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Slightly Different, Still Fun

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 89 / 96
Date: July 28, 2006
Author: Amazon User

This game comes in two disks; both are needed for install, but only one is needed for play. The game begins with a peek at Nancy Drew's bedroom and has a creative way to access the tutorial.

The graphics were nice. Many areas Nancy visits are light and sunny, as opposed to other games. The people were well-drawn and executed, though the people of Haunted Carousel are probably the best so far. Interacting with them was odd, though. Nancy didn't seem to need to talk to people very much, or be able to talk to them face-to face all the time. Often, when she'd go to see them, they would have nothing to say or be busy behind a door.

The puzzles ran the gamut, from very easy to "Universal Hints, here I come!" (Too bad for me, there was no UHS help when I played the game, though I did find a walkthrough.) I did have to cheat twice. Once, I feel it was something I could have figured out for myself if I had been patient enough. The other time, I truly feel a player would be hard pressed to get. Overall, though, I was pleased with the puzzles. Most puzzles fell in the middle of the spectrum and were challenging without being too difficult.

Moving around town was comfortable. Nancy uses a map of the Metro in the same manner she uses maps in other games like Scarlet Hand and Stay Tuned. However, the process of getting from one place to the next seems much faster in this game than in those games. There was also one cutaway similar to the tunnel-walking in Deception Island. The cutaway in Design is more enjoyable because is not as long and a flashlight is used, allowing the player to see what Nancy walks through.

Calling people is annoying in this game because the airline has conveniently lost Nancy's cell phone, and she uses land lines to make calls. To call the US, she has to dial a calling card AND THEN the number desired, dialing about 21 numbers for each call! Making calls takes forever.

Nancy needs to spend and earn money in this game. The manner in which she does this is not as irritating as in Old Clock, because in this game she does not risk losing money while making money.

Overall, I really liked this game. It has a much different feel to it. Why? Partly the locale. Partly the light and sunny atmosphere of many scenes. Partly the more advanced arrows and pointers to help Nancy get around. Partly that the mystery itself, and Nancy's plan to solve it, isn't always clear. The player has to work through it a bit and wander. There is not a lot of "pixel hunting," but there are a lot of mental challenges. Not as much learning as Royal Tower or Scarlet Hand, but just enough to help Nancy with a few puzzles. Nancy does get to do some fun things, such as ordering and eating French food at a café and buying items from "junk" dealers.

Who will like this game? Nancy Drew Game fans will buy it. Young people who enjoy Nancy Drew books will enjoy it. And adults who are comfortable using the computer mouse and who like adventure games (with a storyline and with many puzzles that will take several minutes each to solve) will like it, too.

A little disappointed, actually

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 29 / 32
Date: November 11, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I've been a fan of these games since the first one - Secrets Can Kill - came out. I've played them all.

I'm not at all sure what's happened to the games, though. While the graphics have steadily improved, the puzzles, plot, and gameplay have really gone downhill.

The first game, "Secrets Can Kill" had pretty horrific graphics, but the story was compelling and there were some fabulous puzzles in it.

Things really picked up with the second game, "Stay Tuned for Danger". Better graphics and a very interesting story, very cool puzzles, great plot.

I can absolutely recommend Games 2 (Stay Tuned for Danger), 3 (Message in a Haunted Mansion), 4 (Treasure in the Royal Tower), 5 (The Final Scene), 6 (Secret of the Scarlet Hand), 7 (Ghost Dogs of Moon Lake), 9 (Danger on Deception Island), and 10 (Secret of Shadow Ranch).

These games are similar in length and have interesting puzzles. Lots of areas where you can snoop around - which I really enjoy.

Game #8 (The Haunted Carousel) is interesting and has wonderful graphics, but is awfully short.

I did not at all enjoy #11 (Curse of Blackmoor Manor) as I found it way too difficult. I also cannot really recommend #12 (Secret of the Old Clock). It was too short and repetitive.

I did somewhat enjoy #13 (Last Train to Blue Moon Canyon) and #14 (Danger by Design) but they were nowhere near the quality of the earlier games in terms of plot or puzzles.

And now, we have #14. Outstanding graphics, but way too short. The amount of repetition of puzzles in order to advance drove me completely crazy. I don't mind Nancy running about doing errands to help people (for that, I thought Games 3 and 4 had it perfectly balanced). But I like each task to be different and interesting. Not mind-numbingly repetitive and boring.

This seems to be a factor of the more recent games - delivering telegrams in Game #12, painting pictures in Game #14, and finding seashells and making necklaces in Game #15.

I miss looking for clues. Putting together evidence for a purpose. I miss puzzles that actually are woven into the fabric of the plot and are there to advance the game. It seems like the repetition now might be so that it can be said that this game took X number of hours to complete.

I did like the swimming through the tunnels part. But again, there really wasn't much snooping you could do. I miss Nancy being able to go into an area and really look around. And having it be up to me, the player, to determine whether what she is finding is relevant or not. It drove me crazy that I couldn't go anywhere at JJ's but the kitchen. And, even then, there really wasn't much snooping to be done.

I also miss learning useful things.

In #1, I learned about American Sign Language
In #3, I learned about Chinese symbols and the San Francisco earthquake
In #4, I learned about latitude and longitude and how a sextant works
In #6, I learned SO much about the Maya and how to work a HAM radio
In #7, I learned about Roman Numerals and Prohibition
In #8, I learned how to make invisible writing!
In #9, I learned how to work a HAM radio and about Pacific Northwest sea animals

After that, well, I didn't really learn very much of anything useful in any of the later games.

I had really high hopes about this game, though. There SHOULD have been so much to learn in Paris. The mystery had a lot to do with WWII, but it was never at all explored or really mentioned - except in passing.

If you've never played a Nancy Drew game, please, please, PLEASE do yourself a favor and start with one of the earlier games (although probably not the very first one - the graphics aren't as good and switching discs can be highly annoying). But give #2 - 9 a try; you won't be disappointed!

Oh please, Her Interactive, PLEASE go back to the way they used to be structured. I'd gladly sacrifice some of the improved graphics if it meant regaining some plot, cohesion, or integrated, interesting puzzles.

Felt Unfinished.

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 18 / 19
Date: July 22, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I love the Nancy Drew Computer game series. I have played every other one out there. I was extremely excited about this new addition. It wasn't horrible. It just didn't feel as if herinteractive really finished their idea. They put so much into the very challenging puzzles that the story line and character interaction seemed very weak. I felt as if the characters were so uninvolved. It also ended very abrubptly. You didn't really solve the case. You just accidentally win. Also, the ending was very silly. I felt as if this game had so much potential, but Herinteractive did not use all of this potential. Of course, if you are the kind who has already played all the other games, I do recommend buying this one. I don't recommend this be the first Nancy Drew game you play.

danger by design

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 16 / 16
Date: July 24, 2006
Author: Amazon User

There is a lot to like about this installment in the Nancy Drew series: great graphics, good puzzles, lots of ground to explore. There are also some problems. I agree with other reviewers who complain about the lack of interaction with the characters. After about half the game is done, there is no significant dialogue with any of the characters. Also, the historical mystery on which the story centers has absolutely nothing to do with the strange incidents in Minette's studio that Nancy has been enlisted to investigate. These are solved by pure happenstance, which is somewhat disconcerting.

Personally, I thought the confrontation with the villain at the end was hysterical. I loved it.

Overall, I would recommend this game, but perhaps not to those with no Nancy Drew experience.

Yet Another Great ND Game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 16 / 16
Date: October 23, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I have been playing the Nancy Drew games for a few years now, and have found that with each one the graphics, intrigue & fun just keep getting better & better.

In "Danger by Design" Nancy agrees to go to Paris to help a nervous investor of Minette's House of Fashion. He's nervous because Minette had begun acting very strangely & had fallen way behind on her new Spring collection - both of which could lead to a failed business venture.

Once there, Nancy becomes aware of several threatening letters the designer had received, as well as a number of rumors concerning artwork that had been stolen during World War II that may be hidden in the old Wind Mill that now serves as Minette's House of Fashion. Could they be related some how?

As Nancy Drew, you will find yourself snooping around for clues, working to earn the money needed to buy several needed items, solving various puzzles, and ultimately putting all the information together to solve the mysteries surrounding Minette & the stolen artwork.

Overall, I loved "Danger by Design". It has the best graphics to date for an ND game & it was great fun to play. I would highly recommend it to anyone who has enjoyed playing other such games, as well as those who enjoyed (or are enjoying) reading the ND series.

Nancy's visit to Paris hits both new highs and lows

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 17 / 21
Date: September 09, 2006
Author: Amazon User

"Danger by Design" marks Nancy's fourteenth adventure from Her Interactive. This time around, Nancy finds herself in the City of Light (and love), Paris, investigating the mysterious, moody plus-size clothing designer Minette. Minette is exotic to say the least: she throws massive temper tantrums, fires assistants left and right, and lately she's been wearing a mysterious, Phantom-of-the-Opera-like mask.

Nancy arrives at Minette's design studio in an old windmill ("Moulin" in French) as her new intern, and receives anything but a warm greeting after losing her luggage. Minette's assistant Heather McKay shows Nancy the ropes instead. Nancy is staying with Jing Jing Ling, a plus-size model, at her luxurious apartment.

As usual, strange going-ons signal a new mystery for Nancy to solve. Danger By Design is based on the historical German occupation of Paris during WWII, including the French Resistance, so the educational element is high here. Nancy follows the trail of one Noisette Tournade, former owner of Minette's windmill and French Resistance heroine. Along the way, she meets a colourful cast of characters from the world of high fashion: Hugo Butterly, Minette's rival; Jean-Michel Traquenard, fashion editor for GlamGlam; and Dieter von Swesterkrank, fashion photographer extraordinaire.

The game does recycle tired puzzles from former ND games, including ever-present sliders, clock puzzles, and "build the food" combinations, but manages to create fresh puzzling experiences using an M380 decoder based on the WWII Enigma machine. The puzzles in Danger by Design are more difficult than those in the last few ND games.

New elements include a daring underwater exploration of Paris's catacombs, navigating Paris's metro system, and Nancy speaking (and reading) some French. Unfortunately, Her Interactive chose not to include famous landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower and Sacre Coeur, even though they are shown on the map.

Some attempts were not as successful. The game seems to be sending a mixed message with Jing Jing, a plus-size model who's forced to constantly bake and eat cookies in order to gain the three pounds needed to be a perfect size 12. Add the fact that she's a pathological liar, and she's not the best role model. Also, the game involves one puzzle focused on a bottle of rare wine, even though it's referred to as a "beverage."

Voice acting is consistently above average. The German and French accents were heavy-handed and overdone. Background music was unobtrusive: the occasional lilting accordion breezing in and out, and excellent ambient sounds. Visuals were colourful and detailed, although some of the character modeling looked awkward (Jean-Mi's face seemed to slide into his chest like molten wax, and the veiled woman in the park seemed off).

The lowest point was the ending. I sat there in shock at the absurdity of the ending (think Rocky and Bullwinkle), and lameness of the final confrontation. After such an excellent setup, I expected far more. The game's ending is as weak as Blue Moon Canyon, which also felt hasty and inadequate. However, Danger By Design still has many redeeming features to recommend it, and is educational to boot.

Travel to Paris in Style, and in Undercover!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 12 / 14
Date: July 31, 2006
Author: Amazon User

World renowned Nancy Drew is working for world renowned Minette, an American fashion designer in Paris. Nancy is undercover as an intern, determining to her father's friend, Amy Grunhild, Minette's financial advisor, whether Amy should pull the financial plug or not.

This Nancy Drew game is FABULOUS - the graphics are, of course, great. The storyline flows naturally. You get to make parfaits and mint-chocolate chip cookies, too! Travel on the Paris metro, to get around and to complete your tasks.

Characters:

Minette - American fashion designer in Paris.
Heather McKay - Minette's assistant, VERY talented at fashion.
Jean Michel Traquenard - editor for GlamGlam magazine, THE voice of the fashion world.
Dieter von Schwesterkrank - Fashion photographer, used to date Minette
Jing-Jing Ling - Australian model, near Minette's perfect size 12 on her cookie diet
On the phone you have: Bess and George, Frank and Joe, Hugo Butterly, and others.

So! What are you waiting for? Don't you want to explore the City of Light's underground catacombs? And the food? And the park? I cross my heart, you HAVE to get this game! It is SOOO WORTH IT!!!

Danger by Design took me exactly 24 hours to beat it - just like it promises!

P.S. Once again, I also recommend the other 13 Nancy Drew mystery games.

Fun and mind boggling!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 12 / 16
Date: July 28, 2006
Author: Amazon User

The Nancy Drew series have always been great. Although not one of the best, this game was both challenging and fun. This game only lacked a bit of a story. I was very suprised when the game ended. I was like, "That's it?" It wasn't one of the better ones, but it is definately worth the money.

Missing a certain jene sai quai.

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 12 / 20
Date: August 03, 2006
Author: Amazon User

This, by far, is the worst Nancy Drew game I have played. And I have played all fourteen of them! The past three have just gone downhill in quality. Buck up, Her Interactive! Danger by Design had no real danger, no sense of creepiness or intriguing mystery, like any of the other games did (some of them I had to play with the lights on or during the daytime, honestly, and I'm in my early twenties and love horror movies. Not easily creeped out!) - Please please please go back to making ND games that have some spookiness to them. I mean, isn't that what Nancy Drew was all about? Mystery?

Not The Best...

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 6 / 7
Date: October 26, 2006
Author: Amazon User

A fashion designer that wears a mask, has tantrums, is firing all her assistants and lives in a moulin(or windmill) in Paris, the City of Light and Fascination. As Nancy Drew, you are supposed to find out why Minette, the fashion designer is acting so strange.

As I played the game I found the characters to be a little disconnected to the story. Their personalities were obvious and well put together, but they seemed to be disconnected to the mystery. The mystery of course being trying to find the reason Minette was acting so strange. All the characters had separate stories of their own. Only Minette seemed to have anything to do with the mystery Nancy's trying to figure out. Although their personalities were well-done, you could never get into deep conversations with them and when you did talk to them it was just to get something from them.

The graphics were better than the last game as they usually get better every time and the scenes of Paris were very pretty. Although I would like to stress the fact that there were absolutely no famous sites of Paris, for example, the Eiffel Tower, Arch Of Triumph, Notre-Dame or Le Louvre.

Some of the errands and most of the puzzles were interesting. The hazelnut puzzles were fun and hard to try to figure out! One of them was so confusing to me, that it took me about a half an hour to finally get it, but there were other puzzles that were extremely easy. Yet sadly, the puzzles didn't have anything to do with the characters. This game was kind of like two mysteries in one. One mystery with the characters involved, where you accidentally solve it and then there's mystery number two where you solve all the puzzles and riddles and then you win by solving the last puzzle. The idea of two mysteries might have worked if the two mysteries eventually became one again at the end, but because they didn't relate at all through the whole game it was confusing.

The storyline as I said before was confusing. There seemed to be two mysteries. One where you try to find out why Minette is acting so strange and the other where you try to figure out Noisette's Mystery. Minette's mystery doesn't relate to Noisette's mystery because the puzzles and the weird things that are happening to Minette are separated from each other. Minette's mystery was confusing and the ending was awkward. The end left you feeling surprised and thinking "What!? That's it?".

At the end of the game everything was explained as usual, but the explanation felt slapped together. The ending was silly and actually astonishing that it ended so abrutly and with such an absurd explanation. The part in every ND game where you have to hide, run or fight the criminal was bizarre and too easy in this game and the reason Minette was wearing the mask was silly too. Noisette's Mystery ended well and it reminded me what I liked about the past Nancy Drew games, it wasn't ridiculously easy and it made sense.

The one thing that disappointed me the most was the fact that there were hardly any second chances and no scary moments where you just jump out of your seat or scream, those are the kinds of Nancy Drew Games I like.

One thing I love about this game is the use of Euros.
The marketplace area enabled you to buy things and earn money by painting pictures.
You are also able to buy food and eat at a restaurant which is cool though it is unfortunate that you can't actually go in the restaurant.

Overall I rate this game 3.3, because a lot of it seemed confusing to me, but then again there are some things that I really enjoyed. This definitely wasn't HI's best, but it does have it's good qualities.

-ND Fan

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