Nancy Drew: The Deadly Device

The Deadly Device
Developer(s)	Her Interactive
Publisher(s)	Her Interactive
Series	Nancy Drew
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X
Release	October 23, 2012
Genre(s)	Adventure
Mode(s)	Single-player

Nancy Drew: The Deadly Device is the 27th installment in the Nancy Drew point-and-click adventure game series by Her Interactive. The game is available for play on Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X platforms. It has an ESRB rating of E10+ for moments of mild violence. Players take on the first-person view of fictional amateur sleuth Nancy Drew and must solve the mystery through interrogation of suspects, solving puzzles and discovering clues. There are two levels of gameplay, Amateur and Master sleuth modes, each offering a different difficulty level of puzzles and hints, however neither of these changes affect the actual plot of the game. The game is loosely based on two books, The Crime Lab Case (2000) and In and Out of Love (1997).

Plot

Theoretical physicist Niko Jovic is found fatally electrocuted in a remote Colorado laboratory, Technology of Tomorrow Today, under suspicious circumstances. Relating to wireless transmission of electricity, Niko Jovic's work could sell for millions on the market. With the case stuck at a dead end, the lab owner has asked Nancy Drew to go undercover to investigate this murder. Tensions rise as attempts on Nancy's life start, Nancy must get to the bottom of this case before the murderer catches up with her.

Development

Characters

• Nancy Drew - Nancy is an eighteen-year old amateur detective from the fictional town of River Heights in the United States. She is the only playable character in the game, which means the player must solve the mystery from her perspective.

• Niko Jovic - Rumors in the scientific community said that he had discovered the secret to wireless energy transfer. But before he could release his findings to the world, he was found murdered. Like Tesla, Niko was clever yet secretive. Could someone be looking for what he left behind?

• Mason Quinto - Mason is the smart, driven, and arrogant senior lab assistant. He likes structure and perfection, and values his work. Unlike Niko, Mason believes in proprietary rights. How far will he go to get the credit for his work that he thinks he deserves?

• Ellie York - Ellie works the night shift in the research department. She is a little evasive and does not get along well with Mason, which drove her to work opposite shifts. While appearing genuinely shaken, her actions after Niko's death seem to indicate that she could be hiding something.

• Gray Cortright - Gray is the head of security. Not the friendly type, he comes across as a little intimidating and is not forthcoming while being questioned. His knowledge and unrestricted access to all areas provide plenty of opportunity for sneaking around unnoticed.

• Ryan Kilpatrick - Ryan is a technical engineer that has built and modified several parts of the lab. Her knowledge of the Tesla coil makes her a prime suspect. Is her nice girl impression genuine or an act?

• Victor Lossett - Victor is the co-owner of the lab. He has hired you to solve the cold case murder. Eager for the case to be solved, he pushes Nancy to find the culprit. Niko's work and name appear to be very important to him, but there could be more to this mystery than meets the eye.

Phone Contacts

• Deirdre Shannon - Deirdre Shannon is studying for a degree in criminology and assists Nancy in her investigation. Though the girls grew up together, she's never really been a fan of Nancy, but helping her out could mean a better grade in her criminology class back in the girls' hometown of River Heights.

• Frank Hardy and Joe Hardy - Frank and Joe are Nancy's friends who work as undercover detectives. As big fans of Nikola Tesla, they are eager to hear about the case and to assist Nancy in any way they can.

Cast

• Nancy Drew - Lani Minella
• Ryan Kilpatrick - Katherine Grant-Suttie
• Mason Quinto - Marc Biagi
• Ellie York - Sara Mountjoy-Pepka
• Gray Cortright - Mark Dodson
• Victor Lossett - David Cravens-O'Farrell
• Niko Jovic - Josh Crandall
• Frank Hardy - Jonah Von Spreecken
• Joe Hardy - Rob Jones
• Deirdre Shannon - Meaghan Halverson
• Miscellaneous Voices - Jayme Crandall

Gameplay

Easter Eggs

• After viewing the program on Ellie's computer, click on the purple vase in the lounge.
• Enter the binary code on Gray's shirt (from top to bottom - blank spaces and blue circles are red while white ones are blue) into Niko's desk drawer and an egg will appear inside!
• After listening to Niko's final journal entry, activate the pigeon until it "lays" an egg.

Fatal Errors

In each of the games, there are different points where Nancy can make "fatal errors." These points are usually when she blows her cover as a detective or gets seriously injured. At such points, the game will stop and give the player the option to try again before the fatal error occurred. If the player doesn't wish to retry, then the game is over. The fatal errors in The Deadly Device include:

• Letting the power grid go critical.
• Getting caught snooping through someone's private area.
• Being electrocuted by the Tesla coil on high power.
• Mixing chemicals to cause an explosion.
• Not fixing the elevator brake in time and letting it crash.
• Suffocating in the photolithography lab.
• Overheating in the ventilation ducts.
• Not solving the Faraday Cage puzzle at the end of the game.

Gameplay Awards

At the end of The Deadly Device, trophies can be awarded for doing various tasks.

• Alarmist: For consistently raising the alert.
• Candy Connoisseur: For sampling all of Niko's candy.
• Chemist: For creating many formulas.
• Composer: For creating shockingly beautiful music.
• Easter Egg: For finding a secret surprise.
• Electrified: For running wireless energy tests.
• Gamer: For playing the boards.
• Gummy Bandit: For pilfering gelatinous ursines.
• Imperfectionist: For messing up Mason's desk.
• Pigeon Handler: For frequent flights.
• Pretty Kitty: For rebuilding the robotic feline.
• Trivia Tamer: For acing the final test.
• Charmed (Bonus Edition Only): For finding all the charms.

References to Previous Games

References to previous games in the series include:

• Deirdre Shannon is a returning character from Nancy Drew: Alibi in Ashes.
• The dragon slider puzzle is hanging by the water cooler in Mason and Ellie's office. (Nancy Drew: The Haunting of Castle Malloy)
• Nancy's pillowcase has the Koko Kringle logo on it. In a text, Ned mentions eating Koko Kringle Caramel Corn. (Nancy Drew: Secret of the Scarlet Hand)
• When Nancy goes into the bathroom, she sometimes says, "B.S. has B.O.? Hey...how did that end up in here too?" This is a reference to Nancy Drew: Warnings at Waverly Academy.
• The oscillator, Niko's media card player, and Niko's personal computer are manufactured by Krolmeister. (Nancy Drew: Secret of the Scarlet Hand)
• Lukas's Monster board game is located near the couch in the lounge. (Nancy Drew: The Captive Curse)
• Two of the books on the shelf in the lounge are The Crystal Skulls: Fact or Fable? by Beatrice Hotchkiss and Short Stories for Tired Eyes by Bruno Bolet. (Nancy Drew: Legend of the Crystal Skull)
• One of the books on the shelf in the lounge is Zoopraxiscope: Animals in Motion by Cap Y. Bara. (Nancy Drew: The Haunting of Castle Malloy)
• Mason and Gray have a public argument at the expo center in Japan where Yumi Shimizu's bento stand is located. (Nancy Drew: Shadow at the Water's Edge).
• Nancy's cell phone wallpaper (Tomb and Queen's Entrance = Nancy Drew: Tomb of the Lost Queen; Literal Desktop = Nancy Drew: Alibi in Ashes; Prof. Sparrow = Nancy Drew: The Captive Curse; Haunted = Nancy Drew: Message in a Haunted Mansion; Waverly = Nancy Drew: Warnings at Waverly Academy)
• Nancy's cell phone games (Renograms = Nancy Drew: Shadow at the Water's Edge; Landrush = Nancy Drew: Trail of the Twister; Wires = Nancy Drew: Alibi in Ashes; Escape! = Nancy Drew: The Captive Curse)