Nancy Drew: Secret Of the Old Clock | 
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| From: Her Interactive
Category: Video Games
List Price: $19.99
Buy New: $4.60
You Save: $15.39 (77%)
New (26) Used (17) from $4.60
Rating:  92 reviews
Sales Rank: 1833
Format: Cd-rom
Platforms: Windows 2000, Windows Xp, Windows Me, Windows 98
Genre: Adventure Games
ESRB: Everyone
Media: CD-ROM
Batteries Included: No
Age: 5 - 20 years
Operating System: Windows 2000
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.6
MPN: 100722
Model: 67861-00058
UPC: 767861000586
EAN: 0767861000586
ASIN: B0009X6QJM
Release Date: July 19, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | Based on the 1st book and commemorates Nancy Drew’s 75th anniversary | | • | Drive Nancy’s classic blue roadster | | • | 1930 setting with vintage cars, clothes, and slang | | • | “Second Chance” option erases of making mistakes |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Nancy Drew: Secret Of the Old Clock is another challenging mystery that the famous teenage detective has to solve. Nancy has been asked to visit with a girl she hardly knows, to solve a strange problem. Travelling to the town of Titusville, she finds a contested will, a suffering girl & suspicious "psychics". Can Nancy solve the mystery before time runs out?
Amazon.com Product Description
This hot, latest installment of the Nancy Drew game series includes the best parts of the first four books and takes place in the same time period – welcome to 1930’s America and the Great Depression. A friend of Nancy’s asks her to visit the town of Titusville, where another friend, Emily Crandall, lives. Emily owns an inn and she's in a jam; she's low on cash and nearly bankrupt. However, she does have one hope of saving the inn: a neighbor died and left his money to her in his will. Or, did he?!  Who Is Nancy Drew? YOU Are! | Who Needs Nancy's Help Nancy finds herself in the middle of a mystery when Emily and the dead neighbor’s ESP teacher, Richard Topham, both claim the estate. Combine ESP with the strange inventions in the house of the the dead neighbor, Josiah Crowley, and you’ve got a recipe for all kinds of unexplained events happening in Titusville. | 
Emily Crandall Needs Your Help! |
| The Scene of the Mystery Playing as Nancy, discover Titusville from behind the wheel of your 1930's roadster. Follow your roadmap to locations of interest in the mystery. Visit the lovely Liliac Inn owned by Emily, the invention-filled house of the deceased Josiah Crowley, and other locations where you need to search for clues. | 
Your Roadster | 
The Lilac Inn | 
Entry Hall of the Lilac Inn | 
A Mysterious Warning! |
| The Possible Suspects Titusville is filled with a cast of characters. Here are some who may be responsible for the strange occurences Nancy encounters as she tries to discover who really inherited the money left behind by Josiah Crowley: | 
Jim Archer | 
Richard Topham | 
Emily Crandall | 
Jane Willoughby | Jim is a good-natured, but secretly desperate, businessman trying to make it through the end of the Depression. The bank he owns is teetering on the brink of failure. Jim has been helpful to Emily and her mom, but he’s desperate for money. How far would he go to save his bank? | Richard is a self-proclaimed expert on ESP and telekinesis and lives in the house that once belonged to Josiah Crowley. How did he inherit Josiah’s estate and money? He runs the “School for the Study and Development of Paranormal Powers,” but is his act just a hoax? | Emily runs the Lilac Inn with the help of her guardian while she mourns the recent loss of her mother. She is plagued by strange occurrences: objects on the wall move, whispers call from shadows, things mysteriously disappear and then reappear. Is Emily just stressed out or are things really amiss? | Gloria Crandall, Emily's mother, asked Jane to look after her daughter in case anything happened to her. She's doing her best to help Emily, but she doesn't know much about raising kids or running an inn. Could Jane have a hidden agenda? |
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| Customer Reviews: Read 45 more reviews...
 Review from AdventureGamers.com June 20, 2005
AdventureGamers.com (Seattle, WA)
105 out of 110 found this review helpful
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! August 26, 2005
Katie (PA , USA)
44 out of 47 found this review helpful
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!!!
Fun For All Ages! December 3, 2006
B. Goss (WNY)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
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.
Kewl Game!! November 27, 2005
7 out of 8 found this review helpful
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.
Why all the complaints? March 20, 2006
D. Patric (MB, SC United States)
9 out of 11 found this review helpful
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!
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