Nancy Drew: The Creature of Kapu Cave

© 2006 Her Interactive, Inc.
$19.99, Windows XP, Windows 98
Teaches: problem solving, logic, ecosystems, patterns, mathematics
CTR Rating: 92%
Editor's Choice

CTR Review

Fifteenth in the series, this is yet another high-quality CD-based scavenger hunt adventure featuring Nancy Drew with sidekicks Joe and Frank Hardy. In the story, Nancy is in Hawaii working as research assistant for entomologist Dr. Quigley Kim who suddenly disappears. Nancy must explore the forbidden Kapu cave as well as the Hilihili Research Center, Camp Quigley and Three Finger Rock in order to unravel the mystery. A handy tutorial on Nancy's desk entitled "How to Be a Detective" explains 10 features of game play including Cell Phone, Moving Around, and Inventory and Tools. Completing tasks in a specific order gets you needed items for progress. For example, Nancy needs photovoltaic cells to complete a grid, so she has to collect 12 seeds from plants at the Hilihili Research Center and give them to Dr. Craven. These numbered cells have to be plugged into a mathematical grid in order to get power for the radio that will contact Dr. Kim. Sounds easy? It's not. This is a challenge that could be frustrating for younger children, but is an outstanding problem-solving opportunity. When Nancy contacts Joe on her cell phone for help deciphering Dr. Kim's message, the character you play as switches to Joe. He then finds a map at Big Mike's place to help Nancy with the coordinates of Dr. Kim's location. Other cool features include Nancy's handy GPS system in her Jeep, which provides an aerial view of the area currently visited. The graphics here are crisp, colorful and accurately detailed to reflect the look of Hawaii. In addition, the sound effects and voice-overs are well-matched to the action. For example, when fishing off the pier, you hear the sounds of the ocean, the hook being baited, the line being cast, and the bobber hitting the water. The fish you catch and the water itself are also well-detailed and look realistic. Games can be saved, and there are two difficulty levels. Our 11-year-old female tester found this game hard to stop playing and found solving the many puzzles and switching characters to be her favorite parts. That, in addition to the detailed graphics, realistic sound effects and variety of information about Hawaii, makes this an excellent choice for older children or adults alike.