Nancy Drew: Curse of Blackmoor Manor
DVD Version for TV


This version is created by HerInteractive in conjunction with the folks at Brightermindsmedia.com and Little Worlds Studios. It offers the venue for experiencing one of the best Nancy Drew mysteries on your home DVD player. It makes it a great form of entertainment for children (or the child in all of us) during travel with a portable DVD player on trips in a plane, train, bus or car. How is this accomplished?

You use your DVD player’s remote control.

This adventure plays exactly as the original PC version; screen for screen and puzzle for puzzle, with only the difference existing in the game’s controls. And in here lie the differences, so it makes sense to view the “Game Overview” section before playing though for the first time. You play the game using the remote control keys, arrow left, right, up, down and enter keys especially. While it is possible to use the pause key during a few of the cut scenes; this key along with the fast forward, reverse, root menu, chapter keys have been disabled.

Although you play always as Nancy, it is possible to utilize the one or two player option which is implemented during all puzzles. Additional hints for the puzzles are allowed in both the junior and senior modes – you are given the option for five hints in Junior mode and three in Senior mode if you require them for the puzzles.

Saving is accomplished by the use of “pre-saved” sections. This format is very similar to the Laserdisc games of the 80’s. These are “passcodes” (actually they are just “bookmarks” for the DVD program) which will appear on the screen at the end of the various chapters. All you need do is note these down, so that you can continue the game at a later play session. The drawback here is that you must play through to the end of any particular chapter in order to save your progress. So, if you are playing through a section and you must stop unexpectedly, you will not be able to save unless you are at the end of a designated chapter. This can prove to be frustrating at times as you will have to quit the game and repeat from the last "passcode" when you begin your session again.

While most information says that it will only play with a DVD player and your TV, that is not entirely correct. It will also play on any platform that supports DVD media. It plays wonderfully on my PS2 system using either the remote control or the game controller. The game will also play on any computer that has a DVDROM optical drive and the proper software such as Windows Media Player or Nero Showtime to play it. Then you may either use your keyboard’s directional keys or your mouse to play through the game. I did notice, however that the transitions for movement are far slower on either a desktop or laptop computer so it is more effective to use a standalone DVD player or Console gaming machine rather than a computer.

The packaging is a rather large box but inside it does have a very lovely DVD case to hold the DVD and also offers an extra bonus PCROM version of The Haunted Carousel so your Computer won’t get too lonely for you.

inferno

Thanks Inferno! I was curious what the games would be like.

Ana

Interesting, as Spock would say.

I wonder how it will do?

Thanks for the info, inferno! After playing this game, would you want to play more Nancy Drew mysteries this way? Or do you prefer playing them on the computer?

For me --- I would have to say the answer would be no, only because the reaction time is far too slow for me.

inferno

Interesting. Thanks!