Mad Nurse

Mad Nurse cover

Mad Nurse is a video game developed and published by Firebird Software in 1986 for the Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum. The game is set in a hospital where the player takes on the role of a nurse. The main objective is to care for babies who have been left unattended in a maternity ward. The gameplay involves the player moving the nurse character through the hospital's various floors, using elevators to navigate between them, with the aim of picking up the wandering babies and returning them safely to their cots before they come to harm.

Gameplay

In Mad Nurse, the player must navigate through the hospital's different levels, avoiding various hazards such as open windows, infectious patients, and discarded medical waste. The game increases in difficulty as the player progresses, with more babies to rescue and more dangers to avoid. The player scores points for each baby safely returned to a cot and loses lives when a baby is harmed or when the nurse encounters a hazard.

Reception

Upon its release, Mad Nurse received mixed reviews from critics. Some praised the game for its originality and challenging gameplay, while others criticized it for its controversial premise and the portrayal of a hospital environment. Despite the mixed reviews, Mad Nurse has gained a cult following among retro gaming enthusiasts and is remembered as a unique title in the video game library of the 1980s.

Legacy

The game is often discussed in retrospectives of video gaming history, particularly in the context of games that pushed the boundaries of content and themes during the early years of the industry. Mad Nurse is considered a precursor to the more complex simulation and management games that would become popular in later years, such as Theme Hospital.

See Also

• Firebird Software
• Commodore 64
• ZX Spectrum
• Video game controversies
• Theme Hospital