Reviews (13)

Wonderful!
My daughter is 8 and I recently bought this for her. She's never played chess before and her attention span can be somewhat limited at times. I played this game for a little while before letting her play (she had chores to finish and so I could see if it was something she'd be able to do). At first I was a little worried, some of the arcade games seemed to me to be too hard and not have enough instructions. At any rate I loaded it up and let her play, and she spent over 6 hours in one weekend totally absorbed and loving every minute of it. Some of the arcade games were too hard so she just skipped those, I don't know if it will have any negative effect on her later game play, but so far so good! Anything that is educational and can keep a child absorbed for so long is well worth the money. I hope she finishes the game so she and I can play chess together!

Great Chess Instruction, Clever, Funny and addictive!
My 5 year old wanted to learn how to play chess. I taught him, but I knew having reinforcement would help....furthermore, I didn't/don't know ALL there is to know about chess so I really wanted the help. I did a search and ran into this gem of a program...and I couldn't be happier.

With a story line, arcade like games, mazes, mini chess lessons and Chester the rat (who happens to be a chess master and your mentor) it doesn't get any better than this....Yes, there are flaws, but none worth mentioning, because they don't take away from the beauty and value of this program.

My son has already applied much of what he's learned...and he hasn't even finished his "training" with Chester yet! Moreover, the games you play with Chester (in preparation to face the evil king) can be set at vairious levels of difficulty. And that means it's going to take a while to grow out of this program (it'll challenge mom and dad easily!)

Truly a parents dream when it comes to software. I played it first to check it out, and I really didn't have to. This is a purchase you won't regret.

Best program to teach kids (or anyone) chess!
Purchased this for an energetic 5-year old known as my son!

To summarize: King White is feeling a little tired and disinterested (a mysterious malaise that can best be described as boredom or maybe even depression - seriously! Maybe something gets lost in translation, as this game is made by Chessbase, a German company, but marketed here by Viva Media. Maybe he is a victim of "ennui?"), so his queen suggests that they go on vacation. They put their son Fritz in charge for the duration of their absence, and as soon as the king and queen are out the door, Fritz is challenged to a chess duel by the nasty looking King Black. PROBLEM: Fritz doesn't know how to play chess!!

Follow Fritz and his cousin Bianca across the kingdom as they play a variety of games in order to learn chess basics. Learn how the pieces move, and learn basic tactics like pins, etc. Piece valuation, how to win, etc. are other topics that are taught.

The cool thing is that my son doesn't realize that he is learning! The games are so fun and arcade-like, that he learns how the pieces move without even knowing it.

Examples of the games:
1. Sumo wrestlers on a circular board to teach about the king and the concept of "opposition."
2. A Pac-man-like game to teach the horizontal and vertical movement of the rook.
3. A Pong-like game of smashing toilets (no joke!) to get across the concept of the bishop's diagonal movement.

After going through all the training sessions, my son was ready to take on King Black. He still gets mostly crushed, but that is because he doesn't spend much time thinking before he makes a move. He has managed wins on the lower setting, but that's because the chess engine plays some of the most horrible moves, like leaving a queen hanging, etc.

Highly recommended for youngsters! My son may leave it alone for 3 or 4 weeks at a time, but he always comes back to play the games and to try his hand vs. King Black. Money well spent to teach kids a wonderful game.

Love it!
I bought this game from a software club on a whim. My 7 and 8 year old boys were sort of interested in chess, and my husband's name is Fritz. So I thought if I was lucky, the software could help them learn some of the basics of chess. It has FAR surpassed my expectations. They love it, and have spent HOURS playing it. They know how all the pieces move, have learned some of the finer points such as "castling", and still keep playing. I hear them repeating the little rhymes that the program uses to help them remember different strategies...."a knight on the rim is ugly and dim"...."pawns are afraid of nothing; they move straight ahead", etc. In just a couple of weeks, they know WAY more than I know about chess. I would love to have this program in my middle school classroom, as I think my students there would enjoy it, as well.

"Daddy, can I play Fritz and Chesster! And Bianca!"
Fritz and Chesster was the holiday hit at our house. It lives up to all the reviews. I was a little nervous about unleashing a five year old on it, but my daughter is hooked on the game and has worked her way up the levels of challenge with an intensity that I haven't seen her put into other things. And Bianca, Fritz's queen, gives it a feminist angle.

What I found most interesting was her ability (and interest) in going back to replay parts she hadn't quite mastered conceptually even though she understood what she was challenged to do.

The learning approach is very thought out, and previous criticism of the game is accurate. It is clearly a "must buy" if you think your child might be interested in chess. ... Read more

Features

• Learn the business of owning and managing a real horse farm
• Care for horses and train them to be world-class champions
• Outfit riders by choosing from an array of clothes, accessories, and hairstyles
• Spend money wisely and make good decisions
• Fun and educational for horse lovers of any age

Features

• Explore fantasy worlds and engage your brain
• Three fantasy worlds: Undersea, Outer Space, and Dragon's Lair
• Nine different adventures with 54 I SPY riddles
• Designed for kids age 6-10
• For one player

Reviews (12)

I Spy will keep you busy for hours
I was looking for a non-violent computer game for my grandsons. I found this one and decided to check it out before I released it to them. I played, and played, and played. I really liked it.

I Spy Fantasy
My children are 6 and 8 and love this program! We are looking for another game for the next birthday. It has helped them cooperate and share. Wonderful!!

fun without violence
My 5 year old daughter plays this game again and again. I love that it is difficult enough to challenge her to think outside of the box. (Seeing the three on dice verses written out.)She is learning without having to play the usual educational games that are childish or annoying. This is also a game for me to play with her that doesn't require me to master a sword.

fun for all ages
I have bought more than 30 computer games for my 4 1/2 year old son over the last 3 years. I have to say that this one has the best graphics of all the games I have seen so far. My son has been into I Spy books ever since he was barely one year old (the board book version at first). I was afraid that this game might not live up to his expectations. However, it was that and much more. I get bored watching him play his other computer games sometimes, but I can actively participate in this one. I even installed it in my computer at the office so that I can play it when there is a lull at work. Excellent in terms of building their vocabulary as well.

Good, clean fun for all ages!
An excellent compromise between my son (age 7) and me. He sees it as a fun computer game, I see it as a rated-G brain-squeezing activity that we can do together. It's a great way to spend some time with your kids, doing something you'll both enjoy.

The graphics are beautiful and vivid. The game is very easy to maneuver through. It even increases in difficulty so you can keep playing again and again! All in all, it's good, clean fun for everyone. ... Read more

Features

• Each gaming challenge will sharpen your skills, whether you're a beginner or advanced chess player
• Understand the strategies behind openings, pinning and delivering check
• Gain new insights into attacking and protecting -- and much more!

Amazon.com Review

This fantastic program will have your brain working as hard as a mandrill on a conveyer belt with bananas dangling in front of it. Don't worry, we'll explain. The Incredible Machine: Even More Contraptions gives players dozens of tools that perform an action: balls that bounce, cats that chase (and don't bounce), pulleys, ropes, generators, and yes, mandrill baboons on conveyer belts, bananas a-dangle in front of them. Then players are given a problem to solve with all of this crazy energy. Here's an example: in one puzzle called "Wood is Good," players must get three balls into a box, make wooden toast, and wood-smoke a hunk of gouda cheese for a mouse. Among the tools available to accomplish this task are a bike pump and an antigravity pad. And this is one of the easy puzzles.

There are 250 gizmos to build here, some designed for single players and some designed for head-to-head puzzling competition. There is also a field where players can design their own Rube Goldberg Machine from scratch. The vast amount of projects and their complexity make this a program with staying power. Mercifully, there is a tutorial that takes rookies and right-brainers in hand. Players can choose four levels of difficulty: easy, which is quite challenging; to expert, which is insane. Mitigating the challenge factor is a function that turns the cursor into a question mark, and allows players to inspect gadget elements and get in-depth information about what each object and surface does.

This game does a great job graphically. The well-rendered objects all perform as they ought, and form never hinders function. A thoughtful extra is a place where mad scientists can mess with their invention's appearance and background music: nice final touches for folks who want to take their custom-built games online to challenge others who are addicted to The Incredible Machine. This program's biggest strength is that it manages to put a humorous and creative spin on physics and engineering. They're not just giving you levers and weights to work with, they're giving you bottle rockets and alligators. A final wonderful point: there is no "right way" to build your contraption. If you scrabble something together that achieves the goal, it's right, no matter if you used the antigravity pad on the cat or on the bowling ball. No age rating given; we recommend ages 8 and up. --Anne Erickson ... Read more

Reviews (9)

I love it! It's a great thinking game!
This game is soooooooo 3D!
You won't find silly cartoons stick poeple etc in this game!
I love making my own contraptions and letting my mom play!
If you want your kid to now a lot about physics then this is a great game!
It has a lot of new stuff like a monkey and a jack in the box.
It keeps all the old contraptions the same so don't worry about losing contraptions in the old game that you liked.
The gears are made easyer so you don't need to take them out then put them back to get them working unlike in the first game.
It is very compatiple with most computers I heard it works on Mac and I had a Windows me wich it worked on and now I have a XP and it works even better on that.
This game is not like most games that you complete in weeks, months, days, or even one day this game takes years!
But it's not too hard so you won't need to wory about not beeing able to complete one contraption.
The tutorial level is to get started and to learn the basics.
The easy level is to get you to understand the controls and to get your brain runing and any other stuff it also gets you better at reading the real hints and knowing those things that might trick you like extra parts.
This game is a great buy!
But there is some things like harming animals but what I do is say thay are just robots.

5 Year Old Loves it!
We got this game for my five year old son thinking it would be a great game to do together. That is an understatement! He is actually spending hours doing and completing contraptions on his own and is up to the harder levels. Definitely not a game for the mechanically uninclined but not as difficult as a previous review stated. My son is actually helping ME complete them. Tons of fun and learning!

Great program and runs on Mac!
It's a very fun game for kids or adults. It allows you to build Rube Goldberg-like contraptions on your computer, and then watch them in action. You can also "solve" existing (partially built) contraptions by figuring out what pieces to put where to make it accomplish a specified goal. And you can build contraptions for other people to solve. Very cool!

There's little to criticize about it. The directions aren't as clear as they could be (typical: they describe how to do things instead of *showing* you) but you'll catch on quickly, since its very simple, and anyone who has used a computer will understand their cartoon-like interface (take normal computer widgets and make them big and cartoon-like and colorful: take a look at the screen shots to see what I mean). So if you have very young kids who haven't used the computer before, you might want to play it and let them watch: they'll catch on quickly. My first kid is still 4 weeks away, but I still can't wait to play this with him: we'll both enjoy it.

Another criticism is that you have a very small space in which to build the contraptions, so they can't be as big as your screen (unless I just didn't find this option). That is annoying and limiting, but it's still lots of fun.

The level of reality is cartoon-like, fitting the Rube Goldberg theme (many of Rube's contraptions wouldn't actually work because everything wouldn't fall perfectly into place) but that's good, of course.

Save your money
This game is very difficult (even the easy level.) It has a lot of bugs. Clicking Help on the main screen freezes my computer. The objects are difficult to manipulate when they overlap anything. Everything has to be in perfect alignment for the puzzle to be solved, which is very difficult to do. I am returning it to Sierra for a refund.

Excellent thinking game
This is a good, clean game that will provide hours upon hours of entertainment. It has a lot of puzzles at various difficulty levels that make it fun for beginners and those looking for a challenge. The game is very addicting, guaranteeing that you'll get your money's worth out of it. An excellent way to exercise your brain and have fun at the same time. ... Read more

Features

• Based on the Scooby Doo 2 movie
• Gather clues, set traps, use disguises
• Fight off creepy monsters from the past
• Game levels based on the movie
• For 1 player

Reviews (1)

Mystery Fun!!!
This game is so mysteriously fun! I can't wait to finish the whole game. There are a lot of cool monsters to fight, and my favorite character to be is Daphne Blake. There are tons of clues that you have to find, and it's kind of a hard game to play, which is good because games that are too easy are boring. Oh, I almost forgot, you can find cool Scooby-Doo 2 toys at Burger King in their Kids' Club Meals. I hope you enjoy the video game as much as I do. By the way, I'm going to see Scooby-Doo 2 the movie tomorrow after school. Gotta go play the game now - see ya! ... Read more

Features

• Brain-building games teach problem-solving, reading, and logic
• 39 riddles; 2 fast-paced games; 7 unique ghosts to create
• 3 different ways out of the house, each filled with spooky surprises
• Fun learning includes a secret room to discover
• For kids ages 6 to 10

Reviews (436)

"Haunted Carousel" an entertaning ride.
In "The Haunted Carousel," teenage sleuth Nancy Drew is on her eighth case: investigating amusement park "hauntings" in Captains Cove, NJ. One of the park's famed carousel horses has been stolen, and the carousel has been mysteriously starting and stopping on its own. Also, the park's roller coaster stopped suddenly, causing a rider to injure his neck. With the park shut down, Nancy must interview the employees and explore the park to find clues.

"Haunted Carousel" has some nice improvements over past games: the addition of the "to do" list, journal, and cell phone (no more endless running back and forth to Nancy's hotel to call). If Nancy gets stuck, she can call her friends Bess and George and the Hardy Boys. The game has two levels, Junior and Senior Detective, and there are plenty of built-in tips and hints, including a park operating manual with an overview of most puzzle components. "Haunted Carousel" seemed to be one of the easier ND games.

"Haunted Carousel" really draws the player into the park's atmosphere, complete with hotel room service, arcade games, a ride on the carousel (and chance to grab the brass ring), and more. The storyline flowed smoothly, the puzzles were organic (programming an arcade game, switching roller coaster tracks, repairing the carousel's band organ, reading invisible ink), the voice work was above average and the characters had distinct personalities. Music was pronounced, including carnival music for the carousel and ominous creepy tunes for the haunted house.

Nancy must watch her step as always, since someone wants to stop her from finding out the truth behind the hauntings. Along the way she helps someone come to terms with the past, sniffs out an insurance fraud, and digs up long-lost truths and secrets about the park and its employees. This is a lovely adventure with a unique atmosphere that will delight young sleuths.

Not worth the price compared to others in series
First of all, I would like to point out that the editorial review above is not for Secrets Can Kill. It is for one of the other games in the series, and is therefore a better review than Secrets Can Kill deserves. It may be confusing to see the editorial review for the Tower mystery right under the title for Secrets Can Kill.
I love the Nancy Drew series, and I am a college-educated woman in my thirties. I have played four out of the first five games in the series (I have not played Stay Tuned for Danger). The other games have wonderful graphics and storylines. Talking to the other characters is enjoyable, and the puzzles are challenging enough for an adult when played on the senior detective level. I played Secrets Can Kill on the Master level (there are three levels for this game instead of two), and I found that my nine-year-old son was not challenged by the puzzles. Most of the puzzles are easily solved word puzzles that have clues as to the items to gather or hints about the character's secrets. However, most of the puzzles have nothing to do with the game play itself. There is one slide puzzle that allows you to find an inventory item; otherwise, the puzzles are just there for hints. As mentioned in other reviews, this game has cartoon-like characters rather than the 3D-type characters in the other games, and it really does make the game less interesting. The dialogue is uninteresting and the characters become hostile and barely speak to Nancy through most of the game. Overall, the game requires only a few answered puzzles to solve the mystery, and the ending is disappointing, to say the least. I gave this two stars instead of one, which was my first inclination, because I feel that it might be interesting for a child to play, especially if the child has not had very much experience with adventure games for the computer; however, a child would probably still at least want to play on the senior detective level. I recommend the other Nancy Drew games that I have played to players of any age for a nice, relaxing mystery, and I especially recommend the Haunted Mansion game. I cannot, however, recommend Secrets Can Kill.

Very interesting --- Another good mystery
I thought it was very good, only it was a little too complicated. I liked the usually good graphics (for Nancy Drew games) but I didn't particularly like the way you couldn't easily get around. Really well done ghost dogs, very scary. The mystery was a creepy one, and the villain was certainly unexpected. That's all I'll say. Anymore would spoil it.

My favorite ND game so far!
Treasure in the Royal Tower is one of the best computer games I ever played. This is a great starter Nancy Drew game for starting off because it's not too hard nor too easy. If you want a really easy game try the Haunted Carousel.
The story goes that you, as Nancy Drew, are snowed in at a ski resort in Wisconsin with an interesting history. In this game you learn about the French Revolution and Marie Antoinette.
"So, what's the mystery?" you ask. I'm getting to that.
There is a tower shipped over from France and was put back together on Wickford Castle, the ski resort you are staying at. The library at Wickford has been vandalized, and it takes a lot more than barging through the front door to investigate. Later, you hear about Marie Antoinette having a crown worth millions and somehow you figure that the library and treasure are connected. Your job is to find out the story behind the treasure and library.
This game took me about four days to beat. It's quite challenging in parts, like the ski lift, but you can get through it. It's also a little frightening, like the banging noises, but not too frightening that you never want to play it again, like the Final Scene. All in all, Treasure in the Royal Tower is a great game and everyone should buy it.

Not the Best
I've played all of the Nancy Drew Games (except the Final Scene) and this one was pretty good. It was well-written, but I didn't think it was as interesting as some of the other games. I would reccomend the Haunted Carousel or Treasure in the Royal Tower instead. ... Read more

Features

• Play as Nancy Drew in this interactive mystery-adventure game
• 20+ hours of thrilling game play; interview suspects
• New puzzles tie directly to the storyline and give important clues
• Solve the mystery on your own or team up with family and friends
• 2 difficulty settings for both experienced and new detectives

Reviews (3)

COOL GAME
This game rocks! Like all the other games. Nancy Drew is a fictional character. The author of the books is really a guy. He used Carolyn Keene as a pen name. Which is a little weird, but who's gonna read a girl's mystery by a guy? So I guess had to use the pen name. Anyway It's a cool game!

~*Nancy drew: The serect of shadow ranch *~
This is a great game for 12 and up. You learn how to sattle& ride a horse, pick ripe veggies, talk to lots of people,serch every room and town. It is a great mystry and has great graphics. You will learn about petroglyphs,1900's fashion & moreIf you mess up (or die)in your game use the "second chance" and you will go right back to what you where doing a minunte before you messed up.It takes about 4 days to complet( if you don't use cheats) .If you don't like this one or want more nancy drew chose from any of there 10 titles

I cant wait for this game
This is goin to be the hippest game from the Nancy Drew line up yet. Ya no what im sayin. it looks very cool and hip all at the same time it will be worth (...). for real. Im not goin to give all the info away but this looks like the best Nancy Drew game yet.And One more thing does anybody no if Nancy Drew is a real person? ... Read more

Product Description

Includes:

Dora the Explorer: Lost City Adventure

Join Dora, Boots and her trusty Map on a journey through exotic locations to the Lost City, a mysterious, hidden place where all lost objects go. Along the way, you’ll meet Pirate Pig, Mami Bugga Bugga and Seor Tucan and help them regain their lost objects, too. Be on the lookout for hidden stars throughout the game and collect them in your very special star pouch!

Features:

• Multiple locations to visit with cool math-related games to play!
• 2 ways to playAdventure and Freeplay Modes
• Printable math activity sheets
• 3 adjustable difficulty levels to challenge each child
• All this and learn a little Spanish, too!

• Multiple locations with exciting games to play!
• Discovery clickables bring Dora’s environment to life!
• On-screen Sticker Book
• 2 ways to playAdventure and Freeplay Modes
• 3 adjustable difficulty levels
• All this and learn a little Spanish, too!

Features

• Lost City Adventure
• Backpack Adventure
• Animal Adventure

Features

• 3D baseball where you control your own Backyard sports team
• Play with 30 Backyard Kids and 10 kid versions of MLB pros
• Play on different Backyard fields with creative surroundings
• Full stats and customizable players; unlock 6 MLB Stars
• Action for a single game or an entire Backyard season

Reviews (10)

What are these other reviewers talking about? It ROCKS!
I just got this game over the weekend and I can't believe how much fun it is. I like it a lot more than Baseball 2003 because now it is all 3D. If those other people are having problems they should try buying a new computer.

Season Play is great too because now I can unlock some more pros. I just got Piazza over yesterday. I also unlocked a robot called Clanky after playing one of the practice games. He is an awesome pitcher!

Back to playing.

Worth the effort!
I must say that although we initially had problems getting this game to run properly on my son's computer (an 800 Mhz PIII w/ATI 7500 running Windows ME), once we downloaded the latest drivers (the ones from just two months ago didn't work!), the game ran great! My son is 8 years old and he loves it - he's already up to the "Pro" difficulty level and is just starting to play the Season mode. It's fun watching him put together a team based on the kid's stats - this game is definitely teaching him a lot about Baseball! Highly recommend to anyone with a young baseball fan in the family!

this is the best!!
i got this about a week ago and my brother and i can't get off of the computer. What all of the other people say is really untrue it so much better gameplay then the '03 version. it never gets boring!

P.S. IT IS SUPPOSED TO SKIP THE PARTS IF YOU PRESS THE SPACE BUTTON!!!!

Horrible Horrible Horrible!
I have really enjoyed the Backyard Baseball series. But this latest version is awful. It's very different from the older versions. I was looking forward to using the gameplay actions as in the previous versions, but its all different. And HARD! I'm past 50 and a long-time computer user and this is just too hard for me. So you can believe it will be hard for a child, even using the easiest setting. And one thing I dislike is; you cannot SAVE the game you are playing. The "3-D" effect is poor, too. All the personality effects of the familiar players in the previous versions are now bland and robotic in this installment. I am VERY disappointed. I'll be going back to Backyard Baseball 2003!!!!!!!!!!

Backyard Sports is now 3-D!
My eight-year-old daughter and I both really enjoy this new Backyard Sports title from Humongous. I wasn't sure that I would like the change from the 2-D animated style of their previous games, but they kept the wacky cartoony flavor in the 3-D models, and having the camera fly around the fields is pretty cool. The fields aren't ordinary baseball fields--the kids play in an Everglades swamp, in a southwestern desert, and on a midwestern farm complete with a tornado and crop circles. We both really enjoy the humor of this game. I especially like the color commentary by Abner Doubleplay. My daughter enjoys the crazy power-up pitches.

We have an older Nvidia Gforce 3 card and have had no problems. I have heard that some older video cards aren't supported by the latest DirectX from Microsoft. Maybe that is the problem some people are having. I've always found Atari's tech support helpful when I gave them a call, though I haven't had to in a while.

The only reason I'm not giving this five stars is that I wanted to play with my gamepad, and the button mapping is quite awkward. Unlike other games I have that say they support controllers, there doesn't seem to be any way to remap the buttons. So we just use the mouse and keyboard. (My daughter doesn't mind. I'm the one who plays console sports games, so I'm used to a gamepad.) ... Read more

Features

• Help Barbie get ready for fashion week in Paris
• Complete 10 exciting fashion assignments
• Advance through 3 different design studios
• Choose the styles, fabrics, and colors
• Select the stage, music, and special poses

Amazon.com Review

A curse has closed Captain's Cove Amusement Park! Someone has stolen one of the carved wooden horses from the park carousel, despite old tales that say bad luck will befall the park if the horses are ever separated. At first Nancy Drew believes the disappearance is tied to an unsolved jewel theft... but is the carousel hiding another secret, too?

Like all of the Nancy Drew mysteries from Her Interactive, Nancy Drew: The Haunted Carousel is a first-person role playing game that lets players explore its richly imagined amusement park setting while solving the spate of mysterious incidents that have shut down the park. Featuring well-drawn characters, some tough but satisfying puzzles, arcade games, and plenty of thrills, this game is sure to satisfy.

Though the game design and artwork have the winsome flavor of the original Nancy Drew novel series, the tools the teen sleuth has to work with are utterly modern. A cell phone keeps players in touch with faithful friends like George, Bess and even the Hardy Boys. Nancy's laptop lets you pick up helpful e-mails that assist in analyzing clues.

The game informs as it entertains. As players unravel the mystery they also learn a few basics about electrical repair, carousel design history, the uses of a lathe, and decoding old stenographic documents. In this way, The Haunted Carousel seamlessly and safely allows girls to truly inhabit the role of Nancy--to be resourceful, clever, persistent and, of course, more than a little snoopy. Player confidence is only enhanced by the game's structure, which poses some tough challenges but also makes sure you have the tools to solve them, and provides lots of encouragement along the way.

Captain's Cove is not without its dangers, however. Carelessness could plunge Nancy into a dangerous accident, which leads to getting her banned from the amusement park property. Fortunately, the game is very forgiving, allowing you to choose a "Second Chance" option that lets you revisit--and revise--any critical mistakes.

Beautifully designed, true to its subject matter, and with a genuinely interesting mystery at its heart, Nancy Drew: The Haunted Carousel is a game that will have girls hungering for more.--Alyx Dellamonica ... Read more

Reviews (436)

"Haunted Carousel" an entertaning ride.
In "The Haunted Carousel," teenage sleuth Nancy Drew is on her eighth case: investigating amusement park "hauntings" in Captains Cove, NJ. One of the park's famed carousel horses has been stolen, and the carousel has been mysteriously starting and stopping on its own. Also, the park's roller coaster stopped suddenly, causing a rider to injure his neck. With the park shut down, Nancy must interview the employees and explore the park to find clues.

"Haunted Carousel" has some nice improvements over past games: the addition of the "to do" list, journal, and cell phone (no more endless running back and forth to Nancy's hotel to call). If Nancy gets stuck, she can call her friends Bess and George and the Hardy Boys. The game has two levels, Junior and Senior Detective, and there are plenty of built-in tips and hints, including a park operating manual with an overview of most puzzle components. "Haunted Carousel" seemed to be one of the easier ND games.

"Haunted Carousel" really draws the player into the park's atmosphere, complete with hotel room service, arcade games, a ride on the carousel (and chance to grab the brass ring), and more. The storyline flowed smoothly, the puzzles were organic (programming an arcade game, switching roller coaster tracks, repairing the carousel's band organ, reading invisible ink), the voice work was above average and the characters had distinct personalities. Music was pronounced, including carnival music for the carousel and ominous creepy tunes for the haunted house.

Nancy must watch her step as always, since someone wants to stop her from finding out the truth behind the hauntings. Along the way she helps someone come to terms with the past, sniffs out an insurance fraud, and digs up long-lost truths and secrets about the park and its employees. This is a lovely adventure with a unique atmosphere that will delight young sleuths.

Not worth the price compared to others in series
First of all, I would like to point out that the editorial review above is not for Secrets Can Kill. It is for one of the other games in the series, and is therefore a better review than Secrets Can Kill deserves. It may be confusing to see the editorial review for the Tower mystery right under the title for Secrets Can Kill.
I love the Nancy Drew series, and I am a college-educated woman in my thirties. I have played four out of the first five games in the series (I have not played Stay Tuned for Danger). The other games have wonderful graphics and storylines. Talking to the other characters is enjoyable, and the puzzles are challenging enough for an adult when played on the senior detective level. I played Secrets Can Kill on the Master level (there are three levels for this game instead of two), and I found that my nine-year-old son was not challenged by the puzzles. Most of the puzzles are easily solved word puzzles that have clues as to the items to gather or hints about the character's secrets. However, most of the puzzles have nothing to do with the game play itself. There is one slide puzzle that allows you to find an inventory item; otherwise, the puzzles are just there for hints. As mentioned in other reviews, this game has cartoon-like characters rather than the 3D-type characters in the other games, and it really does make the game less interesting. The dialogue is uninteresting and the characters become hostile and barely speak to Nancy through most of the game. Overall, the game requires only a few answered puzzles to solve the mystery, and the ending is disappointing, to say the least. I gave this two stars instead of one, which was my first inclination, because I feel that it might be interesting for a child to play, especially if the child has not had very much experience with adventure games for the computer; however, a child would probably still at least want to play on the senior detective level. I recommend the other Nancy Drew games that I have played to players of any age for a nice, relaxing mystery, and I especially recommend the Haunted Mansion game. I cannot, however, recommend Secrets Can Kill.

Very interesting --- Another good mystery
I thought it was very good, only it was a little too complicated. I liked the usually good graphics (for Nancy Drew games) but I didn't particularly like the way you couldn't easily get around. Really well done ghost dogs, very scary. The mystery was a creepy one, and the villain was certainly unexpected. That's all I'll say. Anymore would spoil it.

My favorite ND game so far!
Treasure in the Royal Tower is one of the best computer games I ever played. This is a great starter Nancy Drew game for starting off because it's not too hard nor too easy. If you want a really easy game try the Haunted Carousel.
The story goes that you, as Nancy Drew, are snowed in at a ski resort in Wisconsin with an interesting history. In this game you learn about the French Revolution and Marie Antoinette.
"So, what's the mystery?" you ask. I'm getting to that.
There is a tower shipped over from France and was put back together on Wickford Castle, the ski resort you are staying at. The library at Wickford has been vandalized, and it takes a lot more than barging through the front door to investigate. Later, you hear about Marie Antoinette having a crown worth millions and somehow you figure that the library and treasure are connected. Your job is to find out the story behind the treasure and library.
This game took me about four days to beat. It's quite challenging in parts, like the ski lift, but you can get through it. It's also a little frightening, like the banging noises, but not too frightening that you never want to play it again, like the Final Scene. All in all, Treasure in the Royal Tower is a great game and everyone should buy it.

Not the Best
I've played all of the Nancy Drew Games (except the Final Scene) and this one was pretty good. It was well-written, but I didn't think it was as interesting as some of the other games. I would reccomend the Haunted Carousel or Treasure in the Royal Tower instead. ... Read more

Features

• Over 25 hours of spellbinding game play
• Enhanced challenges with two difficulty settings
• Suspects move, sleep and interact according to game time schedules
• Forgiving ""Second Chance" option erases blunders and rookie mistakes
• Play alone or with friends and family

Features

• Save Bikini Bottom from the evil Plankton's most diabolical plot ever
• Play as SpongeBob SquarePants, Patrick Star, Sandy Cheeks, Squidward, Mr. Crabs, or Gary
• 5 huge worlds to explore--each filled with mini-games, puzzles, and trivia
• Collect special hidden items to unlock bonus games
• Authentic voices from the cartoon

Reviews (10)

Fun 4 Kids
There are tons of mini games in this SpongeBob game (I think there are like 30 total). My favorite section is the Trivia which has questions on all of the Main Characters. I would reccomend this game for kids between the ages of 6-10.

Fun kids game, but short
My 5-year old LOVES Spongebob, and definitely enjoys the game. There are three (or four?) areas that have a series of challenges; you have to complete each before moving on to the next. Once you have completed them all, you can go back and play whichever games you like the most. I don't see this as a favorite among older kids (9 and up) -- it could get a bit boring. And younger kids need help with some of the challenges and the trivia games. But, if your expectations are reasonable, it's a cool little game.

Better than the first few.
As each Spongebob game is released, it is generally better than the last. This one is no exception. The game itself resides with less storage space than previous games. The load time between sequences is faster. The game is tad longer than employee of the month, which was a relatively long game. The graphics are of little issue, as they are replications of the cartoons, so they can change very little. As far as installation issues, i had none. People with installation issues should look at their systems first before assuming it is the game. So many situations are caused not by the game, but by the system it is on. Troubleshoot. In any case, this program never crashed for me. It ran beautifully and was great fun for myself and my 5 year old son to play. I would recommend this to any Spongebob fan.

VERY FUN GAME!!!
I BOUGHT THIS GAME A WEEK AGO AND I really enjoyed it
THERE IS FIVE PLACES TO GO(THE CHUM BUCKET KELP FOREST DOWNTOWN BIKINI BOTTOM FLYING DUTCHMAN"S GRAVEYARD AND MERMALAIR)
ALL OF THE PLACES HAS COOL MINIGAMES PUZZLES AND TRIVIA
PLUS IT HAS TONS OF VIDEO CLIPS
I RECOMMEND THIS GAME FOR TEN OR YOUNGER
IT KEPT ME PLAYING FOR HOURS :)
RATED E FOR EVERYONE
...

Changed my mind
Don't know why they will not let you enter a review without at least one star????
After reading the reviews I have changed my mind about buying the Battle For Bikini Bottom. I will take this off my wish list and look for something else for my 5 year old to play. Thanks reviewers. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Anyone who enjoyed the hilarity of Pixar's Finding Nemo movie will be tempted to pick up one of the two games that star everyone's favorite clownfish. Both games feature original voice work by the outstanding Nemo cast, including the pitch-perfect Albert Brooks, Willem Dafoe, and Ellen DeGeneres. Each game also has a selection of cut-scenes from the movies, shown when tasks are well done. The difference between the two games is that Nemo's Underwater World of Fun was created (says the box) for children four and over, and is by far the simpler of the two Nemo titles.

In Nemo's Underwater World of Fun, players have six mini-games to choose from, along with a section where kids can make music by clicking on members of the Tank Gang (Bubbles, Jacques, and the rest). In a section that resembles an ocean-bound Frogger, Nemo must swim with the turtles, avoiding obstacles and collecting items. Other activities include a shark-run shell game and a very difficult Pong-like segment called "Feeding Frenzy," where Nemo has to bounce kelp balls off obstacles and walls to reach Bruce's mouth.

Both Nemo games have two big drawbacks. First, computer owners with less than state-of-the-art machines will experience stutter and delay when the movie segments appear (which will disappoint kids, so be sure to check the system requirements carefully). Also, each game only offers about one hour of original gameplay (kids who repeat sections will, obviously, play longer).

Of the two games, Nemo's Underwater World of Fun is the weaker,mainly because it doesn't follow the ups and downs of the plot that made the movie so enjoyable. The age requisite, too, seems arbitrary: neither game teaches any particular educational skills (other than pattern matching and hand-eye coordination). For anyone over five, the other game, called simply Finding Nemo is a better choice. But both are loaded with the movie's charms, including an appearance by our favorite character, the sea turtle named Crush. Does everybody have their exit buddy? Okay, dude, you're ready to play.--Jennifer Buckendorff ... Read more

Reviews (30)

The other version? Poor Quality Control Problem....
This is yet another pc game that could have been so good...The problem? Like the other 3 disney pc games we have, we had to go on-line to reconfigure our computer!!! It seems to be the SOUND that creates problems.

We bought the version for older kids, after reading the reviews here. Guess what? The voices for Nemo and others cannot be understood. It's as if someone put an old record on the wrong speed...high speed....everyone talks like the chipmunks! What we heard of the music and graphics however looked real good.

We're running these programs on windows XP and unable to get the program to work right out of the package, which is a real drag to an intelligent 5 year old and his mom! Bottom line, you probably have to go on line and get help to make the program work. OR you may have luck calling them...

With the exception of MULAN (has a great majonng game for kids...but you have to go on-line and learn HOW TO MAKE THE program work and reconfigure/disable a sound card or something like that....)We've sworn off of Disney pc games, at least for now....they're not worth the trouble.

Misleading, disappointing, irritating waste of time!
The Nemo's Underwater World of Fun game disk enclosed in with the movie DVD, was a big disappointment. My young kids were very excited then very upset. Until I read user reviews here on AMAZON, I thought I had a malfunctioning game rather than a DEMO disk on which only 2 of the 6 activities were accessible, rendering the prizes unwinable and the main games unplayable. And one of the 2 accessible activities, the Tank Gang music maker, seems buggy! Neither the disk, its sleeve, nor the read-me file indicated that it was only a demo, so my exercise in futility began: I installed and reinstalled it. I called the Disney phone number only to find the voice menu options to be misdirected, and at Disney Interactive on-line found no help nor mention of the demo version. FINE DISNEY, so you don't want to give away a free game, but why waste your ad dollars on such a stunt? Guess what, I've not been enticed into buying the real game, just irritated into a resolution to spend NO money on Disney computer games! (It's not your fault THQ (the game designer) we still love you.) I'm Sooooo glad that wonderful PIXAR's contract with Disney is ending!!!

My son likes it, I can't stand it
We bought this for our five-year-old, who loved the movie. Why is it that all Disney games turn into annoying (and cloying) lead-ins or promos for the movie? Why do we have to watch endless clips of it? The games seem kind of uneven (some way too hard, others too easy), and sometimes the software seems to get 'stuck' (we need to back out and repeat the objective to get it to work). I like THQ and their software in general, I've just noticed that anything Disney-related gets bogged down in their desire to "Plug the movie! Plug the products!" My son does like it when he plays it, but it's been used a LOT less than I had anticipated. Gets 3 stars for good graphic and audio quality, but I'd give the game itself a two.

terrible
I bought the finding nemo software for my daughter today and I sincerely regret it. It is one of the worst games I have ever purchased. The games dont work. You get nowhere. I would advise everyone considering this game to just save your money. My daughter was excited to get it until we installed it and tryed playing it only to find out it is a lemon.

Very cute
I just loved the movie, so naturally I bought the game. My sis and I have had these little, ummm...."problems" with games for kids 4+. We can't win them!! The older kid's games are easier. But that's what makes this game fun. I still can't win the "Surfin' With Crush" level though. "Nemo's Underwater World of Fun" actually has a story to it. Nemo wants to prove to his dad that he can move around just as well as any other fish. So Marlin sets up a "Super Swim Challenge" game, that will test Nemo's swimming skills. It goes from there in that you have to help Nemo win a certain number of "trophies" in each game in order to get up to level 5 in the Super Swim Challenge. After that, you can help Nemo prove to Marlin how good a swimmer he is. I love the games you can play. "Dory's Memory Match", "Surfin' With Crush", and "Tank Gang Sing-alongs" are just a few. Hope you have fun playing! I'm sure the kids will. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

mixed review
I got this game as a birthday present and I am 7 years old. I like grooming and feeding the horse. It is fun when you're trying to find Lucky, but when you have found Lucky I promise you that you will think that it is pretty annoying. This is because you keep the song in your head. I recommend that you don't buy this game because there aren't enough challenges. Once you figure out how to find Lucky there is still only one thing that will be hard for you-- using the slingshot.

Very entertaining game -- even if you don't like horses
I was a little hesitant buying this game since my 6 year old daughter used to be scared of horses, but she surprised me by asking for it. Anyway, she started playing it immediately when we got home and I had to drag her away from the computer a few hours later for dinner. We've had it a couple weeks now and even though she's made it to the end, she continues to go back and play more. She loves all the dress up and even the changing the look of the horse (she's really into horses now). And she loves riding around in the beautiful lands (I must say that the people who made this game did a pretty nice job making the areas in the game beautiful). But her favorite part of the game is talking to the people in differnet areas and figuring out all the puzzles. A great game!

DO NOT BUY THIS GAME
This game was very lacking. I was expecting much more out of it. After playing the SAME game and running on the SAME trails over and over again it gets a little boring. My 5 year old cousin liked it but she really had a hard time playing it. Yet my 8 year old cousin thought it was cool until about an hour after playing it. The person who desighed this game must of had a limeted amount of money or somthing because I was expecting ALOT more. It teaches MANY fales facts about horses. It alowes kids to change Barbie's cloths to a western out fit while having her ride in an english saddle and western bit? It should REALLY teach stuff about horses instead of teaching them about finding Lucky. I mean Barbie does not even get on the right side of the horse? She does NOT go into her 2 point and just can't ride. I would NOT get this game for any age group. I was VERY disapointed with it.

really incredibly a terrible game
i bought this game and i just have to say that i condemn the day i bought it. do not buy this idiotic game becuase it is really bad'

Too bad all the other reviews are for other Barbie Games!
All these reviews of this game (below) really upset me because they refer to an "alternate version", which turns out to be a totally different Barbie game than the item shown here.
Click on the hyperlinks to see for yourself. I haven't found a single one out of 28 reviews that describe this particular item.
I've found the same problem with Disney princess games as well.

Anyway, this game plays somewhat similar to the older Barbie Riding Club, riding the horse and solving puzzles, and is suitable for the younger children 4-7 because it is pretty easy. ... Read more

Features

• Discover the village, forest and castle as you journey through the royal kingdom!
• Play fun games and solve puzzles! Gather apples in the orchard, spin wool for fabric, and more!
• Play 5 creative activities as you help Erika™ become queen!
• Decorate the castle for the ceremony! Add stained glass windows and banners for the perfect touch!
• Collect flags, flowers and more to unlock special surprises!

Features

• Intense superhero action/adventure gameplay
• Game based on the film¿s characters, settings, and events
• Collection of 10 fun-filled, highly replayable games and activities
• Live the film¿s action, adventure, and humor; play as film¿s characters
• Various difficulty levels keeps games fun for kids of all ages