Nancy Drew: The Mystery of the Clue Bender Society
© 2008 Majesco Entertainment
This second Nintendo DS Nancy Drew game is the follow-up to "The Deadly Secret of Olde World Park," featuring a modernized version of Nancy Drew. In the story, Nancy is trying to get into The Clue Bender Society, a group of the world's best detectives. To do so, she has to find a set of important books. You explore the maze-like levels of an old house using the arrow keys, meeting people who provide clues and ask for things. There's a lot of reading, and the animation is cartoon-like. Six mini-games are hidden in the game's nine chapters that can also be accessed from the main menu, including a maze and a snowmobile race. While some of the mini-games are clever and good applications of logical thinking, the gameplay on the DS format feels clumsy, sending you in needless circles in search of clues at times. Note that this title is not connected to either the movie or the Her Interactive versions of Nancy Drew. Created by Gorilla Systems for Majesco. If you have the patience for it, this could be fun, but it certainly isn't the best clue-hunting game on the market.
$20, Nintendo DS
Teaches: reading, deductive reasoning, problem solving
CTR Rating: 82%