Game title: "Nancy Drew: The Deadly Secret of Olde World Park"
Platform: Nintendo DS
Studio: Majesco/Gorilla
Rated: E — for Everyone
Score: 5 out of 10
THE REVIEW: Coming a few months after the premier of Emma Roberts' family flick "Nancy Drew," Majesco and Gorilla games have released a game in the famous teen sleuth's honor.
"The Deadly Secret of Olde World Park" is geared at the 5- to 12-year-old age bracket. What's more, the game is short. It can be finished in three hours of continued play.
The mystery starts off with a missing dress and a missing all-access pass to a new theme park called Olde World Park. But the mystery soon blossoms into a story about a missing billionaire, insurance fraud and attempted murder.
Although these themes can be scary to an adult, let alone children, the game manages to tone down the threats so the young and inquisitive Drew can solve this case.
THE GAME PLAY: Game players use a combination of the touch-screen stylus and the DS control buttons to examine clues, pick locks, hide in shadows, listen to answering machines, defuse bombs and interrogate suspects. When a suspect clams up, the game switches into a minigame mode where the gamer can build trust by solving little matching puzzles, which symbolizes Drew finding common ground with her suspects. But most of the games aren't as challenging as they could be. In fact, even if the gamer doesn't pay attention to the answers, the game's setup ultimately leads he or she in the right direction.
There are 13 different chapters to run through, but the chapters aren't very long. And that's where the game-play incentive steps up to the plate. Once one chapter is done, the initial reaction is to do another and then another.
GRAPHICS: "The Deadly Secret of Olde World Park" features still-frame shots like a comic book, and the moving action segments are an extension of the frames. The real complaint is the fact that Drew tries to avoid being caught snooping in houses and hotel rooms, but the controls won't allow her to move quicker than a casual walk.
AUDIO: Spy music with its James Bond-like notes and progression does get a bit old after awhile. If it does, just turn it down and play the game in silence.
THE WRAP-UP:
PARENT'S TAKE: "Nancy Drew: The Deadly Secret of Olde World Park" is rated E for everyone, and does feature some mild violence — a brick breaking through a window and a still-frame scuffle involving a gun — but there is no blood or other graphic and disturbing scenes.
FINAL WORD: While this game is a bit too easy for older teens and adults, it does help younger kids and early teens with problem solving skills. And this game is a good way to introduce new gamers to the DS system.
E-mail: scott@desnews.com