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Review from AdventureGamers.com

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 104 / 109
Date: June 20, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Nancy Drew: Secret of the Old Clock - E3 2005 preview
by Christina Gmiterko - posted on June 14, 2005

It's about that time of year again - time for a new Nancy Drew game by Her Interactive. This time, however, the developers have a surprise in store, and we were able to get an early peek at the game at E3. With their latest title, they promise to give some of Nancy's younger fans a little taste of what made this character so popular in the first place.

Over the course of hundreds of books, several movies and TV shows, board games, dolls, and twelve computer games, the Nancy Drew stories throughout the years have been updated and modified to suit the modern age. Now, instead of putting pen to paper in a notebook, Nancy has the kind of electronic notebook that you type on; instead of placing calls through the operator, Nancy has a cell phone. This year, Nancy will be celebrating her 75th birthday, yet somehow she is forever a teenager, and in her latest adventure you will turn back the clock and discover the vintage Nancy Drew.

The game is entitled Secret of the Old Clock, named after the first ever Nancy Drew book. However, the game's plot diverges from that of its source material and actually encompasses different elements from the first four books released in the series combined: The Secret of the Old Clock, The Hidden Staircase, The Bungalow Mystery, and The Mystery at Lilac Inn. Throughout the game, you will be visiting locations taken from these books, such as the Lilac Inn itself.

In addition to the old familiar settings, the game will also take place during that time period - the 1930s. This marks the first time that the series will not be set in present day. Her Interactive has made a great effort to make everything in the game look and sound authentic, and will even incorporate some background elements that reflect the important events taking place at that time, such as the Great Depression. This is a fitting inclusion, considering that Nancy Drew was originally created to help get young girls' minds off of the hard times of the '30s.

The plot of this mystery begins when Nancy is summoned to the Lilac Inn to meet with a friend of a friend - 17 year-old Emily Crandall. Emily has recently inherited the property from her late mother and has been struggling to keep her head above water with all of the new emotional and financial burdens. Nancy and Emily's mutual friend has asked Nancy to help run things for the time being. Nancy soon becomes curious, however, about why a girl she hardly knows would want her help. She soon finds herself embroiled in a mystery regarding a contested inheritance and an odd old man with several mysterious contraptions to figure out.

As with all Nancy Drew mysteries, there is an assortment of suspicious characters, including a desperate businessman, a shady paranormal expert, and an untrustworthy legal guardian, to name a few of the suspects Nancy will have to consider.

The game promises nothing really new in terms of interface and basic gameplay. However, the old adage "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" holds especially true with this series. Yet while the fundamental elements have remained largely unchanged, the graphics and character models have continued to gradually advance, showing small improvements with each new game.

One new feature that has been added is Nancy's roadster, which fans of the original books will be glad to see. With the amount of accidents, vandalism, and speeding tickets that car went through, it felt more like a character in the story than a huge chunk of metal. With the roadster, you will be able to drive around Titusville, exploring the different locations. This is visually represented on the city map that you possess, and you will be able to navigate the car around the streets on the map.

As with the previous installments, there are also several activities to entertain yourself with if you want to take a break from the main mystery. One such diversion that we were able to play in our demonstration was a miniature golf course. This sequence was very easy to control, and I'm sure that many will find this to be a welcome distraction. Some of these kinds of mini-games are necessary to complete the overall adventure, but many are there just to raise the fun factor of the overall gaming experience.

One thing that has always shone throughout the development of this series is the creators' passion for what they are making. They've always been very committed to maintaining the atmosphere and style that the books possessed, and with this latest romp through the 1930s, you can expect the same level of dedication from them. Be sure to check out this title when it is released this summer, and then also be on the look out for the first crossover game between Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys to be released later this fall!

Rel. date: July 2005 Developer: Her Interactive Publisher: Her Interactive

Another Great Nancy Drew Game!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 44 / 47
Date: August 26, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I just finished playing "Secret of the Old Clock", and I loved it! Before I say anything more, I think it important to add that I am 35 years old - so, take it from me, these games are great fun for ANYONE over the age of about 10!

This particular game is set in the 1930's (the depression era), and is about a young girl whose mother recently passed away - leaving her a bed & breakfast/bakery to run. She did, however, write her friend before passing, asking her to come & help her 17 year old daughter if something should happen to her - and her friend rushed right over, trying to help out, but knowing nothing of the business.

Strange things started happening at the inn at about this time, and both the young girl & her guardian are convinced that she is having a nervous breakdown - that it's all in her head. Especially since not only is she grieving the loss of her mother, but they are running out of money. An elderly neighbor (who was quite rich) had promised to leave them plenty of money in his will - but when he died, it looked as though he left all of his money & estate to a man who supposedly taught mind reading & esp.

In comes Nancy Drew... Is the will originally found the ONLY one? Could it be a forgery? And what of all the strange noises & happenings at the inn? Who's behind them, or are they really all in the teenager's mind? These are the questions you'll have to answer while playing "teen detective".

I found several differences between this game & the other Nancy Drew games I've played to date. First, the graphics are better - in fact they are just as good as some of the more high-tech games I've played. Second, you actually get to drive a car (but be sure to watch out for potholes)! Last, there was much more ground to cover - which I really liked - so you get to see a lot of the town, and speak with several people (rather than just being confined to a house, and only talking to 1 or 2 others). Oh, there's one more difference... You actually have to earn money in this game - to pay for gas, car repairs, games & other necessary items.

Overall, I think this game is a "must have" for anyone who enjoys (or had enjoyed) the Nancy Drew series. One of the great assets of these games is that they allow you to choose a difficulty level - but, I must warn all you other adults out there, if you haven't played many ND games (or even if you have!), you may want to choose the "junior" level. This will allow you to get more hints if you need them - and if you don't, you just don't ask for them - as it's the number of hints that will change based on the level you choose to play at.

Another 2 thumbs up for the creators of Nancy Drew!!!

Why all the complaints?

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 9 / 11
Date: March 20, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I own and have played all the Nancy Drew games. My wife and I have immensely enjoyed them all. Here's the kicker - we have no kids and I'm over 50 years old and my wife is even older (I'm not including her actual age and it doesn't take a Nancy Drew to figure out why!). We live in a resort area and save all the games for the winter because while it doesn't snow here then, it does get a bit nippy and we do get a fair amount of rain. We always look forward to huddling around the monitor screen and popping in a recently released ND game or two during off-season. This year, we had Old Clock and Blue Moon Canyon in house and ready to install. In any case, I wanted you to know that we are very familiar with the games before giving you our impressions.

This is the first ND game where we haven't gotten stuck for a while or had to resort to the Her Interactive message board for a hint or even worse, consult a walkthrough! That said, it was extremely satisfying to finally play and finish one all on our own, despite the fact it does play a bit shorter than some previous Nancy Drew games. We both loved the original time setting and the News Reel type dialogue. Driving the car was easily the best and most fun way of getting around of all the Nancy Drew games and while the telegram schtick to earn money can get a little tedious (as well as the Zippy Gas slogan), we felt it taught the younger fans a true life lesson, one they will need when they get older. Work often is tedious and not very fun, but you do what you must to pay the bills. There are very few free rides in life. This game may have taught that lesson to many younger players while they weren't even aware of it. It was also a great way to get a layout of the town. The puzzles were not one on top of each other, but spaced nicely apart. They were challenging enough, but not impossible to do without help. For those who claim they were too easy, did you get through the mini-golf course on the first or second try? And were you able to sew the dress before you pulled out almost all of your hair? I thought not! Granted, the game does run shorter than previous ones, but there are very few dead spots and this game had more of a feel of doing actual detective work than being just a problem and puzzle solving game. Last, but not least, the graphics are outstanding and we were constantly blown away by how good they really were and how far Her Interactive has come since Secrets Can Kill was released. Her Interactive seems to be listening and reacting to the consumer. The very first Nancy Drew Game was a disaster of bad graphics and having to constantly interchange disks while playing it. Each Nancy Drew game since then seems to have a bit more quality and innovation to it than the previous game before it. It's now to the point where Her Interactive can match product with the best of the computer game industry.

So, should you buy the game? Absolutely! It's a fun journey to the past with a good story line, some fun and challenging puzzles and has graphics that will knock your socks off! My wife and I rate Old Clock as Her Interactive's best ND game yet. Other Nancy Drew games have some great features, but for smoothness of play, Secret of the Old Clock wins hands down! As for the complaints about the short time-play, do you measure value and enjoyability by time spent working a game or by the amount of fun you had playing the game? If you don't have a lot of fun playing this game, you probably shouldn't be playing this or any other Nancy Drews games in the first place. For those of us who like to have fun and marvel over incredible graphics, Secret of the Old Clock is a real treat and a must play.

Well done, Her Interactive!

Kewl Game!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 8
Date: November 27, 2005
Author: Amazon User

This Nancy Drew game was one of the best games that HerInteractive has made so far. This game does have very challenging puzzles and it has a fun 1930's setting. I am ten years old and I own five Nancy Drew games. This one is defenitly my favorite.

My Review of Secret of the Old Clock:

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 33
Date: June 19, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I know before I got the game, so I hope that this is a good review for those of you who want to read it.

Characters: 9/10
Locations: 7/10
Plot: 8/10
Graphics: 11/10 They were awesome!
Music: 9/10
Length: 7/10
Overall: 8.5/10

Characters Likes:
-Each Character was different in their own way
-Great script to talk to different characters
-Could talk to more characters than just the 4 suspects

Character Dislikes:
-Occasionally, and I do mean rarely, the script would be a little faster than the characters' mouths
-To talk to Bess and George, and Nancy's father, you would have to pay 5 cents which got a little annoying after a while
-After talking to the other characters, besides the suspects, for a while they kept saying close to the same things

Locations Likes:
-The looks of seperate locations were different
-The locations were very detailed
-You learned where everything was very quickly

Locations Dislikes:
-The locations were not very large, but the details made up for it
-For the places where you couldn't go in all you saw was a picture
-You would sometimes have to go halfway across town, to go halfway across the other way across towns

Plot Likes:
-The plot was fairly origional for a HI script.
-The plot had more than just the main story
-The plot pulled in a few things from other HI games

Plot Dislikes:
-You often had to do one thing to get another to do another
-At the end for me the story line got a little confusing
-I can only think of two for this category

Graphics Likes:
-The graphics looked as though they were real
-You can see different places from the map
-People looked real, and not like a cartoon

Graphics Dislikes:
-None that I can think of!

Music Likes:
-It was a different style than the other ND games
-You had a few reminders of the other ND games from the music
-It was able to match the mood of the game

Music Dislikes:
-The music occasionally got a little repetitive

Length Likkes:
-It did not take forever to figure out the mystery
-You could control the length with delivering telegraphs

Length Dislikes:
-It was a little shorter than some of the other ND games

Overall: Overall I liked this game very much. It was one fo my favorite games that HI has made. The game flowed very solidly which I enjoyed. If it was your first game I would definately reccomend it.

Other little details:
-The mini golf game was very fun, and the graphics were amazing
-Delivering telegrams were fun, and you got to hear different people say funny things
-If you got frustrated you could go and deliver telegrams and then it would probably come to you

This Game Will Not Disappoint You

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 8
Date: January 01, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I am 13 and I love the Nancy Drew games. I have played Message in a Haunted Mansion, Treasure in a Royal Tower, The Final Scene, and this one, The Secret of the Old Clock. This is one of the more recent games, and also one of the most fun. It has great graphics, a challenging and intriguing plot, and a surprise ending. You are allowed to actually take your car and drive around town to run errands, a new feature, which was probably one of the most enjoyable attributes of the game.
Overall, in my opinion this is not the very best Nancy Drew game I've ever played, (that honor probably goes to Treasure in a Royal Tower), but a lot of fun all the same. Don't hesitate to buy this game. Like my title says, this game will not disappoint you.

Had a Great Time with the Old Clock

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 10
Date: February 21, 2006
Author: Amazon User

This is my favorite so far of all the Nancy Drew games. The visuals are great, the puzzles were fun and challenging. Excellent gaming!

Fun For All Ages!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: December 03, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Secret Of the Old Clock in the Nancy Drew series is fun for all ages. I'm 62 and this is my fifth Nancy Drew game. Some of the Nancy Drew games are so difficult as to be frustrating. Not so with Secret Of the Old Clock, the puzzles are challenging but not so much so that one becomes so frustrated they need to look for a walkthrough.

I could actually solve most of the puzzles without a walkthrough, but I did go to a hint site for one puzzle... not bad for me!

I don't think it necessary to go into the story and characters because the reviews before mine have covered that extremely well. But I do want to encourage people to play this game because it is a excellent one. I read a poor review for this product on another site and almost didn't purchase it. So let me assure you, this is an excellent game. The graphics are fantastic and none of my character faces were blurry.

What I liked best was being able to drive a car around the town. It was so much fun. Often when I play these Nancy Drew games I get stuck in spots and can't figure out what to do next. In this game there is constantly something to do and lots of puzzles to solve and because they are not terribly complicated like the puzzles in The Curse of Blackmoor Castle, you feel great when you are able to solve them yourself without help. I never did finish The Curse of Blackmoor, I felt it was too complicated with all the chemicals, gods, and formulas.

I loved the Secret Of the Old Clock characters, I love the sense of humor that is always present in these games. I don't mind at all that some of the puzzles don't fit into the story exactly... they're fun and that is all I care about. I loved the miniature golf game and I think that after a few tries things sort of go your way and I'm convinced that might have been worked into the program that after so many tries it gets easier. I know I'll return often to replay the miniature golf and try to better my score. I played it four times before playing under par for my prize.

Whether or not you are a grandmother like me, a young person or middle aged, you will enjoy this game.

good but not as good

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: September 25, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I have played many nancy drew games and it usually takes me a few days 2 beat them but this one was incredibly short (it was tons of fun though)So if you love the nancy drew games like me i suggest you get this but if you are really into long lasting games lets just say get "The Ghost Dogs of Moon Lake"which is longer.Overall this is a very fun game just very easy:)My personal favorite part was the mini golfing!

It's one of the best iv'e played!!!!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 6
Date: November 26, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I love Nancy Drew so when I got this game I was sooo happy! This game is one of the best because it based in the first book "The secret of the old clock" I like how it looked like that actual time! it's very adventurous and unless you've been able to solove hard puzzles and have finished all the rest of the games without a hard time then you really shouldn't buy it. This game takes alot of time, [for me it took a month] because you have to solve a case. unless you have help it is probably going to take a long time for you to. It is very pleasing when you finish the game so I defenetly give it the best grade ever! Nancy Drew rocks!!!!!!!!!!

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