However, the graphics are very well done, so fans of this sort of animation may appreciate this aspect of the product much more than I did. This title is packed with cartoon-style graphics, a type of animation with which I am not particularly enamored. By combining these elements, the player must construct as efficient a hospital as possible, curing various ailments and depositing fees in the hospital's coffers, while trying to not run out of funds. Certain creature comforts are also available for purchase, like drink machines, benches, fire extinguishers and radiators. The hospital must be staffed by employees such as doctors, nurses, handymen, and receptionists. In order for his hospital to heal patients, the player must build rooms that can perform certain diagnostic and curative functions. The premise behind Theme Hospital is that the player is running a hospital which must stay within budgetary constraints, while having to heal the highest number of patients at the same time. I stumbled across Theme Hospital, and since Bullfrog's name was on the package, and because the images on the box looked rather entertaining, I decided to buy it. Unfortunately, I owned just about every decent sim that was on the market at that time, and I couldn't wait until SimCity 3000 was released. Revival attempts have been made with the development of open-source remakes such as CorsixTH.In early 1998, I was dying to play a new sim. The game was re-released on GOG.com in 2012 and Origin in 2015, and the PlayStation version was released on the PlayStation Network in Europe in 2008, Japan in 2009, and North America in 2010.

A Sega Saturn version was in development, but cancelled. Theme Hospital was a commercial success, selling over 4 million copies worldwide, and was ported to the PlayStation in 1998.

The game received a generally positive reception, with reviewers praising the graphics and humour in particular.

Multiplayer support with up to four players was added in a patch. Designers originally planned to include four distinct gameplay modes corresponding to historical time periods, but this was dropped due to time pressures on the team. Peter Molyneux and James Leach came up with the idea of creating a Theme game based on a hospital, but Molyneux was not directly involved in development due to his work on Dungeon Keeper.

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