DESCRIPTION

Based on the darkly comedic movie and television series of the same name, M*A*S*H puts you near the front lines of the Korean War. You control Trapper John or Hawkeye Pierce, gifted surgeons working as members of the Mobile Army Surgical Hospital. In addition to performing operations, these brilliant doctors must fly helicopters to rescue wounded soldiers in the field of battle.

The game pits you against the computer or a friend. Players compete (on the same screen) for points by rescuing soldiers and operating on patients as quickly as possible. When playing alone, you take on the role of Hawkeye while the computer controls Trapper.

To rescue a wounded soldier, you must fly your helicopter over the soldier and let the helicopter's shadow touch him. Then, lower the helicopter to the shadow until the soldier disappears. After a successful rescue, you can fly to another soldier or return to the M*A*S*H base of operations. You can carry up to five wounded soldiers at a time. If Cease Fire is not in effect, a tank moving back and forth across the bottom of the screen will fire at you.

Surgery begins when you have rescued 18 soldiers. To perform an operation successfully, you must guide a scalpel through the maze-like insides of your patient (whom you view from above) in order to remove a piece of shrapnel. When you accidentally touch any part of the body, the patient frowns (darn that local anesthetic!), your opponent receives points for the operation, and the scalpel returns to its starting place. If you make it to the maze exit with the shrapnel, the patient smiles, the scalpel returns to its starting place, and another piece of shrapnel appears in a different area of the body.

M*A*S*H gives you five different game modes from which to choose: Rescue with Tank Fire and Surgery, Rescue with Cease Fire and Surgery, Rescue only with Tank Fire, and Rescue only with Cease Fire and Surgery. ~ Brett Alan Weiss, All Game Guide