Codemasters/PC (£29.99)
The cure for Jumping Cough – hiccups to you and me – is a glorious machine that keeps popping balloons behind a patient’s head to shock them into stopping. Jumping Cough is just one of a number of wacky illnesses in this comic romp.
Players can put their administrative skills to the test over a series of missions in the lengthy campaign game or embark on open-ended sandbox outings, building and equipping the definitive hospital with near-endless resources. Either way, thanks to the game’s upbeat humour and general silliness, all bolted on to a reasonably robust 3-D engine delivering crisp graphics, this is a more engaging experience than an entire series of Casualty.