Nancy Drew Secrets Can Kill
$14.95		(Win95/98/Me/XP) (Retail) (NANCYD1PR)

Publisher: Her Interactive / DreamCatcher
Children
Ages: 10 and up
Ratings: Good Housekeeping 1999's Top 10 CD-ROMs A from  Just Adventure Gold from  Kids Domain

An Interactive Mystery Game

Nancy's visit to Aunt Eloise in Florida throws her into the midst of a new case!

A family visit throws you, as Nancy Drew, into the scene of a crime that happened only last night. Jake Rogers is dead, and a secret died with him - or did it? Roll up your sleeves and dig into an engrossing, 3-D interactive mystery that's full of places to explore, puzzles to solve, suspects to question and evidence to evaluate. A wily killer may still be on the loose...so keep your wits about you.

Investigate Clues as Nancy Drew to Unlock a Killer's Secret

Mystery follows you, as Nancy Drew, to the scene of a crime in Florida. Was it accidental death or a deliberate deed? Only clever sleuthing can tell. Suspects are everywhere, but so is danger - not everyone welcomes Nancy poking around town. Whether exploring Maxine's Diner or the high school after hours, Nancy must heed every clue, or she might not make it out of town alive...

• 20+ hours of game play
• Lively, animated characters, each with a secret to protect
• "Second Chance" option - without starting over
• Rich, interactive, 360-degree, 3D environments
• Large, realistic high school and other town buildings to explore
• Original music and sound effects
• Built-in game hints (but only if you want them)
• Three "Spy IQ" levels of difficulty
• Great opportunities for collaborative sleuthing with Mom, sis, and friends!

Requirements:

Windows 95/98/Me/XP: 166 MHz Pentium processor, 16 MB RAM, 42 MB available hard disk space, 16 bit color graphics video card, 8X CD-ROM drive, 16 bit Windows compatible stereo sound card, mouse and speakers.

Reviews:

SuperKids Educational Software Review

"Nancy is staying in Paseo Del Mar, Florida with her aunt Eloise when a murder is committed at the local high school. Aware of her reputation as a crime solver, the school principal asks Nancy if she will attempt to uncover the murderer. This prompts Nancy to go undercover at the school where other students soon observe that she 'asks a lot of questions.'

"The story continues to unfold through a series of cryptic messages hidden throughout town, conversations with schoolmates who double as prime suspects and miscellaneous clues revealed only through persistent investigation. Although the storyline is ultimately predetermined, users shape the gameplay as they go, choosing specific topics to discuss with animated characters, compiling evidence and collecting tools to help in the quest, and eventually bringing the story to its culmination."

Kids Domain Review, by Anise Hollingshead

"Nancy Drew fans or not, this is a great game for teens! The story is intriguing, the puzzles are hard, and there are many clues to sift through, as not all clues are relevant to the murder. There are many hours of enjoyment here, as it will take a long while to work through this game.

"This is the best program I've seen to date for this age group. There just aren't very many choices for young teens in computer games, unlike the enormous amount for young children and adults. Parents do need to be aware that this game is best for ages 12-up, as there is not only the fact of the murder to consider, but clues that hint of steroid abuse, anger causes, and other themes that may not be wholly appropriate for young children.

"Don't let the title fool you, this is not a 'girl game.' Either gender will have a blast playing the famous sleuth, as she tracks down the killer."

JustAdventure, November 1998, by Jenny Guenther

"Gameplay consists mostly of observation, and clues abound. Most of the puzzles are little word games scattered throughout the school in places like the library and on the bulletin boards. One of the first puzzles I encountered, however, was the dreaded sliding tile puzzle. Fearing that this was the harbinger of doom, I endured it, but I was then pleasantly surprised by how classic-adventure-style the remainder of the game was. There were also a couple of inventory puzzles, but nothing wacky a la LucasArts games - this was just a straightforward point-and-click detective game. On starting the game, you are offered two or three choices of difficulty level, and I figured since I was a grown woman playing a girl's game, I'd better choose 'hard' so I could maintain a modicum of self-respect and a shred of dignity. I did get stumped big-time once, but it was because it took me a while to find an important location. There were also a couple of places where I died, but the game has a very nice 'second chance' feature.

"Graphics are an odd mix that somehow manages to work. You never see Nancy since it's a first-person game, and I was a little disappointed that Ned, Bess, and George were out of the picture (actually, they were included in the game, but only as the online hint system - if you feel like you need help, you can use the phone to call them for advice, but the hints proved largely useless). Anyway, back to the topic at hand: the characters are all cartoons superimposed on photorealistic scenery. The game style was combination slide show in that you jump from one location to the next in huge leaps, and 360-degree panoramic because in most locations you can turn all the way around and sometimes pan up and down a little. Overall, though, this made for a quite pleasing mix. The care that was taken is very evident."

"Overall, this is a sweet little game by a female-run company. Also, although it's pretty easy, it contains classic adventure game elements and a story strong enough to hold the player's interest, and so it would be good introduction to adventure games for either boys or girls. Drugs, blackmail, murder ... what more could any adventurer ask for?"

Mr. Bill's Game Reviews

"We love the slogan of this company: 'For girls who aren't afraid of a mouse!' Their games are being produced for teenage girls (age 11 and up), and are designed to teach both problem-solving and interactive computer skills while being entertained. Based on one of the famous Nancy Drew adolescent mystery novels, this story has been updated to play like a 90's situation, and we were favorably impressed with the current ethical problems of teenagers which it addressed and the positive values which it promoted. And we do know of many adults who have also enjoyed playing this game."

Quandary Computer Game Reviews by Rosemary Young (October 1999)

"What an auspicious beginning it is. Aunt Eloise's house is a delight to explore as the graphics are so detailed and curious players are invited to poke around to begin their investigation. Aunt Eloise is the School Librarian and she has left a letter for Nancy telling her that she can use the Library key which is locked away in the safe. But where is the safe ... and what is the code? Searching the house is bound to captivate young players as there are cupboards and drawers to peer into, books to read and an assortment of clues to find and things to do, including a familiar sliding picture puzzle, before it's off to continue the hunt."

"Well this one surely gets my seal of approval. The graphics are great and allow for 360 degree panning and the music and voice acting are also very good. More importantly, it's an entertaining, modern story to go with the new, modern Ms Drew and is pitched about right for the targeted age group. It also has three difficulty levels which govern the depth of hints available making it a very good introductory game for players who haven't yet sampled the delights of adventure game playing. Although it is essentially a young person's game it has quite a deal of sophistication and will keep players intrigued to the very end."

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