be a bit rigid and unforgiving, but overall Emergency! is a refreshing portable game.
Presentation - 7.5
Graphics - 6.0
Sound - 6.0
Gameplay - 8.0
Lasting Appeal - 7.0
Overall -
