Nancy Drew: The Haunted Carousel

Rating:
Summary: Easy to Solve Hard to Play
Review: I've played all the Nancy games and have enjoyed them all to varying degrees, but I have to say I didn't much enjoy this game at all. The standard Nancy game variables are all there; interview suspects, hunt for clues, avoid game ending mishaps, and solve the case, but this game did not do a great job with presentation. There were only a couple of marginally difficult puzzles to solve, even on the hard level, and while normally playing the Nancy games, I would have to have a note pad and pen to write down info. located during the game that would be needed to progress, now Nancy has a data computer, and keeps track of all items of importance she encounters herself, virtually eliminating any kind of player sleuthing, this would be fine if you were truly stuck and needed help, but checking the computer may give answers to questions the player hasn't figured out for themselves yet, even if Nancy has. But my biggest gripe was that there were a couple of very annoying bugs with this game, something I've never encountered with any of the other Nancy games, I actually had to download a patch to fix one bug. A couple of times the game locked up on me causing me to have to redo much of it again. And some problem near the end when I kept dying by trying to do the thing I needed to. All in all, I would have to say, if you are a big fan of these games go ahead and give it a try, otherwise, this may be ones of those mysteries, better left unsolved.

Rating:
Summary: Nancy Drew does it again!
Review: This ND game was my favorite out of all six! You, as Nancy Drew get to find out what's up with a nutty professor who's always typing on her typwriter, a friendly girl(but does she have a secret?),a French ski instructor, and a man who seems fine, but his past holds secrets. In this game you will get to find out about Queen Marie Antoinette and realize the secret behind the castle you're staying at. This game doesn't have many puzzles, and you will do a few errands. It's really cool and I'd reccomend it to anyone! I'd also reccomend the other five games: Secrets Can Kill, Stay Tuned For Danger, Message in a Haunted Mansion, Secret of The Scarlet Hand, and Ghost Dogs of Moon Lake. Another case solved by Nancy Drew! Happy Sluething!

Rating:
Summary: exciting mystery
Review: I own all of the Nancy Drew Games, and eagerly await the next one coming out. I love mysteries and used to read them, but enjoy playing them much more. These games always keep you guessing to the very end. Its a challenge to the mind with all the puzzles involved. Keep them coming, and who knows maybe in the future, we will see The Hardy boys make a comeback, and Murder She Wrote. Try these Nancy Drew Games you will love them.

Rating:
Summary: Not the best Nancy Drew game there is
Review: I have been playing Nancy Drew games for over two years and I've now played all seven. "Ghost Dogs of Moon Lake" was not my favorite. In fact, I feel that it could have been better in so many ways. Don't get me wrong. The Nancy Drew games series is great. In each game, you, as Nancy Drew, gather clues, interview people, solve puzzles, explore secret passages, and find the culprits. The games are engaging, fun, and even educational. And they're fun for both kids and adults alike. The first game in the series, "Secrets Can Kill," was well-intentioned but the character graphics (and the fact that you had to switch back and forth between two CDs) left much to be desired. However, after "Secrets," the games began to significantly improve. You would think, then, that by the seventh game, the games would be stellar. Not true. I think they peaked at game three ("Message in a Haunted Mansion") and four ("Treasure in a Royal Tower"). It's almost as if, by game seven, the designers/creators have run out of ideas. I don't mean for the plots -- I mean for puzzles, for character's wisecracks, that sort of thing. Things that move the game along and make it fun. Most every puzzle in "Ghost Dogs" was eerily similar to a puzzle we've seen in a previous Nancy Drew game, the only exception being the one you have to play when Nancy is in peril toward the middle of the game (this is not a spoiler; in just about every Nancy Drew game, Nancy is in peril about halfway through the game.) That puzzle was fun. But the others could have been better. Also, in each Nancy Drew game there is some sort of educational element. You learn things as you go along, from books, computers, newspaper articles, or signs. But in this game, there was a HUGE amount of information on parks on one single computer. Most of this information wasn't even important to the game. Why is it there? Who's going to sit there and read it? With all due respect, I was just slightly bored with "Ghost Dogs." My last complaint (and I really don't mean to sound like a picky grouch; I love Nancy Drew, really, I do) is Nancy's personal data assistant that she carries with her now. She puts all her clues in there. She even carries maps around with her now! One of the most fun things about the Nancy Drew games, for me, has been that you have to write down clues (on paper, in real life), trace maps, etc. If I happen to not notice a clue in "Ghost Dogs," well hey, Nancy (but I thought *I* was Nancy?) has already jotted it down for me. And this was on the senior level! I guess I could just NOT look at the PDA, but come on, it's too tempting. Where's the challenge? I really hope the next game will be better; from the promo, it looks very intriguing. And I *do* have faith in the designers to make this next one a winner. In conclusion, me just say this: if you've never played a Nancy Drew game before, you'd be safe to start with this one, since all the puzzle concepts would be new to you. But it's not the best. Still, if you're a Nancy Drew fan, it's still pretty amusing and so I give it 4 stars.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting!
Review: There were lots of cool areas to go to. I played it two times already and am in the middle of my third time. The Nancy Drew games are about really interesting things. I have two games so far, this and The Scarlet Hand.

Rating:
Summary: Wanted To Like It, But Too Many Bugs
Review: This seemed like a really cool game, no matter what your age. But even though I had all the requirements that the manufacturer said was needed to run the game successfully, it crashed several times and needed to be reinstalled. Even then, it wasn't great: the graphics were dark, the flashlight didn't work, and the diagram under the hood of the boat was missing. The game also lets you wander around lost in the woods for an inordinately long time -- I have better things to do. Thumbs Down on this one.

Rating:
Summary: an overall okay game
Review: I have played all the Nancy Drew games and this one is overall a good game, but not my favourite. The graphics are excellent, they keep getting better and better. The next game after this, Ghost Dogs of Moon Lake is even better, I cannot wait for the Haunted Carousel to come out!

Rating:
Summary: A Little more information than we needed......
Review: This was a pretty good game although the mayan info was very wordy and way more detail oriented for "age 10" which they set as the age limits for this game. It involved alot of note taking and a bit too much detail work. I'd say more like 14 and up. I applaud Her Interactive though for bringing out this whole series. Mostly, they are great fun and continue to get better and better.

Rating:
Summary: FABULOUS!
Review: Playing Treasure in the Royal Tower marked one of the most exciting moments of my life. I also got a tingle of excitement when playing Final Scene and Message in a Haunted Mansion. I had always wanted a computer game like this and here it is!!!

Rating:
Summary: it was great...best one yet!
Review: Ghost dogs of moon lake was awesome. The setting of a spooky lake was a great idea, because there has never been a nancy drew game like that before. The game starts out with you in your friend's cabin trying to figyre out the mystery of why and how ghost dogs attack your friend's house at night. You experience this attack the first night you are there. In the game, you must do many tasks for people. Sometimes, you are doing 3 at once, and that can be overwhelming and frustrating. There is also a forest with a trail behind your house. Theres is a semetery way back at the end of it. Finding the semetery is very hard the first couple of times, and don't try to find it at night your first try. Walk the trail first in the day, because there are so many ways you can get lost, and you will slowly memorize the more times you walk it. Some things that are challenging in the game are: putting out a fire, getting to the keep easy, and more.Thegameis very challenging, so I recommend it for ages 11-16. IN THIS GAME YOU HAVE A PDA. LOOK AT IT VERY VERY OFTEN!!!!! Without your PDA, there is no way you could win the game. This game is very exciting, and i don't think i can think of any cons in it!Truly, this game is a pleasurable edition to the nancy drew computer game series. Keep making more!!