Nancy Drew: The Secret of Shadow Ranch | 
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| From: Her Interactive
Category: Video Games
List Price: $19.99
Buy New: $8.72
You Save: $11.27 (56%)
New (11) Used (8) from $7.00
Avg. Customer Rating:  87 reviews
Sales Rank: 5343
Format: Cd-rom
Platforms: Windows Xp, Windows Me, Windows 2000, Windows 98
ESRB: Everyone
Media: CD-ROM
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Number Of Items: 1
Batteries Included: No
Age: 5 - 20 years
Operating System: Windows 2000
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 1.7 x 7.9 x 9.6
MPN: 30056
Model: 25853
UPC: 767861000562
EAN: 0767861000562
ASIN: B0001XLSG6
Release Date: July 16, 2004
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| 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 |
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Product Description
Nancy Drew: The Secret Of Shadow Ranch is a thrilling Old West adventure set at a vacation ranch. The terra cotta cliffs hide ancient secrets that Nancy Drew must unravel - A ghostly horse is out for unearthly revenge, and the teen girl detective must find out why. Separate the truth from the ghost stories quickly, or you might be next on the list for unearthly revenge!
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| Customer Reviews: Read 82 more reviews...
 My first Nancy Drew gaming experience December 29, 2008
So first off, let me just put all of my comments into context by saying that I could probably be classified as a "gamer." I play anything from platformers to racing to adventure games. My favorite games were the Tex Murphy ones (such as Tex Murphy: Overseer, The Pandora Directive: A Tex Murphy Interactive Movie)- since I missed the "detective" bit so much I figured Nancy Drew would have to do as a substitute.
This is my first Nancy Drew game. I played this after I received Nancy Drew Ultimate Bundle as a gift. Shadow Ranch is one of four Nancy Drew games included in the bundle.
This game is good. Not great, good. Since this game is marketed towards women, I wanted to point out the things that bothered me about this game (I know I'm being overly sensitive, but these are still legitimate issues):
- the game featured a couple of puzzles that were a bit sexist. Baking a cake, sewing, a few girly farm chores, etc. The puzzles themselves were designed well enough to not be too frustrating, but the content left a bad taste in my mouth. Normally, I wouldn't have noticed, but I read several articles about these Nancy Drew games that explained that these games were designed based on "what women are looking for in gaming." The fact that someone is actively thinking about female preferences when designing the game, and came up with those activities... you know where I'm going. I hope that the developers have improved this in the later games.
- the graphics are reminiscent of games made in 1990, not 2004 (the year this came out). This shouldn't really matter to most; the rich storyline is way more important. Also, this makes the game able to run on older computers, so I suppose that's good. However, it would be cool for those of us "chick gamers" who have a supped up computer to be able to see the cool graphics and not have to resort to a "real gamer" game like Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion: Game of the Year Edition. I'm not saying the game should look so realistic that you think you're there, but the images are a bit grainy. Also, there's no way to fix the resolution for a wide-screen monitor. Everybody just looks chubby.
- there are a few times where a clue or item shows up in a place where you've been before, but you can't access the clue until a certain part of the plot has been revealed. Normally, this makes sense, but for example, I look closely at a rock, then later I have to look behind it after I've found a note telling me to go back - why couldn't I do that until I received a clue that said "check underneath this stupid rock." It would have cut out about 6 hrs of gameplay, which would have been bad, but the designers should have figured out a different place to hide this item so that you didn't have this plot hole. Basically, I'm saying that the game could have been designed better. Other reviewers noticed similar things, such as a front door that isn't able to be opened (there's a sign saying to use other doors - POOR DESIGN!).
- I had a hard time figuring out a couple of the puzzles due to the interface. With one puzzle, you had to press enter after typing in letters on the keyboard. Why would I think to press enter after typing in each individual letter? There weren't any instructions hinting that. I, like a lot of other players, had to look up a walkthrough in order to figure out what I was missing. There was another one where I had a puzzle totally put together, but I didn't have my starting piece in the correct spot. There was no prompting language from Nancy, as she does in other puzzles, saying "that doesn't go there" or anything for me to realize that the puzzle piece wasn't in the wrong place. I later realized that the puzzle pieces lock in once they're in the correct place, but I had no way of knowing that until the first one locked in. This goes back to issues with game design.
I know I focused on a lot of the negatives, but the game was entertaining, and it had a good little detective story. It's basically what I'm looking for (but I still miss Tex Murphy!), and I'll be playing more Nancy Drew very soon.
 game review September 29, 2008
I bought this game for my 8 yr old daughter and she loves it. It was a good investment and it teaches her patience and how to look for things.
IT IS SO AWESOME!! September 9, 2008
It is so awesome! If you love horses you NEED this game, or if you like Nancy Drew, you NEED this game. I really liked the puzzles and the horse theme. Kept me interested until the end.
The Secret of Shadow Ranch July 22, 2008
This is one of the best Nancy Drew games. Really entertaining and intresting. I loved the challenges and puzzles it had. Plus the southern theme is pretty cool and my favorite thing was the love story between Frances and Dirk, I think it was very well thought out and spent three days glued to the computer until I was finished.
GREAT FOR ALL AGES!!!! June 20, 2008
I have to say that this game was one of the best in the Nancy Drew series! In the tenth installment of the ND series, players battle rattlesnakes, scorpions, and crazy chickens--and all tied together by the romantic love story of Frances Humber and Dirk Valentine. For the first time ever, your friends actually provide you with helpful hints through a new cell phone, complete with an Internet Browser! In addition, you get to do chores around the ranch, such as building campfires, collecting eggs, picking vegetables, and baking cakes. I never get tired of getting pecked by a nutty chicken!
Ride a horse through old dirt trails to investigate old cliff dwellings, stores, and ghost towns. Get locked in jail and even take part in a little barrel racing! Lasso-ing your lariat is another bonus in this game. Enjoy finding Frances' many favorite flowers and piecing together the love story of a sheriff's daughter and an Arizonian outlaw.
Hours of enjoyment for the whole family!
P.S. I guarantee that you will not believe WHODUNNIT!!!!!!
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