User Reviews (21 - 31 of 136)

Show these reviews first:

Highest Rated
Lowest Rated Newest
Oldest Most Helpful
Least Helpful

A Message to Prospective Buyers

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 6
Date: November 28, 2001
Author: Amazon User

You should buy this game. Although all of the Nancy Drew Mystery Games are amazing, this one is absolutely my favorite.
Spooky noises, paintings that talk, a seance, intriguing characters and a history--what more could you want in a house, or a mystery?

Fun, but confusing

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 5 / 6
Date: April 07, 2003
Author: Amazon User

"Message in a Haunted Mansion" was my second Nancy Drew game (my first was "The Final Scene.") The graphics are beautiful, with numerous little details that really made the Victorian mansion come alive. Nancy is staying with a friend and helping her fix up a Victorian mansion that she is going to turn into a B&B, except strange accidents keep happening that delay the grand opening. Is the house really haunted?

The only problem I encountered was that I must have played out of order, because I kept finding clues and I had no idea what they were related to. The story seemed disjointed and not as in-depth as with "Treasure in the Royal Tower." But I really enjoyed the bandit/Chinese subplot, the séance, and the many puzzles. The sound effects were genuinely creepy: one minute you will be walking down the hallway and the sound of a woman crying comes from nowhere. Or you're walking up a deserted staircase and you hear ghostly whispers.

There are two levels, junior and senior detective. The puzzles are slightly harder for senior detectives, but the plot is the same. If you get stuck you can call your friends Bess and George for hints. I needed to look online for hints quite a bit since, as I said earlier, I must have missed clues since large parts of the story were missing for me.

One of the things that bugged me was the fact that there really weren't many places to explore. You can't leave the house, and you only have access to your room and one other room, the attic, the dining room, parlor, and basement. I was hoping for more rooms/secret passageways to explore. Not having more locations really cut down on the game's length/replayability.

Overall, "Message in a Haunted Mansion" is a fun outing for detectives: a chance to explore a spooky haunted house, gather clues, learn about Chinese art and writing, and dig up clues about a timeless love story and hidden treasure.

Mom From California

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: January 03, 2001
Author: Amazon User

My daughter who is 12, received this game as a gift for Christmas. Well as I installed and reviewed the game. I became so engrossed with the challenge that I spent most of my spare time off playing this game. I could not leave it alone. It s fun, mysterious and obviously hard to put down. Excellent family game.

Keep 'em coming!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: January 05, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Finally! A really fun, exciting, game for girls -- that DOESN'T come in a pink box, for heaven's sake. As a video game fan growing up in the 80s, I noticed that there were very few "girl-oriented" games out there. There were plenty for boys; and a few for both sexes, like "Tetris" and "Wheel of Fortune", and, of course, the ever-popular "Mario Bros." series. But even the Mario games favored boys. There were always more male characters to choose from than females (there'd be, maybe one girl, the Princess, who sported a pink dress.) And the games JUST for girls would be, like, Atari's "Strawberry Shortcake" game, where you'd get to switch around everybody's outfits. Now, in the year 2001, there's plenty of girl software out there, but I'm not interested in PC Diaries, where girls can record their innermost secrets and keep them locked up with a voice-activated password. I've outgrown being interested in designing clothes for Barbie. (They need a game where you can design a Barbie house! Now that would be cool.) Not that there's anything wrong with those games; it's just that they're very tame, and some girls, like myself, want adventure. Believe it or not, the box for this Nancy Drew game sports the phrase "For adventurous girls, ages 10 and up." That's me! (A bit over 10, but who's counting?) But enough with the introductions -- let me describe the game. It's an adventure game; "Choose Your Own Adventure"-esque. Nancy is staying in a mansion that's someday going to be a Bed & Breakfast. There's a problem though -- a bunch of accidents have been happening. Your job, as Nancy, is to find clues, solve puzzles, talk to people, and solve the mystery of who's responsible for the accidents. But you soon discover that you have a SECOND mystery to deal with. This game requires logic, patience, and a curious mind. What amazed me was how long the game took to complete; there's really a lot to do. But after about 14-16 hours of game play, I have finished the game, and I'm sad. So -- I think I'll order the other two Nancy Drew games that are on amazon! ;) Please, DreamCatcher games and Her Interactive -- keep these coming! I want more Nancy Drew games. I've always loved the books; and fans of the books might even laugh at how closely the game resembles the books in some instances. Just like the Nancy Drew books changed the world of adventure books for girls; this game is a true icon of the progress in Girls' Games that's come along in the last decade. Nancy is smart, intuitive, and strong -- and best of all, she doesn't wear a pink dress!

A Great Game for People of All Ages

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: March 03, 2001
Author: Amazon User

I started playing this game two months ago and it instanly pulled me in. This was the first Nacny Drew mystery that I played with. Although I don't read the books, the game was defenitly fun. I spent one whole day on the computer and my brother had to drag me away, I was only half way through. You have to look for clues in a mansion and talk to different characters, but you have to choose the right thing to say or they won't tell you anything. You also have to solve puzzles, which got me stuck and I had to spent two hours trying to figure it out. Once I solve the puzzle it was worth it because it provided me with more clues. The graphics are good, I even got lost trying to find my way to the stairs. The music is kind of creepy and if you're not expecting it, it will spook you. All in all this game was fun and I'm going to buy the first two Nacny Drew games. The only problem was that the game was too short and not a lot of characters. Once you finish the game and start again, it will only take you a few hours. But still, this was a fun game. And if you ever get stuck you can go to ... to guide you through the game.

Great Software for Families

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: July 07, 2001
Author: Amazon User

We are hooked on the Nancy Drew software series. They are as much fund for adults as they are for children, and my son enjoys it as much (or more) than my daughter. This is the best one so far. The 3-D graphics are great, the games are challenging and the mysteries are extremely clever. We actually purchased them out of order. We purchased Stay Tuned for Danger first and liked it so much we purchased this one. After we solved this one, we went back and purchased the first in the series, Secrets Can Kill. We liked it the least, but it was still great, and they have improved with each new one. We are looking forward to the next one.

It's great to be able to play on different levels. My 12-year old daughter can play on the easiest level, and my son (14-year old) and I go for the most difficult level. Recommend it highly for all families. A real competitive challenge!

Couldn't Stop Playing!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: August 06, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Message in a Haunted Mansion was so good! I finished the game within days because it was so intriging! I think the graphics are realistic and so are the sound affects. The fact that the story took place in a Haunted Mansion, made the whole game scarier! In fact, at times I was even scared to keep playing! I felt as if I was actually in that mansion, and that at any minute some bad guy would jump out to grap me! Although, the very end of the game went by rather quickly for me, because I cracked the case so easily...A lot in this game has to do with the Chinese, and I myself am Chinese, so I could easily figure out the clues. Needless to say, this game is awesome and you won't be disapointed!

Best game i Have Played in along time

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: September 02, 2001
Author: Amazon User

I bought this being a fan of Nancy Drew.I saw on the cover it was for ages 10 and up,im 24.I thought it would be really easy.Ha! Some of these puzzles are hard.I dont see how 10 year olds can get through it.They must be alot smarter than i am.This has a great story line,the graphics are great.Also for older Nancy Fans there are Nancy's memorable friends.I highly recomend this product.Now im going to go get another Drew game.

A Real Puzzle!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: September 15, 2001
Author: Amazon User

On her 3rd adventure Nancy Drew travels to help friends with renovation work only to discover a secret about the house's history and a little surprise at the end! This was my first Nacy Drew software experience and it turned me on to the others! What a great Game! At first I thought I was way to old for Nancy drew- I was dead wrong. I found this game fun, interesting, and educational (even to a girl in her mid-teens!) I couldn't stop playing it until I finished! Then I wanted more! I recomend anyone who likes puzzles to buy this game! It's the best computer game I've ever played! Buy it now!

13 year old Nancy Drew Fanatic

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: December 02, 2001
Author: Amazon User

This is the best comp. game ever! And believe me, I'm not just saying that! There is just one thing that I don't agree with in this game, the box say's it's for people ages 10 and up, but there are a lot of tough situations that you have to get through in this game. It even made me cry out in fustration sometimes. This game is also frightning. The paintings talk, you see gostly shadows lingering through the halls, and there are many creepy noises throughout the game. But all in all, it is really fun! Good luck solving this case!

Review Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next 

Actions