User Reviews (11 - 21 of 82)

Show these reviews first:

Highest Rated
Lowest Rated Newest
Oldest Most Helpful
Least Helpful

An Exciting Adventure

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 9 / 9
Date: November 17, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Nancy sets off from the station to solve a new and original mystery, what really happened to the owner of the train a hundred years ago when he allegedly vanished soon after the death of his wife aboard his train. What she will discover is beyond her imagination. On the train are famous people who could help in some crucial way to the solving of the mystery. There's Nancy, of course. Then there are the Hardy Boys, Frank and Joe, who Nancy can trust. There are more characters with eccentric personalities; one character we've met before on a previus mystery of Nancy's! The puzzles are puzzling. I got stumped many times. Easy ones tied in though. The whole plot was really involved, probably one of the best I've seen so far. During the game there are thinking parts, logic parts, clue detecting parts, and exciting parts. My personal favorite was the mine ride...I wont say more... My sibilings (13, 11, 9, and 7) and all of their friends always beg me to play Nancy Drew games for them, and they very much enjoyed this game. Some even had to run away from the room for some scenes...be warned. I jumped a few times... Overall I enjoyed this game so much and could play it again. The ending is a suprise and has a twist but I have to say ends pretty abruptly. Maybe they were trying to meet a deadline? The mine ride makes up for that though and also the suprising twist that the story recieves. Nancy has some new gadgets too...including a CAMERA phone! Good luck and have fun!

another swell addition to the series

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 7
Date: October 07, 2005
Author: Amazon User

HerInteractive has banged out another fun mystery. We get to "meet" the Hardy Boys in this one, hopefully they'll be back for more. I didn't come across any errors or bugs in the game, yay. I played on Windows XP with SP2 installed. Gameplay is pretty much the same as the rest of the series although Blue Moon was certainly beefed up a bit from Old Clock. It's a bit lengthier but still left me wanting more. Graphics were great. One thing that definitely makes all the Nancy Drew games great is that you don't have to find or accomplish everything in one particular order. I'd like to see HerInteractive make the games a bit more challenging in terms of the trivia the player has to read, like integrate more of the knowledge into the game. Now that the game company has hammered out the gameplay logistics, it's time for them to challenge themselves to create a more cutting edge game.

A Train Bound For Adventure...

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 7 / 7
Date: October 13, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Nancy Drew: Last Train To Blue Moon Canyon (13)

-Before I Begin...
My review will be spilt up into sections and have a in-depth look at that topic. If you hate reading medium/long reviews or just don't have the patience I would not continue reading, but if you want to learn the most about the product before you buy it you'll continue.

-Gameplay & Interface
This is a point-and-click mystery, the arrows and hands are simple and easy to use. They also have made and improvement in the arrows since the last game. The hands manipulate items or add them to your Inventory(Toolbox). When playing the game you also have a panel at the bottom of the screen including a: Inventory(Depicted as a toolbox, which I think should be a backpack instead) a Camera Cell phone and a Journal, Help and a Menu Button (Other games have a Coin Purse when money is used in the game). The Main Menu is pretty simple. However, the loading and saving a game is a little clunky and you can't delete saved games. It also prompts you about your decision; it makes saving/rewriting games take more than one click. For this type of game the interface is perfect, but I'll knock off a star for the irritating save/load page.
****

-Plot
A fairly used plot in this series, finding treasure. But Her Interactive made this treasure finding story a little more interesting. Jake Hurly, a miner and owner of a custom-built train, falls in love with a young French woman named Camille on the way to finding gold. Camille later dies, Jake possibly finds treasure but he is nowhere to be found and his now "haunted" train is found out in out in the Nevada desert with the engineer dead. Many years later, Lori Girard (Daddy's little fame seeking, rich girl) finds the train and puts it back into shape for a trip to Copper Gorge, Colorado. She invites infamous guests along on the train to find out what happened to Jake Hurley and where his mine is using the clues Jake left on the train. A pretty simple treasure story (This series often uses that story but in different ways) now turned into a intriguing mystery, good work Her Interactive. The game also has some side mysteries like Lori getting kidnapped and someone throwing an emergency brake(Both happen to be publicity stunts). But you find who did those things only minutes after each event happened. What I didn't like was there was not really a culprit because there was no crime committed. The very end is when a crime is attempted after you find out who the culprit is. The Jake Hurley part of the plot was fantastic but the sub-plot(s) weren't very exciting.
****

-Characters
I loved the characters, but you couldn't really interact with them as much. Lori Girard was one of my favorite characters, I loved watching that dumb blonde trying to get publicity and how she always kept forgetting Nancy's name. Since Lori is the hostess she was probably the main character. Tino Baldcucci is a great character as well. He is a Private Investigator but all he really did to get such fame was being at the right place at the right time. He is as conceited as Lori, you'll probably interact with him a lot more than John Grey. John Grey is the first black male to be in this series, he is the host of Ghost Hunters, a cable show on the verge of cancellation about ghosts. He's a pretty good character but not a leading role unfortunately. Then there is Charleena Purcell a romance novelist introduced in Nancy Drew: Secret Of Shadow Ranch (10), who is nice and very smart. She is in the process of making her book that's on a deadline, who you'll find out used one of Lori's story ideas in her latest book without permission. I like her better now then when she was in ND 10, to bad she has no memory of that game. And finally there is Frank & Joe Hardy. These teenage brothers work for American Teens Against Crime (ATAC) and who were invited because their dad was friends with Lori's dad. The boys were nice enough to invite Nancy along as well. I personally liked this addition to the game because you get to play as Frank as a short-order cook. They really don't have much to do with the case, they are just a good source of info. I am looking forward to playing as them more in Nancy Drew: Creature Of Kapu Cave (15). I really didn't like how there was not a lot of character interaction in this game. But when you did interact at times it was really fun. That's something to add to ND 16 and beyond.
****

-Setting & Graphics
I love being on a train, the feel was so exciting. Seeing the scenery pass by in the windows were great. The cars were so detailed and beautiful. I think my favorite place in the train was the Projection Car. Later you stop at Copper Gorge, a little town in Colorado. There was the mysterious crypt and a Museum/Taffy Shop that was cheesy but enjoyable. The crypt was small and there wasn't much to do, but I mean in real life all you do in crypts is mourn. The graphics were great. Very realistic. Its amazing how much the graphics in this series keeps getting better and better. This was probably the most unique setting in the series. I personally love trains, boats and planes so this made me really happy.
*****

-Puzzles/Activities
The puzzles were fairly easy. I liked how a lot of the puzzles were combined into one to find where Jake's mine is. What was disappointing was the repetition of the puzzles. There were about four or five pipe sets you had to connect which got a little annoying. You also had to retrieve a lot of items like gemstones, tools, duct tape, a pen and other stuff. I don't understand how they made finding the gemstones easier than playing an almost impossible game with Tino to get a simple pen. Some of the puzzles were unique, like Camille's doll sorting puzzle and her favorite dance step, playing "Camptown Races" on the piano, and using metal slugs in a mathematical way to open doors on a scale. But some of these activities needed no skill at all like combinations, a word search, and a two memory games. This game had variety but also repeated some puzzles as well which brought down its score.
***

-Ending
Once you find out where Jake's Mine your sent off there to get a head start for a "treasure". You'd think that after all the puzzles you went through you would think finding the treasure in the mine would be somewhat harder than everything else. You open the entrance, memorize a couple things, follow some lizards and then use the info you memorized. Not that difficult if you are smart. Then you find the "treasure" and your so called "culprit". You wouldn't know this person is the culprit when he/she finds you in the mine and talks to you, but then he/she loses trust in you and you get caved in. Then you get out(I thought this was fun to do, felt like a roller coaster) to stop the "culprit". I liked the ending and what the treasure was but getting through and out of the mine was relatively easy. Although the culprit was kind of obvious, I liked what the culprit's plan or goal was. Overall it was good ending yet a little easier than I thought it should have been.
****

-Overall
This was one of the better Nancy Drew games out there. Definitely one to add to your shelf. The flaws in this game don't affect the game that much as they could have if the setting was different. The plot was pretty good and most of the puzzles fit into it. I enjoyed this game a lot after I played it more than two times. I think any game needs to be played more than two times to get the full experience. Some parts of the game are really exciting compared to other parts. The repetition of some of the puzzles isn't too bad. This game is outstanding but there is never going to be the best Nancy Drew game. It really depends on your opinion.

Add all these up and divide by 6...
4 *'s (Gameplay & Interface)
4 *'s (Plot)
4 *'s (Characters)
5 *'s (Setting & Graphics)
3 *'s (Puzzles)
4 *'s (Ending)
= 24 Stars Divide By 6 (Categories) = 4 Stars

Thanks for reading!

Riding the rails to danger...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 7
Date: April 06, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Nancy Drew's 13th game finds her full steam ahead in pursuit of the ghostly legend of Jake Hurley. Jake had built a custom train that he and his wife Camille traveled on, but after Camille's mysterious, sudden death aboard the train, Jake, too, disappeared, the train found abandoned with the engineer dead at the wheel. The "ghost train" has been restored by socialite Lori Girard, who has invited several celebrities on the maiden voyage: television ghost hunter John Grey, famous historical romance novelist Charleena Purcell, hotshot detective Tino Balducci, Frank and Joe Hardy, and Nancy, of course. Soon after the train heads towards Copper Gorge, Lori disappears and it's up to Nancy to find out what happened to her. Along the way, clues to Camille's untimely death and Jake's legendary mine surface.

The modeling of the train cars is a pleasant departure from previous ND games. Scenery whips by outside the train windows, and you have to hop from train car to train car as the ground speeds by underneath. Chandeliers sway from the motion of the train. There is loving attention to detail in each room: period photographs, stitched samplers, and aged sheet music all create a believable atmosphere. In addition to the train, Nancy has the chance to disembark and explore Copper Gorge, Colorado.

There are several gameplay additions from previous ND games, including Nancy's camera cell phone and Frank and Joe Hardy (who have a relatively small role, although you do get to play as the Hardy Boys at one point in the game). Puzzles are creative, with some HerInteractive standards such as the "make your own sandwich" standby, but others (such as a music-related puzzle) were a welcome breath of fresh air that built on HerInteractive's solid reputation as a producer of non-violent, girl-friendly games that emphasize creative problem solving. Clues are just obvious enough without giving away answers, strategically placed and cleverly hidden.

Overall, I thought the ending a bit weak (too many loose ends for my taste), and the much-hyped Hardy Boys underutilized, but the solid gameplay and gorgeous graphics more than make up for it. A wonderful addition to a groundbreaking line of girls' software, "Blue Moon Canyon" is sure to delight.

One of Their Greatest Games

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 9 / 11
Date: November 01, 2005
Author: Amazon User

This is one of herinteractive's best games. However i finished it only 2-3 days. I think it should have lasted 1 more day (on the jr. level). Last Train to Blue Moon Canyon is great other wise. I really like it. The ending/ culprit is really shocking and the puzzles (Pipe) were really cool. So, if u like all of the other games, get this one too!!!

More Nancy!

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

I hate to argue with a previous reviewer, but these games are designed for a certain age group, and many players enjoy them anyway. If you don't like the fact that the yellow arrows guide you and you can only look at certain things in certain places, don't play them. These games are so complicated that if you were allowed to just look at anything anywhere, you would never know if what you were looking at pertained to solving the case, or if it was just a random thought that came across the designer's mind.Play something else. Let the rest of us enjoy our games without degrading us.

Anyway, Last Train to Blue Moon Canyon was a great addition to my collection of Nancy Drew games! I was very excited to begin and I thought the story line was challenging and fun. The whole thing with the dolls was a bit unnerving. I found the character Lori to be a little sterotypical of any bored, rich Daddy's girl - the perfect character to pit against the ever-perfect Nancy Drew and the presence of the Hardy Boys shows was creative. Older players like myself actually enjoy seeing characters from vintage detective series that we used to read popping up in unexpected places. I think HerInteractive has a great series on their hands and I hope they continue to produce these fun and challenging games.

It's pretty good

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: November 02, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I liked this game. The graphics were amazing, and the mystery was interesting. It was a bit more difficult than the last ones, and you could only use your cell phone to call Bess and George when the game would allow. Unlike the previous ones, where you could call whenever you needed a hint. They were never home this time until they wanted you to be able to call. Even the camera in the phone was kinda useless, because after a few pictures it ran out of memory. I thought the mystery was a bit complicated to figure out, but it was very fun. Overall, I liked the game. There were just a few things that I wasn't too crazy about.

Last Train to Blue Moon Canyon

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 6
Date: October 27, 2005
Author: Amazon User

This game has been one of the best additions to the series. It is enjoyable walking around as if you are Nancy Drew yourself. I solved many intruiging puzzles in this game that were exciting and not too hard. There was also a wide range of characters from the Hardy boys to famous writers. It has an intruiging ending. You could never have guessed who the criminal was!

Last Train 2 Blue Moon Canyon

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: October 21, 2005
Author: Amazon User

This game was really great! Nancy got to do some really fun stuff in this game. The puzzles were challenging, but not frustrating,and there was a wide variety of characters.There were lots of secret passages in this game.Joe Hardy was very abnoxious, but Frank Hardy was nice.Plus, The end was great, and very exciting. The only reason that I give this game a 4 out of 5 is because it was too short; I finished it in a week.

A pretty good ND game; definately not the best

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: October 21, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Last Train to Blue Moon Canyon is a pretty good Nancy Drew game. I was expecting it to be a lot longer, but it only took me about 3 days.
The puzzles were challenging enough, and there were some really cool ones, but it would've been cooler if there were more.
I would have to say the best part of LTBMC is the characters. Lots of characters make a game better. The characters had incredible animation, and were very well developed.
I think that the the scenery was also a highlight of the game. Being on a train was really fun, even though after a while I was eager to get off! Overall, I'd give Last Train to Blue Moon Canyon 4 stars, and I do recommend buying it.

Review Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Next 

Actions