Nancy Drew: Ransom of the Seven Ships
Ages: Everyone

This is the big 20 for the Nancy Drew mystery series. You can still get them all at the herinteractive.com site. For those of us who have played them all, there is much anticipation about what kind of mystery will Nan be involved in and what will be the new location.

This is the second adventure that is set on a sunny isle. Last time it was Hawaii, this time it is a private isle in the Bahamas. Nancy, Bess and George (female) have been invited down for a vacation of swimming, skin diving and sailing. By the time that Nancy arrives Bess has been kidnapped and the ransom for her return is that Nancy must find the Pirates treasure, reportedly to be somewhere on the island. So much for a vacation.

The facial features of the characters and the animations are a the best in the series. Voices are good and Nancy has been the same voice since the beginning. I am not sure how they do it but the intro music and Nancy's voice put you in just the right frame for a mystery adventure.

You play for the most part as Nancy in first person. At some points you play as George when you have to rescue Nancy. There's lots to do; drive around the island in a Jeep to the various beaches, climb up to and explore a bat cave, rig up a boat and go sailing, scuba underwater to a sunken ship, avoid sharks, interact with the few people on the island, and play games with the monkeys. Ah yes the monkeys. You have to play games with them to obtain certain things. Nancy Drew games are filled with puzzles; mechanical, crypto decoding, assembling various items, and some sort of target practice. In games with the monkeys you lose many times. While the monkeys are amused, players will get frustrated with having to do it over and over when Bess's life is at stake.

The roads on the island are tortuous and confusing - you wouldn't want a straight line from A to B now would you? Players will either memorize the way or do a "Print Screen" to get a map. The game uses the technique of the previous games in letting you step back, giving you a Second Chance if you are in a disaster that ends the game. There are many situations where you will be happy to use this option. Early Nancy Drew games spent much time inside spooky mansions. More recently they have been out in the open. In this one, players will enjoy the settings along with Nan.

Fun Factor: Always a good mystery romp. Good location.
Female Factor: Nan is our girl. George OK too.
Player Friendly: Second Chance is a win.

Reviewed by: Editor - 06/09