Nancy Drew: The Haunted Carousel

What’s the Story?

In NANCY DREW: THE HAUNTED CAROUSEL, the eighth in the Nancy Drew CD-ROM series, Nancy is investigating mysterious happenings at a Jersey Shore amusement park. The theft of a historic carousel horse, followed by the loss of power during a roller coaster ride, has forced the closing of the amusement park until the insurance company can investigate. But the carousel ride has mysteriously started operating on its own, leading people to speculate that the park is "haunted." Nancy has been hired by the owner of the park to help resolve these baffling happenings.

As Nancy, players interview suspects; explore the layout of a haunted house attraction; learn how to change the tracks for the rollercoaster ride; and fix an old carousel band organ. The game offers over 20 hours of play on two difficulty levels. Embedded in the mystery are several real-life puzzles, including one in which players use a virtual lathe.

Is It Any Good?

This game is more accessible than the previous Nancy Drew interactive games. Enhancements in this game include the addition of Nancy's laptop and her cell phone. With the laptop, she can get e-mail help from friends, keep a journal of her discoveries (so the player doesn't have to take notes), and list things that still need to be done (a way to keep the player on task.) With a cell phone, players can call Nancy's friends for help.

Compared with previous titles in this series, this game is easier to navigate; the puzzles combine real-life problems with fun arcade games; and the story is complicated and never too scary. The "Junior Detective" level is a little easier to play than in the previous titles so it will appeal to kids as young as age 10; the "Senior Detective" level offers plenty of challenge for teens. And parents, this software has no violence or sexual overtones.