I want to know who decided that the older sister should dress like shirley temple singing the lollypop song in this game? I mean come on I sure hope that people over in Japan wouldn't want to dress all in pink with big huge bows in their hair and look like that.

I will probably still by the newest Nancy games because she was one of my first game loves as well as Tex Murphy but I have to agree the games are getting harder and I am getting older and my brain does not work as well as it used to when I was younger. LOL!!


Kem

I'm definitely in the minority here, but I still really like the Nancy Drew games and look forward eagerly to Captive Curse.

I think Nancy definitely does do a lot less sleuthing these days - but that's probably because she is waaaaay too busy doing all the chores

And whilst that is probably a novelty for teenage girls, those of us of a "more mature" age have been there and done that so often that all the cows have already come home !!!!

And there goes another cow
Here's hoping that the new ND game is getting good reviews here at GB

I absolutely agree that the ND games are running out of steam. I have just finished playing Twister and was bored rigid.
Warnings at Waverly was almost back to the old style of games.
There's a lack of something that I can't put my finger on. There's a lack of suspense, certainly a lack of notetaking and good old fashioned snooping and sleuthing.
Where have all the secret passages gone and the frissons of unease?
The chores are intruding as are the pieces of equipment like cameras and cell phone gadgets. While I'm manipulating these or doing chores I'm losing focus on the clues and the atmospheric tension gets completely dissipated.
Twister was a real "turkey". I'm hoping Water's Edge is an improvement. I'll continue buying til I can't stand it any more. But that might be real soon.

wow ! interesting topic.

i thought i was the only one not enjoying these !

i have to say , i've already "quit buying" the series.

i 've had to twist my pc into a pretzel to even load the last few ,too - not the most relaxing way to start off!

and while i don't mind an arcade game here or there , or a small bit of real- life technology thrown in , there 's just not enough room to think in the series anymore. and the pacing doesn't seem as relaxed until those "creepy" times anymore either.

too bad...

The new Nancy is all over the place. not as much fun cause of all the side tracks but i will still play, can't stop now since i've played all the others. Hope they go back to have the hardy boys included in the cases. They are really cool...

The familiarity of ND makes you feel at home. That's a good thing! The chores/puzzles makes for a deja-vu. That's not such a good thing! The thrill is gone ....and that's a bad thing!!!

I stopped buying ND games some time ago. I like stories to flow and don't like getting bogged down doing chores, rounding up sheep, etc. Glad to know that I'm not the only one who lost interest. Teddo

Hi ladies. I just had to say hello and join in since I've been feeling the way some of you guys have lately. (well, feeling it for a few years actually) I miss the old ND games so much....my all-time favorite is Treasure in the Royal Tower and I'll replay that again and again through the years just to get a feel of that "old ND-game thrill". I too get so tired of how the newer games have SO many chores to do---if I were still a teenager I wouldn't want to play these games because real life chores are enough! (and btw, I'm 40 so real life chores ARE enough!LOL)

Anyway, I'm not quite ready to give up on Nancy just yet, but I didn't care for Twister and right now I'm trying to get through Shadow at Water's Edge and just not really getting into it.

Thanks for everything you guys said and for letting me join in...I've been missing the old ND games for awhile and am really wondering if they'll ever be the way they used to be again.

Tracy

Even Though I did not like this episode, I gave it a chance, I said to myself, Im still buying Nancy Drew, But out of shear frustration of "TSAWE" I had to vent also ...I always said they were hard some not too much I just Do Not like timed or Sliders (I love hamburger sliders but "Not" adventure Sliders) anyway I liked the Nancy Drew "Mysteries" ... not a home baked, house cleanning, baby sitting "Nancy" ...where is the "Mystery" Woman "Drew"? what Happened to her? If You guys who make the Mystery Woman Nancy do all that calling on her cell phone and Picture takeing ...(that was the pits!)good for a 10 year old Yes! but then give the 10 year old a Nonogram Oh My Goodness I thought I was going to literally Die!!!!!and you think that was fun ...No!!! not really! ask us we can give you a fresh Idea or two!

No more ND excitement here... and I haven't been buying either. I remember similar discussions here, around 'Wolf Creek' time, when we were starting to get a little disgruntled, but were still filled with hope that HI's old 'story-laden' adventures would return... and how it must be that the company's just responding to its younger 'market'. I disagree.. & think younger girls would love and actually prefer games that have more focus on storylines.. if HI was still putting them out.

I tend to think that all ages might keep buying because of Nancy Drew name-recognition, no matter what kind of game environment HI puts Nancy in (I know I did.. for a while). Maybe those posts on the HI Forums show preference for 'arcade'-laden games because that's what their (mostly younger) players experienced first... and became accustomed to playing.

I don't know anything about game-making... but wonder if arcade-type games are cheaper to make... especially if story creators and writers don't have to be paid.

Now, I'm excited about the Carol Reed Mystery games.. the way I used to be about Nancy Drew. I don't mind waiting 2 years for a high-quality adventure game. Sorry 'Nance', but "The Thrill Is Gone."

Hi,

I have all the ND games, except the last two. I have Ransom of the Seven Ships and Waverly Hall loaded. Frankly i'm not happy with the long arcade games. (can't beat the monkeys) At 76 years I would prefer using the little grey cells.
I will not buy anymore ND games and sooner or later put the collection up for sale. I still go back to Haunted Mansion, and Royal Treasure. even Scarlet Hand, but thinking of taking out these last two games and buying something like my last great love, Lost Horizon.
Charllotte

Hi again, I just wanted to ask you guys a quick question. (and btw, so glad to hear all of your opinions!)

I'm wondering if since the games seem so much different to many of us than they used to be, if HER really HAS shifted their focus. I know that from the get-go the games have said "10 and Up" and are probably technically considered "kid's" games. But, I'm also sure by now that HER knows about us "older" players and has often in the past seemed to include us and our interests in their games. I guess I'm wondering if things would be better or different if they maybe made games for kids AND games for adults? I have no idea if they'd go for that, but to me, they'd make alot more money and have two audiences that are happier with their product.

Just something I've mulled over across the years and would love to hear your thoughts too.

Tracy

I stopped playing Nancy Drew games many "games" ago. As others have said there are to many chores to do! I have enough chores to do every day! I don't want to do them in a game!

It would be nice to see Nancy have a real mystery to solve and do some real exploring as she did in the books! If the younger generation enjoys the Nancy Drew Books then why not base the games on the books? I'm sure everyone would enjoy them just like we did reading them when we were kids! Now that would be an Adventure worth playing!

Are you listening Her InterActive?

ALERT! Gone Missing.............Nancy Drew,"Sleuth"

I don't think they'd have to. You've described HI's early games... which had good stories as well as (what I've been calling) arcade-type games. I think the change was in the balance or ratio of those two elements... and now, there's more arcade than story. The old 'recipe' was nice... and didn't seem to have the polarizing effect that HI's newer 'wave' of games has had. Wish they'd just go back to that old formula. But after several years of discussions here, it seems that the folks at HI are simply not interested in changing.

Am reminded of the way Frogwares created one game that gave the player the option to switch back & forth between 1st & 3rd person, making everyone happy.

If Her Interactive's biggest customer market is teenagers and teenagers prefer the new format - then it's teenagers who'll get catered for because that's where the biggest profit will lie

Mad I still think teens would like the games just as much if not more if they were based more acturately on the books. One of the best books written in the 1930's was The Sign of the Twisted Candles! Now that would make a good Nancy Drew game!

But Her Interactive have to think that way too and if they are selling their games well with the current format are they likely to want to change it

On the surface it sounds reasonable for HI to --now-- make games with more emphasis on arcade-play, based on sales... sales which make it appear that this style is more popular than the old adventure/story-rich style.

But other factors to consider: When the games first came out, not many knew about them; not many had computers for game-playing... nor even for shopping online. FaceBook, Amazon, Twitter, Google... none of these existed in the early- to mid-nineties. Seems to me that the basis for lower sales might have been due to a lack of exposure to a wide audience.

Now, kids have been exposed early on to computers, social networking, online shopping... communication. Nancy Drew games have stood the test of time and are well-known. In this environment, if HI tries something that might be more cost-effective (more arcade, less story), then sees better sales as a result, some might say it's because today's young players prefer the arcade-style over story. But if that's all HI is putting out there, that's what's going to sell. IMO, if HI put out games using its old formula (with less arcade-type games) as well as taking more time for each (maybe releasing 1 instead of 2 per year), I bet sales would be just as good. I still think it's a matter of what is on the shelves.. and the popularity of the name brand.

I think having just played Water's Edge that it was an improvement, or at least an attempt to remedy some aspects that had been criticised. Nancy Drew very often features insane-making puzzles but at least they seem to have done away with the panic endings of chasing through mazes to get away from the bad guy etc, I always hated those bits! I think with the latest game that it was quite spooky in places, the storyline was pretty interesting, there was some comedy, the chores were reduced (the marking was hardly a chore at all was it) and the characters were pretty well developed. Also, the game seemed longer to me than some of them have been.

My least favourite aspect is always the killer puzzles that rapidly become completely fun-free and brain draining in a not very entertaining way. However I still really like the look of the games, the atmosphere, music and the interesting snippets you learn about people, places and cultures. The games are also very well behaved and run without glitches or crashes, why can't other games makers follow their example!

That was a nice analysis of Shadow at the Water's Edge, Vegpot. I could have done without the escape-the-room puzzle and the large sudoku and nonogram puzzles, but otherwise I thought the game was very enjoyable and that Her Interactive did appear to have tried to address some of the complaints that have been made of the last several games. I'm very much looking forward to seeing what they do with The Captive Curse.

Thanks Marian, I think different people find different puzzles more or less challenging of course. Some for me, although frustrating, are interesting or motivating enough to make me try and try again - I did that with the escape the room stained glass puzzle because I knew I could do it if I persevered - it was my type of puzzle. I agree totally with the sudoku and nonograms comments, I just didn't bother with any more of them after the initial puzzles in the book, not my cup of tea at all. I resorted to walkthrough help with the gigantic sudoku and nonogram puzzles but I am sure there are people who do like to solve these things and get enjoyment from the challenge, we just all like different ones!

Vegpot,

I also think that the puzzles in the ND games are too difficult. I am not a "puzzle person" but some people really like them. In a perfect Nancy Drew game world, they would put in a "skip puzzle" option. I am loving that feature in Black Mirror 2. It really helps keep my frustration level low and makes the game much more enjoyable IMO.