Nancy Drew: The Haunted Carousel

Other products by Her Interactive

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000096B0J
• Media: CD-ROM
• Release Date: July 25, 2003
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (60 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #5,934 in Video Games (See Bestsellers in Video Games)

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  #13 in	Software > Children's Software > Interactive Books
  #21 in	Software > Children's Software > Age Ranges > 12 Years & Up
  #25 in	Software > Children's Software > Games > Adventure

• This is item 8 in The Nancy Drew Computer Games Series.

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

A curse has closed Captain's Cove Amusement Park! Someone has stolen one of the carved wooden horses from the park carousel, despite old tales that say bad luck will befall the park if the horses are ever separated. At first Nancy Drew believes the disappearance is tied to an unsolved jewel theft... but is the carousel hiding another secret, too?

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

Product Description

Take a spin with danger to unravel the mystery of aghostly merry-go-round

Grab the reins on a whirlwind ride into the secrets of Captain's Cove in thisNancy Drew Mystery 8 The Haunted Carousel!  The past and future blurtogether when you, as Nancy Drew, investigate the strange events surrounding theCaptain's Cove Amusement Park.  A freak roller coaster accident and acarousel with a mind of its own draw Nancy deep into a dangerous circle offalsehood and fear.  Everyone you meet puts a different spin on the story.Will this merry-go-round ride bring joy...or tears? 





Play the part of Nancy Drew on a not-so-merry ride with danger!

• You must explore every inch of the Captain's Cove Amusement Park o investigate a series of frightening accidents.
• Examine the inner workings of the antique carousel as you search for who, or what, is behind its mysterious midnight rides.
• Keep your eyes peeled and remember what you see.  You never know what information or tool might come in handy in your quest for the truth.
• Joy is seeking the keys to her past; Elliot just needs to stop procrastinating.  That's what they say, but what aren't they telling you?

• 20+ hours of game play
• Ride the carousel as often as you like!
• Nancy's laptop helps track progress and get clues
• New cell phone takes and makes calls anywhere in the game
• "Phone-a-friend" game hints (but only if you want them)
• "Second Chance" option; no need to start over
• Two difficulty

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun, cool, and better than the previous one!, July 30, 2003

By	Molly P. (Portland, Oregon USA) - See all my reviews

"The Haunted Carousel" is the eighth Nancy Drew PC game, and this one likely won't disappoint. Rich in detail, this game was obviously well-planned and well-made. The graphics are awesome, the storyline is believable, the characters are interesting and amusing, and the game is all-around great.

In this game, you, as Nancy Drew, get full access to an amusement park where, recently, some very odd occurances have taken place. Search for clues, play games, solve puzzles and riddles, and -- in the end -- solve a mystery and outwit the villain. Like all the Nancy Drew games, "Haunted Carousel" brings gamers hours of entertainment and lots of fun.

"Haunted Carousel" is, in my opinion, much better than its predecessor, "Ghost Dogs of Moon Lake," which I found to be rather disappointing due to the fact that the games and puzzles seemed dull, and didn't tie well into the game. In "Carousel," the presence of a carnival midway allows for the presence of games without the feeling that the games are weirdly out-of-place. Also, the educational elements of this game (which are present in all ND games) are incorporated nicely and subtly.

I encountered one small problem with this game, however, and that involved the "Barnacle Blast" mini-game. It was impossible to beat/solve this game (a game that resembles "breakout") because the "paddle" used to hit the ball was too small. However, this problem can be solved on some computers by running the computer in "safe mode," thus making the paddle bigger. (Some computers may not enounter this problem at all, but I wanted to mention it in case yours has the same trouble mine did.)

All in all, a great game... appropriate for ages 10 and up... adults will like it, too! Perfect to play in groups or even alone... "The Haunted Carousel" earns 5 stars from me!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nancy Drew strikes AGAIN! Another fantastic game..., November 3, 2003

A Kid's Review

For everyone who thinks this game stinks- you are wrong.
Nancy goes to New Jersey to try and figure out why the carousel's been haunted, and why a horse was stolen. Play games at the amusement park, ride the carousel, play a harmonica, learn shorthand. And then more. As usual, at first I was sure the suspect was someone else. I was so sure that I started being mean to that person. Wrong me. You'll have a good time and learn a lot.
Hint-
(...) (...)

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Too Quick, August 2, 2003

By	Nancy and Anna (Syracuse, New York USA) - See all my reviews

We love the Nancy Drew series and look forward to each new installment. We thoroughly enjoyed the Haunted Carousel but were very disappointed when we finished it in under four hours. It didn't seem to have nearly the depth of the others in the series.