 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Nancy Drew: Secret of the Old Clock
- Windows
- Price: $19.99
- Genre: Role Playing
Common Sense Media says
Drive Nancy Drew's car to solve a mystery!
Parents say
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this game contains no objectionable material, and presents players with a strong heroine and challenging puzzles.
What's it about?
The year is 1930, and you are behind the wheel of a classic blue roadster, driving to meet your friend, 17-year-old Emily Crandall, who has recently inherited the Lilac Inn in the sleepy town of Titusville. While visiting, inexplicable happenings motivate you to start investigating your surroundings and the people of the town. The next thing you know, you have solved a mystery, helped your friend, and launched a career as a detective. That's because you've been playing NANCY DREW: SECRET OF THE OLD CLOCK.
New to this mystery is the player's ability to drive Nancy's car. When you're driving, a small car appears on a map of the town; you direct the vehicle by using the arrow keys or the mouse. The software incorporates your driving into many aspects of solving the mystery.
Is it any good?
This 12th interactive mystery by Her Interactive offers a compelling storyline kids will want to solve. It has all the Her Interactive trademarks: first-person play as Nancy Drew, intriguing characters, a rich storyline that is constantly branching, fabulous graphics, a "second chance" button so Nancy never dies, and challenging puzzles. Compared with others in this series, Secret of the Old Clock is easier and less scary, making it a good entry for kids as young as age 10.
Cyber-sleuths will enjoy the period music, a playable mini-golf course, research in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, and a nice variety of classic and novel puzzles. Testers particularly enjoyed a Rube-Goldberg type sequence when they solve a puzzle to focus light from a window to hit a radiometer. Playing this software with another person can be a terrific bonding experience for parents and kids -- especially mothers and daughters.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about how the world of the 1930s depicted in this game is different from the world today. Since one of the characters claims to be an expert in extrasensory perception, families may want to explore whether the accomplishments of this character are real. The mystery is based on the very first Nancy Drew book, so if your child is new to the series, this is an easy one to start with.
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AGE
Nancy Drew PC games rock!
My daughter (and I) LOVE these Nancy Drew computer games. She has them all. They are challenging and entertaining. The graphics are great (except for one of the early ones that has less sophisticated graphics). I actually bought one of these games for myself and I'm 39! My daughter started playing them about 3 years ago and the latest one is always on her birthday or Christmas list. It usually takes her from 15-20 hours of play to complete the mystery. She has loaned them out to numerous friends who also love them. They are my very favorite PC software for kids.
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AGE
The worst in the series
Nancy Drew games are very good games, but in my opinion, this was by far the worst one. It was charming and all, but it seemed very short, very easy, and I felt like there were a lot of loose ends left open. I am very dissapointed with it. It was definatly not worth the twenty dollars I paid to buy it.
Don't judge all of the Nancy Drew games on this, because usually, they are challenging and fun, and have a lot more gameplay. I hope that her interactive will go back to the Blackmoor Manor type of game and will not continue with the way this game turned out.
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AGE
Ok Sashasimba123
sashasimba said this one is very fun but is boring at the same time if u know whut i meAN
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AGE
Great Game
Great educational and fun game that takes you to the past. I highly recommend it to anyone! Nancy sets a good example for kids.
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AGE
GREAT MYSTERY GAME!
this game is based on the first ever Nancy Drew book. this game is full of fun and challenging mini-games and puzzles to solve. great for 7+
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AGE
Classic game, but a few iffy scenes
This really is a classic game. Parents, those of you who read the books as children will definetly have fun walking down memory lane. This game is based off of the first four books in the series. One thing that I like the most is the music, it's classic 1930's style music and you may find yourself moving to the catchy beat. Another really good thing about this game is the educational value, kids will most likely learn what things were like back then and they will also learn quite a few things about the Great Depresssion. Of course, Nancy is a good role model because she's persistent and she is a good friend towards Emily, because she helps her while she's greiving the loss of her mother.But, this game isn't flawless. One thing that may be a bit bothersome if the frustrating puzzles, one in particular is the mini-golf puzzle where you have to get a certain score inorder to complete it. Then there's the sewing puzzle where you'll definetly need a steady hand because you have to stay in the guidlines while sewing the dress. Another concern is the violence. One violent scene is the kitchen fire where something goes wrong in the kitchen (I think the stove was left on) and it burns up. Then, there's the scene where you have to grab a piece of paper, if you try to grab it on the bridge, Nancy falls off and dies. It's not graphic, but the thought may scare some alone. But, one of the mildest scenes is when Nancy gets a flat tire, you get it from driving over to many potholes, but trust me when I say her car can take quite a lot of abuse. What happens is when you do get a flat, you have to change the tire, in one step instead of putting the lug nuts on correctly, you can do them by hand. When that happens, all that occurs is that Nancy won't be able to drive her car and you'll have to click the "second chance button". Overall, this is a very good game and also a very classic game. But, be aware of the hard puzzles. But i'd say this is one of the mildest games in the series as far as the violence.
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| Platforms: | Windows |
| Available online? | Not available online |
| Genre: | Role Playing |
| Developer: | Her Interactive |
| Release date: | October 12, 2005 |
| Price: | $19.99 |
| ESRB rating: | E |
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