I'll just straight up say it. This is not the same Operation game many of us grew up with. Many of the parts are very different, smaller and make a lot less sense (no explanations of the ailments like the original so you have no idea why you are pulling a dog or a cell phone out of somebody). You no longer have cards that tell you what part you need to remove. Getting paid for the operation is no longer part of the game. In the end this game feel very little like the original.As for the changes. Instead of cards you do get sound effects that tell you what to take out. A dog bark means remove the dog. A burp means remove the bubbles and on and on. That might make the game more economical and easier to setup/takedown (and less parts to lose), but those little details also helped make the game more interactive. At this point you can play the entire game without saying one word to each other.As for the parts you remove it's kinda weird. The old game had parts that pertained more to body parts like funny bone, broken heart, spare ribs and such. It gave you at least a little nod to being a doctor working on body parts. Not a single item in the new one refer to any body part. I don't know if some parents complained about it or what. The other thing about that is the plastic parts you do remove don't have as many options or tricks on how to get them out. So it's not as challenging or not as innovative. I will give a nod to the use of a couple of rubber parts to help make things interesting texture-wise. The use of a rubber band for one part is still there and is still neat, but I am concerned of what will happen once the band wears or snaps.I know I am being hard on this game, but it really isn't as bad as I am making it out to be. I'm just getting older and am complaining about things not being like they were in the glory days of board games. Operation is still fun to play and it has it's own challenges and innovations. There is one thing I don't think the first one had and that's adjusting the sensitivity of the contacts to give you two levels of skill. And most importantly my son gets to enjoy the concept of removing little parts with a pair of tweezers just like dad did his age.So the new Operation is very different than the old one. That doesn't mean it's still not a fun game to play. I am betting if they make the original now it would be a good deal more expensive, and this new one is actually priced pretty good. Operation is still a fun game. Just know what you are getting into if you have memories of the old version.
Rating: [4 of 5 Stars!]