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> Results: Nancy Drew: Last Train To Blue Moon Canyon
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Since 1930, Nancy Drew has been delighting young and old alike with her intellect, wit, and bravery. I simply MUST find out what face cream she uses! What originally began as a simple mystery series has burgeoned into a multi-publication/media offering. Video game developer Her Interactive brings Nancy and friends to life on your PC, where they now possess all the modern day accoutrements for solving mysteries.
In Her Interactive's 13th Nancy Drew PC mystery, Last Train to Blue Moon Canyon, Nancy is invited by the Hardy Boys to join an eclectic group of people traveling aboard a restored steam train. Their mission: to discover what happened to the train's original owner, Jake Hurley, whose private train was found abandoned in Blue Moon Canyon. Drew fans will be delighted to play with Nancy as well as the Hardy Boys. Even Nancy's age old friends, Bess Marvin and George Fayne are available to offer off-site help. Players interact with a variety of characters, including a spoiled socialite, cynical romance writer, ghost buster, "famous" police detective, and others. Her Interactive has done an excellent job with individual character portrayal through the storyline, and interviewing each provides worthwhile information and entertainment to boot. Navigating through the game is effortless. Arrow keys move Nancy forward, backward, and sideways, and mouse clicking opens doors, drawers, etc. The cursor morphs into a grey spyglass while investigating, and turns red when over something of interest. The game can be played in Junior or Senior Detective Mode. In Junior Mode, a list is automatically generated in Nancy's journal. Players use the list to be reminded of tasks that need completion. Junior Mode also allows you to ask Beth and George for hints via cell phone. I asked for a hint (ONLY for research purposes of course) and was rewarded with a vital and elusive piece of information. Both modes allow a "Second Chance" from the menu. Unsuspecting players may wonder what "Second Chance"? Certain players, ahem, will need to recover Nancy from, oh say, collapsed mine shaft rubble and, perhaps, a mine cart ride gone bad. Hey, when's the last time YOU drove a mine cart at high speed?  Gameplay consists of interviewing, clue gathering, and solving riddles and puzzles, you know, detective-like stuff. During interviews, players are given a selection of phrases for Nancy to ask to continue a line of questioning. Clues and items are strategically located anywhere from right out in the open to hidden within locations that are only accessible after a puzzle or riddle has been successfully solved. This game contains several different mini-games and puzzles, including manipulatives, anagrams, and some "hit and miss" sequence puzzles. Want variety? Heck, you can sort taffy and flip burgers in this game. Graphics and sound in the game are excellent. The Hardy boys look just like, well The Hardy Boys. My PC is three years old, and game play never once paused or stopped while the CD whirled in the drive. The sound effects (as did the graphics) simulate real train noises, and the music is extremely well suited to game play. Overall, this is one of the best video games I've played to date. The game's level of difficulty seems to be suited to older teens and adults, but could easily be played by the younger kids in a parent/child team scenario. Undoubtedly, any Nancy Drew or mystery fan will find the game very satisfying, and it should appease even hardcore gamers.  
Her Interactive breathes life into a figure that lived only in our imaginations for a very long time, and does an excellent job of it. Nancy Drew: Last Train to Blue Moon Canyon appeals to young and old alike.
The box for this game suggests that it is appropriate for audiences age 10 to adult. I'd like to meet the 10 year old that could independently solve this game so that he/she can teach me Advanced Physics. Most of the mini-games are eventually solved through close attention and persistence, but younger children will require parental guidance in how to "eat an elephant one bite at a time". Several puzzles require Nancy to reconnect a set of steam pipes. Reassembling real plumbing pipes without directions can bring a grown man to his knees. Depending on the personality of the young person playing, this could be an exercise in frustration, or it could be a real learning opportunity to sneak in a few cause and effect lessons. One puzzle contains pictures and additionally throws a visual logic riddle into the mix. Again, it's an opportunity to introduce a certain way of mentally approaching a problem. Finally, there is one puzzle involving dolls that's a real humdinger. This game seems suited more to teens for independent play from a difficulty level, but Junior Mode allows assistance that can or cannot be accessed, depending on the need of the player. This game provides many opportunities to introduce your child to various types of critical and organized thinking. It requires great attention to detail, list making, note taking, and the ability to recall information and locations. The scenarios can be played out in many ways, depending on the order in which things are investigated and discovered. Last Train to Blue Moon Canyon also provides a good opportunity to learn about and discuss the gold rush, steam engine technology, periodic tables, doll collecting, dancing, and mining. While not overtly educational, the game does introduce each of these concepts and provides an opportunity to develop an interest. Some players and parents may find the use of stereotypes objectionable. The socialite is a shallow, airhead, bent on having everyone else on the train do her work for her. The guests (romance novelist, ghost buster, and police detective) each think the others are freaks, and don't show a lot of tolerance for diverse interests. This game contains no objectionable material, but parents may want to discuss each of the character's shortcomings with younger players. Overall, Her Interactive has delivered a game that is sure to be a hit among all age groups. If a good wholesome mystery is what you've been hankering for, give this game a try. It's fun, historically interesting, and nostalgic for those Drew fans out there that who want to play a game with their kids and enjoy it thoroughly in the process. Comments? Chat about it in our forums! Format For Printing | Tell A Friend | Digg | Slashdot | del.icio.us | Buy This Game Browse Amazon.com's selection of "Nancy Drew" themed games Home > Review Archive > Video Games > Results: Nancy Drew: Last Train To Blue Moon Canyon |
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