Nancy Drew: The Haunted Carousel

Like all of the Nancy Drew mysteries from Her Interactive, Nancy Drew: The Haunted Carousel is a first-person role playing game that lets players explore its richly imagined amusement park setting while solving the spate of mysterious incidents that have shut down the park. Featuring well-drawn characters, some tough but satisfying puzzles, arcade games, and plenty of thrills, this game is sure to satisfy.

Though the game design and artwork have the winsome flavor of the original Nancy Drew novel series, the tools the teen sleuth has to work with are utterly modern. A cell phone keeps players in touch with faithful friends like George, Bess and even the Hardy Boys. Nancy's laptop lets you pick up helpful e-mails that assist in analyzing clues.

The game informs as it entertains. As players unravel the mystery they also learn a few basics about electrical repair, carousel design history, the uses of a lathe, and decoding old stenographic documents. In this way, The Haunted Carousel seamlessly and safely allows girls to truly inhabit the role of Nancy--to be resourceful, clever, persistent and, of course, more than a little snoopy. Player confidence is only enhanced by the game's structure, which poses some tough challenges but also makes sure you have the tools to solve them, and provides lots of encouragement along the way.

Captain's Cove is not without its dangers, however. Carelessness could plunge Nancy into a dangerous accident, which leads to getting her banned from the amusement park property. Fortunately, the game is very forgiving, allowing you to choose a "Second Chance" option that lets you revisit--and revise--any critical mistakes.

Beautifully designed, true to its subject matter, and with a genuinely interesting mystery at its heart, Nancy Drew: The Haunted Carousel is a game that will have girls hungering for more.--Alyx Dellamonica

Some hints:
1. Never leave a room unsearched, anything that you find can further your investigation, and if it doesn't at least you will be sure that you didn't miss anything.
2. Try and get around your suspects, read into their personal lives...do what detectives do best (snoop ;-) )
3. Lastly, trust no one except you, Bess, George and Ned. Never let all of your hopes ride on the innocence of one suspect. Things are never as they seem in Nancy's world, so try and act the same way towards it in your own.

Happy Gaming!


Great entertainment for kids 12 and up   August 26, 2002
31 out of 33 found this review helpful

I am father to 2 Nancy Drew fans. Excellent graphics and gameplay. I previewed this game prior to my daughters playing through. This one is rated for ages 10 and up which I think may be a little low. Far more complex than all of the previous games. Involves Spanish language and foreign names as well as tremendous attention to detail including ancient symbols for words and numbers. This game is a real treat for the whole family to enjoy but too hard to be handed to a 10 year old. Take copious notes as this is extremely challenging. Kept me up long after the kids were in bed. We have played the others and are ready to pre-order the next release. Truly entertaining, bring your brain, this will challenge you.


Best Of The Bunch   October 22, 2003
Catnip (USA)
27 out of 29 found this review helpful

I was so disappointed with Haunted Carousel that I decided to wait for budget versions of any new games. After reading a couple of reviews for Danger on Deception Island, I quickly changed my mind. I'm so glad I decided to buy this game, because it is the very best of the Nancy Drew games so far, and I've played all of them.
I'm the mother of an 11-year-old son. I played the game as a senior detective and he played on the junior detective level. This game had enough challenging elements to keep me busy and yet was not too difficult for my son on junior level. There is a real, meaningful difference between the junior and senior levels in this game; something that is often missing in games that are marketed to both adults and children.
This game is probably three times the length of Haunted Carousel, and it is packed with interesting puzzles. Nancy must find coordinates for a locator device, open secret passageways, use a morse code device, dig for clams and learn a little about chess, just to name a few challenges she faces in this game. The game also contains little diversions that are fun and satisfying, such as building a sand castle and playing feed the whale, and Nancy learns a lot about whales and dolphins in the process. Scattered throughout the game are little reminders of previous adventures as a nod to loyal fans.


Just finished playing   November 24, 2002
Shannon L. Mccarthy (Atkinson, NH United States)
17 out of 17 found this review helpful

This is the first of the ND series that I've played without having to look up cheats a hundred times. Unlike the previous adventures, there were several places (not just one) where Nancy was caught in a "second chance" situation - I think that makes it more exciting. I played the Senior Detective and only got really stuck twice - otherwise the hints were pretty helpful. This probably isn't the game for the very experienced gamer, but if you have played and enjoyed any previous ND games, you will not be disappointed here. It's low on violence and high on creative thinking. I wish there were more female oriented adventure games like this series. Have fun with it!


Could I give it anything less than 5 stars?   November 24, 2001
Molly P. (Portland, Oregon USA)
54 out of 63 found this review helpful

Like the other Nancy Drew games, "The Final Scene" was great. In each Nancy Drew game, you get to be the famous detective and solve a mystery. It's not easy, though. You have to search for clues and find secret passageways. You maneuver through the game with your mouse, using arrows and magnifying glasses on the screen -- and sometimes, trinkets and trapdoors can only be found by viewing them at a particular angle. This allows for hours of fun -- or hours of being stuck, whatever. (This is what the HerInteractive site's message boards are for!)

The graphics in this game are incredible. The people look 3-D and although they do look a bit robotic, they're realistic and believable. The attention to detail is amazing as well. The scenery is beatiful -- there are cool things to look at that don't really pertain to your mystery, but then again, you don't KNOW for sure if they do or not -- it's always good to keep your eyes open and remember where certain things are.

The dialogue is clever and witty, and often funny and silly (but in a good way). My only complaint on this subject is the fact that sometimes the dialogue doesn't make sense -- sometimes a character speaking to you will tell you to try doing something you've already done, and Nancy (you) will say "OK, I'll try that" -- when in fact you've already done it! Obviously the game's programming can't handle ANY eventuality. But whatever. This is a small thing and it is a small annoyance at the most.

"The Final Scene" is so fun. All I can ask for in the next Nancy Drew game (and please, PLEASE keep making them!) is more puzzles (there were about five in this game; all pleasantly challenging) and, also, give us more game time! The box says it can take over 20 hours. I did the senior level and had it completed in 6 or 7. Then again, I'm in my twenties. (Yes! Adults, do not be ashamed to play this! I have gotten several of my friends hooked! However, I've also played one of the other games with a 10-year-old... she needed a little help but did pretty well on her own, so this is for all ages!) Also, like many people, I've played the other four games -- so I guess after awhile you get the hang of the games and that makes them go faster.

Synopsis: if you want many hours of good, mind-boggling and exciting fun, buy this game. Nancy Drew rocks!