Nancy Drew Dossier: Resorting to Danger Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The entire game only takes about 3-4 hours to play which was really my main disappointment with this purchase. However, I paid over twenty dollars to buy this on CD.Now, you can purchase it for less then seven dollars as a video download on Amazon -- and then it is a bargain. This is a new format for HER Interactive. It eliminates many of the aspects of the other Nancy Drew games that I find frustrating/boring. The dialog is snappier and there is much less of it. You spend less time navigating Nancy from location to location. There are plenty of mini games and the hidden object component is fun. The objects are very easy to find as your curser glows and sparkles as you pass over (or get close to) an object. Some of the mini games are repetitive although they do get more challenging as you progress through the game. If I was able to change the game, I would make it longer and add more puzzles and perhaps make it more challenging. I was able to complete the entire game easily without resorting to the Internet for hints. I would definitely buy more in this series if they were available as inexpensive video downloads.

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Product Description:
An unseen prankster plagues the exclusive Redondo Spa! Now it's up to you, as Nancy Drew, to catch the mischief maker before clients and celebrities retreat to another resort.Along the way, you'll uncover hidden switches, defuse tricky traps and reveal the identity of the true troublemaker!

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Nancy Drew 75th Anniversary Review

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(More customer reviews)I own all of the Nancy Drew PC games and even though I'm an adult, I have a great time playing them (I pass them down to my nieces afterwards -- it helps having played the game for when they call and need help!). Secrets Can Kill is the first in the series and the only one that has an actual murder in it (the others focus on items being stolen, treasures hidden, "ghosts", and so on). "Secrets" is the weakest of the series but that's to be expected since it was the first and Her Interactive has made many improvements with each game. The game is point-and-click and the cursors change color and look when there's something of interest. Navigation is pretty easy, the graphics are rich and colorful, and some of the puzzles can be very challenging. In the earliest games you could choose between Master, Senior and Junior Detective but later games just offer Junior and Senior. Junior Detective mode gives Nancy a little book where she keeps track of what to do next, so kids can refer to it and not get too lost. The games became more educational with the titles of Dolphin Cove (you learn about dolphins, whales, nautical terms and flags, etc.) and Secret of the Scarlet Hand (all about the Mayan culture with settings in a museum). Some titles are just spooky fun like Haunted Mansion, Blackmoor Manor, Treasure in the Royal Tower and so on. The voice work on these games is good, but sometimes you can tell the actor is faking an accent. There's not a lot of animation, and the suspects usually stay in one spot so you know where to find them when you need them. I would recommend these games for preteens and up because some of the effects could scare a small child (in a couple of the games there is an explosion effect when you choose the wrong thing -- luckily there is always the "Second Chance" button, but the suddeness of the bang could make you jump if you don't know it's coming.) Overall, this series just keeps improving. I'm looking forward to the next one which will see Nancy in Paris, France.

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Product Description:
To mark the special 75th Anniversary of this savvy super-sleuth, The Adventure Company brings you 5 best-selling Nancy Drew games for the PC and a special bonus feature.Secrets Can Kill: Solve a murder and catch the devious culprit. Place yourself in the role Nancy Drew, as you go undercover to track down the criminal using your seasoned-detective investigative skills.Stay Tuned for Danger: TV's hottest soap star, Rick Arlen, is receiving threatening letters, and it's up to Nancy to get to the bottom of them. Are they serious or just a prank?Pose as an extra on the set to unravel the web of deceit lurking in the wings, and the lies surrounding the suspects.Treasure in the Royal Tower: While snowed-in at the Wickford Castle Ski Resort you, as Nancy Drew, are trapped in a place that's as strange as its history. The castle is a riddle, full of dead ends and detours that hint at royal legend. Solve baffling puzzles, search concealed rooms, interview evasive suspects, and sidestep snowy danger on the hunt for a secret that someone else is desperate to discover first.Final Scene: A friend's kidnapping puts you, as Nancy Drew, into a race against time at the century Palladium Theater. The place is destined for demolition in three days-but the kidnap victim is being held captive somewhere inside!Message in a Haunted Mansion: Nancy has flown to San Francisco to help out an old family friend who is turning a beautiful but dilapidated Victorian house into a bed-and-breakfast establishment. Nancy gets set to help with the renovation and is told about the strange goings-on and accidents. Always eager to solve a mystery, Nancy is determined to uncover the cause of the ‘accidents' plaguing the renovation of the old mansion. Some believe that the mansion is haunted...

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Nancy Drew: Last Train to Blue Moon Canyon Review

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(More customer reviews)This was my second Nancy Drew game, at frist I had a bit of trouble. Once I remmembered what the frist game; (The Secret of shadow Ranch) had to teach me. Well I will just say keep your eye's open and your mind clear.
Loads of fun!

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Product Description:
The Hardy Boys have invited you, as Nancy Drew, on a train ride out West hosted by beautiful and prominent socialite, Lori Girard. Lori has gathered the greatest minds in mystery to solve a century-old secret and the haunted train is their best clue. The luxurious train once belonged to Jake Hurley, who set out long ago to find the mother lode during mining mania. Shortly after the trip began, Jake's wife, Camille met an untimely end. Although her death broke his heart, Jake pressed on in his search for riches. Years later, Jake's train was found in Blue Moon Canyon with the engineer slumped over in the car - dead. Jake had mysteriously vanished... Climb aboard as Nancy Drew and see if you can uncover the truth at the end of the line!

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Nancy Drew: Danger By Design Review

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(More customer reviews)This game comes in two disks; both are needed for install, but only one is needed for play. The game begins with a peek at Nancy Drew's bedroom and has a creative way to access the tutorial.

The graphics were nice. Many areas Nancy visits are light and sunny, as opposed to other games. The people were well-drawn and executed, though the people of Haunted Carousel are probably the best so far. Interacting with them was odd, though. Nancy didn't seem to need to talk to people very much, or be able to talk to them face-to face all the time. Often, when she'd go to see them, they would have nothing to say or be busy behind a door.

The puzzles ran the gamut, from very easy to "Universal Hints, here I come!" (Too bad for me, there was no UHS help when I played the game, though I did find a walkthrough.) I did have to cheat twice. Once, I feel it was something I could have figured out for myself if I had been patient enough. The other time, I truly feel a player would be hard pressed to get.Overall, though, I was pleased with the puzzles. Most puzzles fell in the middle of the spectrum and were challenging without being too difficult.

Moving around town was comfortable. Nancy uses a map of the Metro in the same manner she uses maps in other games like Scarlet Hand and Stay Tuned. However, the process of getting from one place to the next seems much faster in this game than in those games. There was also one cutaway similar to the tunnel-walking in Deception Island. The cutaway in Design is more enjoyable because is not as long and a flashlight is used, allowing the player to see what Nancy walks through.

Calling people is annoying in this game because the airline has conveniently lost Nancy's cell phone, and she uses land lines to make calls. To call the US, she has to dial a calling card AND THEN the number desired, dialing about 21 numbers for each call! Making calls takes forever.

Nancy needs to spend and earn money in this game. The manner in which she does this is not as irritating as in Old Clock, because in this game she does not risk losing money while making money.

Overall, I really liked this game. It has a much different feel to it. Why? Partly the locale. Partly the light and sunny atmosphere of many scenes. Partly the more advanced arrows and pointers to help Nancy get around. Partly that the mystery itself, and Nancy's plan to solve it, isn't always clear. The player has to work through it a bit and wander. There is not a lot of "pixel hunting," but there are a lot of mental challenges. Not as much learning as Royal Tower or Scarlet Hand, but just enough to help Nancy with a few puzzles. Nancy does get to do some fun things, such as ordering and eating French food at a caf

Nancy Drew: Secret Of the Old Clock Review

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(More customer reviews)Nancy Drew: Secret of the Old Clock - E3 2005 preview
by Christina Gmiterko - posted on June 14, 2005

It's about that time of year again - time for a new Nancy Drew game by Her Interactive. This time, however, the developers have a surprise in store, and we were able to get an early peek at the game at E3. With their latest title, they promise to give some of Nancy's younger fans a little taste of what made this character so popular in the first place.

Over the course of hundreds of books, several movies and TV shows, board games, dolls, and twelve computer games, the Nancy Drew stories throughout the years have been updated and modified to suit the modern age. Now, instead of putting pen to paper in a notebook, Nancy has the kind of electronic notebook that you type on; instead of placing calls through the operator, Nancy has a cell phone. This year, Nancy will be celebrating her 75th birthday, yet somehow she is forever a teenager, and in her latest adventure you will turn back the clock and discover the vintage Nancy Drew.

The game is entitled Secret of the Old Clock, named after the first ever Nancy Drew book. However, the game's plot diverges from that of its source material and actually encompasses different elements from the first four books released in the series combined: The Secret of the Old Clock, The Hidden Staircase, The Bungalow Mystery, and The Mystery at Lilac Inn. Throughout the game, you will be visiting locations taken from these books, such as the Lilac Inn itself.

In addition to the old familiar settings, the game will also take place during that time period - the 1930s. This marks the first time that the series will not be set in present day. Her Interactive has made a great effort to make everything in the game look and sound authentic, and will even incorporate some background elements that reflect the important events taking place at that time, such as the Great Depression. This is a fitting inclusion, considering that Nancy Drew was originally created to help get young girls' minds off of the hard times of the '30s.

The plot of this mystery begins when Nancy is summoned to the Lilac Inn to meet with a friend of a friend - 17 year-old Emily Crandall. Emily has recently inherited the property from her late mother and has been struggling to keep her head above water with all of the new emotional and financial burdens. Nancy and Emily's mutual friend has asked Nancy to help run things for the time being. Nancy soon becomes curious, however, about why a girl she hardly knows would want her help. She soon finds herself embroiled in a mystery regarding a contested inheritance and an odd old man with several mysterious contraptions to figure out.

As with all Nancy Drew mysteries, there is an assortment of suspicious characters, including a desperate businessman, a shady paranormal expert, and an untrustworthy legal guardian, to name a few of the suspects Nancy will have to consider.

The game promises nothing really new in terms of interface and basic gameplay. However, the old adage "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" holds especially true with this series. Yet while the fundamental elements have remained largely unchanged, the graphics and character models have continued to gradually advance, showing small improvements with each new game.

One new feature that has been added is Nancy's roadster, which fans of the original books will be glad to see. With the amount of accidents, vandalism, and speeding tickets that car went through, it felt more like a character in the story than a huge chunk of metal. With the roadster, you will be able to drive around Titusville, exploring the different locations. This is visually represented on the city map that you possess, and you will be able to navigate the car around the streets on the map.

As with the previous installments, there are also several activities to entertain yourself with if you want to take a break from the main mystery. One such diversion that we were able to play in our demonstration was a miniature golf course. This sequence was very easy to control, and I'm sure that many will find this to be a welcome distraction. Some of these kinds of mini-games are necessary to complete the overall adventure, but many are there just to raise the fun factor of the overall gaming experience.

One thing that has always shone throughout the development of this series is the creators' passion for what they are making. They've always been very committed to maintaining the atmosphere and style that the books possessed, and with this latest romp through the 1930s, you can expect the same level of dedication from them. Be sure to check out this title when it is released this summer, and then also be on the look out for the first crossover game between Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys to be released later this fall!

Rel. date: July 2005 Developer: Her Interactive Publisher: Her Interactive

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Product Description:

This hot, latest installment of the Nancy Drew game series includes the best parts of the first four books and takes place in the same time period – welcome to 1930's America and the Great Depression. A friend of Nancy's asks her to visit the town of Titusville, where another friend, Emily Crandall, lives. Emily owns an inn and she's in a jam; she's low on cash and nearly bankrupt. However, she does have one hope of saving the inn: a neighbor died and left his money to her in his will. Or, did he?!


Who Is Nancy Drew? YOU Are!


Who Needs Nancy's Help


Nancy finds herself in the middle of a mystery when Emily and the dead neighbor's ESP teacher,Richard Topham,both claim the estate. Combine ESP with the strange inventions in the house of the the dead neighbor, Josiah Crowley, and you've got a recipe for all kinds of unexplained events happening in Titusville.





Emily Crandall Needs Your Help!


The Scene of the Mystery


Playing as Nancy, discover Titusville from behind the wheel of your 1930's roadster. Follow your roadmap to locations of interest in the mystery.Visit the lovely Liliac Inn owned by Emily, the invention-filled house of the deceased Josiah Crowley, and other locations where you need to search for clues.





Your Roadster





The Lilac Inn





Entry Hall of the Lilac Inn





A Mysterious Warning!


The Possible Suspects


Titusville is filled with a cast of characters. Here are some who may be responsible for the strange occurences Nancy encounters as she tries to discover who really inherited the money left behind by Josiah Crowley:





Jim Archer





Richard Topham





Emily Crandall





Jane Willoughby


Jim is a good-natured, but secretly desperate, businessman trying to make it through the end of the Depression. The bank he owns is teetering on the brink of failure. Jim has been helpful to Emily and her mom, but he's desperate for money. How far would he go to save his bank?


Richard is a self-proclaimed expert on ESP and telekinesis and lives in the house that once belonged to Josiah Crowley. How did he inherit Josiah's estate and money? He runs the "School for the Study and Development of Paranormal Powers," but is his act just a hoax?


Emily runs the Lilac Inn with the help of her guardian while she mourns the recent loss of her mother. She is plagued by strange occurrences: objects on the wall move, whispers call fromshadows, things mysteriously disappear and then reappear.Is Emily just stressed out or are things really amiss?


Gloria Crandall, Emily's mother, asked Jane to look after her daughter in case anything happened to her.She's doing her best to help Emily, but she doesn't know much about raising kids or running an inn. Could Jane have a hidden agenda?

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Nancy Drew: The Secret of Shadow Ranch Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I would like to begin my review by first stating that I find everyone's appalling comments for this game's new layout to be quite unjust. I thought the larger game screen to provide a more authentic experience. The new cell phone mode made calling and accessing information on the web extremely practical, as well as useful.
Secondly, the new tool mode was not nearly as hard to comprehend as many have expressed it to be. Really, if this game is marketed to anyone over the age of ten, I would have expected those over thirteen writing these reviews to have been able to grasp the simplicity of this feature.
Thirdly, I found the chores such as getting eggs, picking vegetables, and feeding the animals to be fun. I love being thrown out, though I will admit the tongue-lashing I get for my mistakes, whether purposeful or not, really leaves my spinning. In one instance, however, I even found myself being attacked by an extremely angry chicken. Who could not enjoy that?
The graphics in this game are extraordinary. I loved how real all of the rugs, petroglyphs, and so on looked. Her Interactive really is to be commended on this.
Throughout this game weaves a tale of mystery and romance. An outlaw by the name of Dirk Valentine left his treasure hidden somewhere for his love, and through following his clues he wrote for his love, I encountered much more than your average dust cloud...I encountered many dangerous things, that, if not treated right, could (and did) send me to my peril.
I would finally like to mention my favorite character in this series: Bob the horse. Bob and I went through a lot together, and I'm going to miss that horse. Live long and healthy, Bob!

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Product Description:
Nancy Drew: The Secret Of Shadow Ranch is a thrilling Old West adventure set at a vacation ranch. The terra cotta cliffs hide ancient secrets that Nancy Drew must unravel - A ghostly horse is out for unearthly revenge, and the teen girl detective must find out why. Separate the truth from the ghost stories quickly, or you might be next on the list for unearthly revenge!

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Nancy Drew: Last Train to Blue Moon Canyon Review

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(More customer reviews)I just finished playing "Last Train to Blue Moon Canyon", and I was literally blown away by the amazing graphics - what an improvement over previous games!These graphics are definitely on par with the likes of "Myst", and other adventure games - although you do have to play for a little while before you get to enjoy them...

This Nancy Drew game is about a young rich girl who had her father restore an old train back to working condition.There are many rumors surrounding this train - especially since the original owner wound up missing in the mid 1800's, and his engineer was found still in the train, in the middle of the desert, dead...On top of this, the owners wife had died on the train at an earlier date, so many people thought it was haunted.

The reason the young girl had wanted the train restored was because story had it that Jack Hurley (the original owner), had found gold in a mine - and that the directions to find this mine were all hidden inside the train.She wanted this treasure, and invited several people (including Nancy and the Hardy boys) to help solve the mysteries, and find the mine.

This is one of those games that ropes you in.In fact, I couldn't stop playing it!!!

I think it's important for you to know that I am 36 years old - a testament to the fact that these games are great for teens and adults alike!!!

Overall, I highly recommend this game to anyone who enjoyed (or is enjoying) the Nancy Drew Mystery series.So far, this is hands down the best ND game I've played to date!Just a note of caution though - I'd suggest you choose the "junior detective" regardless of your age, as there are several areas where it's too easy to become stuck, and if you choose this level, you have the benefit of a few more hints and the task journal - both big helps when you find yourself unable to move on...

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Product Description:
The Hardy Boys have invited, you, as Nancy Drew, on a train ride out West hosted by beautiful and prominent socialite, Lori Girard. Lori has gathered the greatest minds in mystery to solve a century-old secret and the haunted train is their best clue. The luxurious train once belonged to Jake Hurley, a wealthy adventurer, on a journey to find the mother lode during mining mania. Shortly after the trip began, Jake's wife, Camille met an untimely end. Although her death broke his heart, Jake pressed on. Many years passed, and one day, Jake's train was found in Blue Moon Canyon with the engineer slumped over in the car - dead. No one knows what happened to Jake... Climb aboard as Nancy Drew and see if you can uncover the truth at the end of the line!

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Nancy Drew: The Haunting of Castle Malloy Review

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(More customer reviews)Nancy Drew 19: The Haunting Of Castle Malloy

-Before I Begin...
My review will be spilt up into sections and have a in-depth look at that topic. If you hate reading medium/long reviews or just don't have the patience I would not continue reading, but if you want to learn the most about the product before you buy it you'll continue.

-Interface
The interface is the same as always, point in the direction you want to go in a and click. However, moving around the castle grounds is through a third person view which offsets the whole "I'm Nancy Drew!" feel. But don't worry it's only when your outside in the dark so you never see Nancy, just a figure pretty much. What stupifies me is that Nancy talks on her cellphone in the opening scene but she loses it somehow and we have to use a payphone, so there is no cell phone icon in the interface. This interface is great, the only thing that bugged me was the third person affect when outside the Castle of Malloy.
**** -Plot
In this adventure, Nancy is off to Ireland as the maid of honor to Kyler Malloy, who is getting married to Matt Simmons in a couple days. But when Nancy arrives, Kyler says that Matt has vanished! It is up to Nancy Drew to find Matt and save the wedding. The plot is good but they could have emphasized different parts more. Like the fact that Kyler and Kit Foley (Matt's best friend) were a couple before. Sadly, there is very little drama about this love triangle (maybe because all the Nancy Drew games are quite modest). Very little of the castle history is revealed as well. The fact that half the castle is blown to pieces is interesting but not much more information is given on why it is blown up. I think the basics of the plot are there, but more development could have gone into it.
***

-Characters
There are four characters, each with different personalities, in this game. However, since one is missing, there are really only three characters. The character development and interaction was dissapointing. The backgrounds of each character are very briefly revealed and only one character stood out. Your bride to be is Kyler Malloy, who recently found out her family heritage. She is sweet and kind but not much else to her, she believes that Matt's dissapearence is a prank. Then there is Kit Foley, who is Matt's best friend. Kit is in the real estate business, and unfortunately even more boring than Kyler. He doesn't have much personality and simply believes that Matt has walked out on Kyler. Finally there is Donal, an old Irishman who is stubborn and quite a hoot to listen to. He is the caretaker and believes that "faeries" have taken Matt because he is not Irish. I would talk about Matt, but you don't see him until the end of the game, which is rather dissapointing. It would have been nice to at least meet Matt in the begining before mysteriously vanishing. Overall, the characters seemed to be irrelevant to the game at all because you hardly talked to them. The game could have been outstanding if they just developed the characters more.
***

-Setting & Graphics
First off, the graphis were amazing. However, everything else was completely wrong. I found it completely crazy that the game took place in ONE NIGHT! I thought Nancy was supposed to be there for a week or so, but no. This time constraint really affected the game. It was so dark and gloomy the whole game that you could not see Ireland's beautiful landscape when outside. There was a lot of places to go, but it was completely barren! The castle had only three rooms for you to explore: the Great room, the Library, and the Nursery. And each of those rooms had very little to read, touch or look at. It would have been nice if Nancy had her own room (It is a castle for heaven's sake! It should be pretty big inside, am I right?), but apparently everyone sleeps in cots in the Great room. Did I mention the Great room has a huge hole in it from the explosion years ago? The outside grounds and the Screaming Banshee Inn are also pretty barren as well. There is virtually nothing to snoop in, no historical documents about the castle, no artwork to admire, nothing. Extremely dissapointing, I would give this section two stars but the graphics are so amazing that it gets that extra star.
***

-Puzzles/Activities
The puzzles were outstanding! Most of the puzzles were original, challenging and thought provoking. This is the highlight of the game. If you liked Crystal Skull's puzzles you'll like these ones a lot. I really enjoyed the fact that there was always something for you to do. If you ever needed a break form the puzzles, you can go to the Inn and play minigames. None of the puzzles were randomly thrown in, they all made sense. There are chores, but you don't have to repeat them everyday (Mainly because the game is all in one night). And the chores are easy, fun, and make sense in the game. Overall, the puzzles made this game, without them, I would not reccomend this game.
*****

-Scare Factor
This is a new section that covers the scariness of the game. The mood was dark and gloomy, and you would always here an erie wailing (from an alleged Banshee). The Nursery in the castle was downright creepy to be in. There were one or two startling moments, especially as the game climaxed. I think the scariness was on a good level, not to scary but not too mild.
****

-Ending
Unfortunatley, the ending was abrupt like some previous games, but what was refreshing was that there was no timed puzzles or racing through mazes. You could take your time at the end, find/question Matt and finish the game peacefully. In fact, the ending puzzles were some of the easiest in the whole game, which was a let down after all you have been doing throughout the game to win. But you might be dissapointed with how Matt vanished, I was pretty dissapointed. Since the plot wasn't brilliantly detailed or anything, the resolution could be explained without leaving any facts or problems hanging in the air.
***

-Overall
I'm not going to lie I did enjoy the game, and I will be seeing myself playing it again and again. But it doesn't give you that "wow" factor that Phantom Of Venice gave me. It seemed like it wasn't all the way developed. Potentially, it could have been the best game in the series if they just developed the plot, characters, and setting more. Hardcore Nancy Drew fans may find that something is missing, but there is plenty good in this game to buy it. I would recommend this for its puzzles and its scare factor (Perfect for Halloween night). Nancy's next adventure is Ransom Of The Seven Ships, which includes Bess & George! Sounds promising!

Add all these up and divide by 7...
4 *'s (Interface)
3 *'s (Plot)
3 *'s (Characters)
3 *'s (Setting & Graphics)
5 *'s (Puzzles/Activites)
4 *'s (Scare Factor)
3 *'s (Ending)
= 25 Stars Divide By 7 (Categories) = 3.5 = Rounded to 3 Stars

-Other Recommended Nancy Drew Games
The Phantom Of Venice
Danger On Deception Island
Last Train To Blue Moon Canyon
Legend Of The Crystal Skull

Thanks for reading my review!

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Product Description:
Touted as the most romantic event to grace the ruined halls of Ireland's Castle Malloy, the Simmons-Mallory wedding was supposed to be a fairytale beginning, but now the groom is missing! Did a banshee crash the wedding or is this a case of cold feet? Can you, as Nancy Drew, unravel the knot of scattered clues and scary superstitions? You'll to catch more than a bridal bouquet to make this is a happily ever after!
Meet The Suspects
Kyler Mallory
A stock broker in London who lived with Nancy's family as an exchange student four years ago. She is now engaged to Matt Simmons and is excited to hold her wedding at Castle Malloy. Her grandfather, Edmund Mallory, recently passed away and named her as the sole beneficiary. He never spoke about his childhood and Kyle is just now learning about her true family history
Matt Simmons
A travel and sailing free-lance writer for magazines. Known for his dry wit, Matt loves to play pranks on others. Friendly and likeable, he had planned on getting married in the Bahamas, but agreed to change his plans to make his fiancee, Kyler Mallory, happy.
Kit Foley
Matt's best friend and accomplice on sailing trips. Kit was born in the US and is the son of a Krolmeister Inc. VP. The company transferred the family to London when Kit was young, but he never picked up the British accent. He currently works as a land developer, and he arrived early to help Matter and Kyler prepare for their wedding
Donal Delany
As Castle Malloy's ever-present caretaker, he's been watching the grounds for too many years to count. This Irish born gentleman isn't particularly fond of foreigners and he's the first to admit it. He is however the resident expert on Irish mythology and lore, which might explain his overly superstitious nature.

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Nancy Drew: Warnings at Waverly Academy Review

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(More customer reviews)After being sorely disappointed by the previous installment in HER's usually fun Nancy Drew series, I admit I was a bit apprehensive about this one. Happily, however, I thoroughly enjoyed this solid game.

Set at a girls' boarding school, Warnings at Waverly Academy offers a well-thought out plot centered around a mysterious series of threatening notes. As the story develops, it weaves both the fictitious history of the school as well as the real history of an American literary figure into a much more complex storyline than you might expect from the initial premise. There's a particularly clever twist that comes just when you think you've got it all figured out, and while you've probably pegged the bad guy--or girl, since Ned's the only male voice in this one--by the end, it's not a "well, duh," kind of solution.

Practically all of Nancy's tasks are seamlessly integrated into the storyline, making even the usually somewhat tedious chores such as cooking feel important to the advancement of the game. I found the game immensely less difficult than some other recent ones--I'm looking at you, Ransom of the Seven Ships--and although some of the puzzles were head-scratchers, none were so baffling to drive me to online hints. There's also a nice diversity of tasks: some visual, some logical, some skill-based.

The archetypal characters at the school are distinctive and interesting, with what come across as actual personalities and motivations--which is good, because there are quite a few of them, another welcome change from the last game. The addition of texting made the story feel very contemporary and real. Although the setting was fairly limited with little exploration available, the graphics were nicely rendered and the music quite pleasant.

So what are the downsides? The world of the game isn't as deep as it could have been, with few locale additions as the story progresses; equally, the game isn't perhaps as long as some others, although it's certainly not the shortest, either. Suspense or even a sense of foreboding is distinctly lacking. Nancy's perils involve demerits rather than actual danger most of the time. And the nature of the storyline seems to dictate the audience for this game to a degree: girls and young women will probably appreciate the characters and school life aspects much more than would some older players. For some, too, the puzzles are probably too easy. Those caveats aside, I recommend this games wholeheartedly for the ND player more interested in plot than in puzzles and in secrets than in secret passages.

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Product Description:
Threatening notes and dangerous accidents plague the valedictorian candidates at a prestigious boarding school. Suddenly the rumors start flying, and no one can tell the difference between fact and fiction. Does someone want to knock these students out of contention for top honors? What secret could the culprit be trying to protect? No one knows for sure, but thankfully, Nancy Drew's here to figure it out. Join her as she goes undercover to find out who's behind these strange occurrences.


Undercover at a top boarding school
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Beautiful Graphics
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Blend in with typical students
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Synopsis
In Warnings at Waverly Academy, it's up to you and Nancy Drew to blend in with the student body. Cram for projects, navigate social cliques and text your new friends just like every other high-school student. When no one's around, sneak through the dorm rooms and take pictures of possible evidence with your cell phone camera. Become part of the scene by running the school snack bar and playing air hockey in the student lounge. Can you crack the case before the threats begin to turn deadly?


Key Game Features:

Features young sleuth Nancy Drew as she goes undercover at a top boarding school
Help Nancy discover who has been threatening the academy's valedictorian candidates
Blend in with typical high-school student behavior: text your friends, cram for projects and become familiar with social cliques
Run the school snack bar and play air hockey in the student lounge to incorporate yourself on campus
Jr. and Sr. difficulty settings offer different levels of challenge
Returns you to the point immediately before you make a mistake so you don't have to start over from the beginning

System Requirements:

Windows XP/Vista, DirectX 9
CPU 1 GHz, 256 RAM
32MB DirectX 9.0 video card
1 GB of free HDD space
CD-ROM 24x

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Nancy Drew: Secrets Can Kill REMASTERED Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Nancy Drew 1: Secrets Can Kill REMASTERED

-Before I Begin...
My review will be spilt up into sections and have a in-depth look at that topic. Then at the end of the review I round up the stars and give an overall rating.
**Also you should know that this is not a completely new release by Her Interactive, it is a refresh of their very first game ever, which was made in 1998 and is rather outdated. With that said, I have not played the original Secrets Can Kill (except for the very beginning until I got frustrated with the two disk swapping, impossible to navigate, no direction of the game). So I do not know all the differences of the original compared to this Remastered edition.

-Interface
First off you should now that the original Secrets Can Kill (SCK) had a much different interface than this game does. SCK was very hard to navigate and play in with comparison to the refreshingly simple one in this game: Secrets Can Kill Remastered (SCK2). The inventory, task list, journal, and the camera icons are all new to SCK2. I love the interface Her Interactive uses, and is so much better to play in than the difficult original game.
***** -Plot
Finally, the first (and only thus far) plot surrounding a murder. You may have noticed with 98% of the Nancy Drew games that the plots are pretty tame. They usually revolving around a treasure, mysterious accidents, sabotage, or, every so often, a kidnapping. This game is refreshing because somebody was killed and there is a vicious murder on the loose. I was instantly intrigued and as you played through the game, the plot thickened and grew even more interesting as you questioned suspects and gained leads. And don't worry, the murder isn't shown or described in a gory detail (Her Interactive would never go higher than an E 10+ Rating) so you shouldn't worry about scaring yourself or any children playing this game. Although I would definitely say this game is older kids who can understand what is going on a little better because there is a steroid reference, a tiny bit of violence, and blackmail. Overall this simple plot is very entertaining and appeals to even older audiences.
*****

-Characters
The characters have been rendered from 2D in SCK, to 3D for SCK2. From the pictures I have seen, the 3D characters are a huge improvement from the lifeless 2D ones. Her Interactive did a great job at developing each character and giving them a distinct personality, background and motive for killing the school bully Jake Rogers. Also, SCK2 has a brand new character! If you would like to be surprised on who it is then don't read any further about the charcters. The new character is very helpful in solving the case, his name is Detective Beech and he hangs out at Maxine's Diner. He is pretty uptight and old compared to all the young teenager characters, but he is a great addition to the mix. The interaction with the characters was great too, there was a lot to talk about if you exhaust every question and find every clue. You felt like you were really getting to know the characters as real people, I had my own deductions and suspicions of each and every character. These characters and their interactions are what makes a fantastic Nancy Drew game that we know and love. I was throughly impressed with these characters!
*****

-Setting & Graphics
The graphics in this game are absolutey beautiful and realistic. They did a great job at updating the original 1998 graphics, which were very cheesy looking (no offense). There are three different locations you can explore from smallest to largest, Aunt Eloise's House, Maxine's Diner and Paseo Del Mar High School. The school is eerie and realistic, and the diner has a interesting 50's vibe to it. I loved exploring and snooping around every corner of the library and school grounds. The diner and Aunt Eloise's are pretty limited in exploring, but you will spending a majority of your time at the high school anyway. Personally I would have liked more to explore (but I always want more to explore anyway) in the school and Aunt Eloise's. Like seeing Nancy's room, searching a classroom for clues or getting food at the Maxine's diner. But Her Interactive still did a great job with the environments, and they managed to fit the entire game onto to a single disc.
****

-Puzzles/Activities
The puzzles in this game are very straightforward and only midly challenging. I understand because this was the first game that Her Interactive ever made, so they didn't really have a grasp on their puzzlemaking skills. Most of the puzzles are word/code puzzles which are fun and easy to figure out. But each of those little puzzles adds a piece to the ultimate puzzle near the end of the mystery which is only in SCK2, not the original. There were not a lot of puzzles so the game felt pretty short, I think I finished in about 2-3 hours on my first try. Also you can breathe a sigh of relief if you were expecting chores to be in this game, but there are NONE! The high school students don't ask for favors, they don't ask you to fix anything, they don't ask you to do their homework or anything else! It was very refreshing after the burdensome Trail Of The Twister. That's another reason why this is a great game, Nancy is focused solely on the mystery, not on being the gopher for every single character, which is something that has been detrimenting these Nancy Drew games for a while now. Overall, I enjoyed the puzzles and I only wish there were a bit more of them.
****

-Ending
The only word I can say about the ending is: WOW! I saw the original ending of SCK on YouTube and saw why they changed it for SCK2. There is a huge twist at the end that really surprised me and the defeating the culprit was logical and brilliant! I loved how you could really make your own judgement at the end and use the knowledge you have accumulated over the game to catch the culprit. All I can say is pay attention to the details of the game and you will suceed. Her Interactive gave a really great heartpumping ending to a short but sweet mystery. I was impressed, they even tied up every last "loose end".
*****

-Scare Factor
While you don't see the actual murder of Jake Rogers or Jake's body, the game was pretty spooky. Walking around the halls of the lonely high school was scary in it's own right. The library had some pretty scary sounds too, it felt like there was someone following you. Nothing ever really jumps out to scare you, but I was on edge with all the creepy sounds and scary music. The fact that a murderer is out on the loose also gives you the creeps, but this game is nowhere near as scary as Curse of Blackmoor Manor.
****

-Overall
I can honestly say that I have fallen in love with Nancy Drew all over again! This game has all the great factors that make it a standout, yet classic Nancy Drew title. There is a thrilling plot, fun puzzles, intersting characters and a spooky setting. Her Interactive did a fantastic job at remastering this game for Nancy's 80th Anniversary. The graphics are beautiful, its so much easier to navigate, no disc swapping, the characters are 3D and awesome, and the ending is just great! I would definitely recommend this game to all Nancy Drew fans, even if you have played SCK before, SCK2 has new clues and secrets to uncover. Also if you are new to Nancy Drew, this would be a great first game to try because the puzzles are straightforward and the plot is great. Secrets Can Kill Remastered is definitely one of my favorite Nancy Drew games ever! It is pretty close to Phantom Of Venice and Danger On Deception Island for me. As a side note, I also really hope that Her Interactive remasters other games, especially Stay Tuned For Danger because the characters are waxy and unrealistic, and you can easily get stuck in the game and have to restart. I am really excited for Nancy's next adventure with Bess & George in Japan! See you next time with Nancy Drew 23: Shadow At The Water's Edge!

Add all these up and divide by 7...
5 *'s (Interface)
5 *'s (Plot)
5 *'s (Characters)
4 *'s (Setting & Graphics)
4 *'s (Puzzles/Activites)
4 *'s (Scare Factor)
5 *'s (Ending)
= 32 Stars Divide By 7 (Categories) = 4.57 = Rounded to 5 Stars

-Recommended Games
Secrets Can Kill REMASTERED
Warnings At Waverly Academy (See my review of this game)
The Phantom Of Venice (See my review of this game)
Danger On Deception Island

Thanks for reading my review!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Nancy Drew: Secrets Can Kill REMASTERED

Product Description:
Play the Game that Started the Award-Winning Series! As a tribute to Nancy Drew's 80th Anniversary, Her Interactive is remastering the first game that launched the award-winning adventure series. With completely updated graphics and new puzzles, this special edition will appeal to old and new fans alike! Death, danger, and deception weren't on the curriculum at a Florida school, but when Jake Rogers is murdered to protect a lie, everything changes. With the town in fear and the students in shock, you, as Nancy Drew, are the only one who can uncover the truth. Dig into a deadly mystery and discover a secret worth dying for before the murderer strikes again!

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Nancy Drew: Shadow at the Water's Edge Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Nancy Drew 23: Shadow At The Water's Edge

-Before I Begin...
My review will be spilt up into sections and have a in-depth look at that topic. Then at the end of the review I round up the stars and give an overall rating.

-Interface
The interface is very simple, intuitive, and has not been changed from the latest release. Nancy's cell phone is a key element in the game: you use it to call off-screen characters, receive text messages, call for clues, and send pictures. Having the cell phone is very fun and a great addition to the overall gameplay. You can make avatars for your characters and even add phone charms to the side. Other than the cell phone, nothing of the interface has been substantially changed. Take a look at your checklist and journal for help during the case.
***** -Plot
The plot of this game is simply phenomenal and well thought out. Nancy Drew, is staying at the Ryokan Hiei, a traditional Japanese inn where a ghost is haunting guests and making things very difficult for the family running it. I won't go too much into the plot because you have to see it for yourself. There were lots of times during the game where I was wondering if the ghost was fake or actually real. There is plenty of evidence, but also some unexplainable events that can sway you to believing or not. I really liked how the plot developed and got even more dangerous as you continued on throughout the game. There were plenty of red herrings and twists that kept you on your toes, I was surprised when the game ended.
*****

-Characters
There are only four characters that you see face-to-face in this game but they are absolutely great and well-developed. I was happy to see that each character had its own quirks and different relationships in the family. The fact that the whole cast of characters was basically a family lead to some very interesting conversations. There was even a bit of romance between two characters, Miwako Shimizu and Rentaro Aihara, which was entertaining to analyze from both perspectives of the relationship. There are also the other characters of: older sister Yumi Shimizu, and grandma Takae Nagai. Yumi, the rebellious older sister to Miwako, runs her own bento stand in the bustling city of Matsue and wants nothing to do with the Ryokan Hiei that her family has owned for generations. Miwako is a stressed and overworked younger sister who fell in love with her childhood friend Rentaro. Rentaro is the unofficial handyman of the Ryokan and is very goofy and geeky. Finally the grandma Takae is very serious about Japenese tradition and loves the Ryokan with all her heart. As you play the game you will find that some characters have stronger motives than others, but all have secrets to hide.
*****

-Setting & Graphics
The graphics are just outstanding this time around. Every scene is so beautifully detailed, I found myself walking very slowly through the environments just to take in all the eye candy. I really imagined myself in Japan from the bustling, bright cities, to the quaint and picturesque (oh and creepy) gardens of the Ryokan Hiei. Her Interactive really outdid themselves with the graphics in this game, even the characters have such a lifelike quality to them. There were so many environments to explore. The game includes the main location of the Ryokan (which is huge), and three city locations: the Technology Expo/Bento Stand, Yumi's apartment, and the Pachinko Parlor. I felt like there was plenty to see and do without having to get lost in all the different locations.
*****

-Puzzles/Activities
Gone are the chores that we saw in the last release Trail of the Twister, this game has all organic puzzles that make sense to the game and aren't just busy work assigned to do by others. There were a lot of puzzles that I found pretty challenging but fun at the same time. You also play some traditional Japenese brain games like sodoku and renograms, and nonograms.I would say that this game is somewhat puzzle heavy, but it doesn't take away from the mystery. The only thing I sort of didn't like was there was a bit of repetition of puzzles, like doing a nonogram & sodoku in the beginning and ending up having to do bigger, harder, versions later. But still, even the repetition made sense in the context of the game. Also if some of the puzzles are taxing on your brain you can go play some pachinko or make some Bento with Yumi for a phone charm. There was always something for the player to do if you just wanted to take a break from the mystery which I thought was great. Another thing I loved was the amount of snooping. You get to do PLENTY of snooping, mostly at the middle of the night. It was so much fun to explore every nook and cranny and get new evidence on your own when nobody is watching.
*****

-Ending
The ending was split into to two parts, similarly to Trail of the Twister. It was scary and heart pounding for sure. The "catching of the culprit" was logical yet pretty simple, and you get two options that affect the end scene, which was nice. I felt like the second part of the ending could have been just a bit more dramatic and a level scarier. But the conclusion/wrap-up of the mystery was all worth it, especially since everything was explained. A great way to end the game though, I felt happy and that I accomplished something.
*****

-Scare Factor
So this game is probably the scariest Nancy Drew game to date. I don't want to spoil your scare but be prepared for spooky music, eerie locations, and hauntings from a very "Grudge" like ghost. There are multiple scary moments in this game that keep your heart racing, which I just loved. There are also a lot of bad Japenese omens that Nancy gets. I was definitely freaked out during the course of the game. I would definitely recommend playing this game in the dark, at night, or on Halloween for the ultimate scariness. Everything from the ghost to the actual story behind it brought shivers down my spine. Granted this is only an E-10+ game, so there is no blood, gore, or intense violence. So if you are worried about kids being scarred for life, it won't happen with this game. But I would definitely recommend this game to the recommended 10+ age range so they can actually understand what the back-story is, and not get extremely frightened by this game.
*****

-Overall
I can honestly say that this Nancy Drew game has to be the best one out there. Everything about it was exceptional. The characters, plot, setting, graphics were all very well-developed and intricate. I was impressed by all the different aspects and how it was all pulled together in one nicely organized mystery. Her Interactive really brought back all the elements of a great game that fans have been missing. If you are already a fan of these games, I recommend this game with no question that you will enjoy it (unless for some reason you hate Japan or are very easily scared). If you are mystery game fan, than this is a great game to get you started on the Nancy Drew game series. I just loved this game because: it was really long (12+ hours of gameplay), the setting was beautiful, the puzzles were challenging but fun, it was pretty scary, the characters' personalities were multi-dimensional, and the plot was involved yet focused. This game is literally my most favorite of the whole series, they put every different thing I liked about all of the Nancy Drew games and melded it together to make an all around great mystery. This is the first Nancy Drew game that I have given 5 stars in each category, and it rightfully deserves it. I am so excited for the next installment of the series: Nancy Drew 24: The Captive Curse, taking place in a castle in Germany!

Add all these up and divide by 7...
5 *'s (Interface)
5 *'s (Plot)
5 *'s (Characters)
5 *'s (Setting & Graphics)
5 *'s (Puzzles/Activites)
5 *'s (Scare Factor)
5 *'s (Ending)
= 35 Stars Divide By 7 (Categories) = 5 Stars

-Recommended Games
Secrets Can Kill REMASTERED (See my review of this game)
Warnings At Waverly Academy (See my review of this game)
The Phantom Of Venice (See my review of this game)
Danger On Deception Island

Thanks for reading my review!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Nancy Drew: Shadow at the Water's Edge

Product Description:

Nancy Drew: Shadow at the Water's Edge is the 23rd release in "HerInteractive's" popular single player Nancy Drew mystery game series.Compatible with both PC and Macintosh computer platforms, Shadowat the Water's Edge finds Nancy and pals Bess and George investigatingthe haunting of a traditional inn in Kyoto, Japan. Along the way sheand players of the game find that things are not quite what they seem.Additional features include immersion via the game into elements ofJapanese culture, the ability to use in-game cell phone technologyin sleuthing, two difficulty levels and more.

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