Secrets Can Kill

Infobox VG| title = Nancy Drew: Secrets Can Kill


developer = Her Interactive
publisher = DreamCatcher Interactive Inc.
designer =
released = December 1998
genre = Adventure
modes = Single player
ratings = ESRB: Everyone (E)
platforms = Windows
media =
requirements =
* Microsoft Windows 95 or Windows 98 or Windows ME
* 166 MHz Pentium Processor (200 MHz recommended)
* 16 MB of RAM
* 16-bit color graphics video card
* 16-bit Windows-compatible stereo sound card
* 8x CD-ROM Drive
* 42 MB hard drive space using the Compact install option or 220 MB hard drive space using the Recommended install option.
* Mouse
input =

"Secrets Can Kill" was the first of the many Nancy Drew computer games developed by DreamCatcher Games and Her Interactive.

"Secrets Can Kill", often abbreviated as SCK, is a first-person whodunit from the viewpoint of Nancy. The game is 3D, but unlike later games, the characters are cartoonish 2D.

The game is based on the book "Secrets Can Kill", the first book in the Nancy Drew Files Series. It is set in first person view of Nancy Drew and takes place in the fictional town of Paseo Del Mar, Florida.

Characters

Daryl Gray -- Daryl is an informant. He can be found at Maxine's Diner, where he works, even though his family is rich. He found the victim's body. His father is former US senator Eugene Gray.----Hal Tanaka -- Hal is a foreign exchange student from Japan. He's very focused on getting a scholarship so he can go to college and become a doctor. He is always in the study dome at the school and seems to be connected to Jake Rogers in some way, the student who was murdered.----Connie Watson -- Connie is a tough girl who is into judo. You can always find her in the Student Lounge. She seems to be hiding a dark secret...----Hector "Hulk" Sanchez -- Hulk Sanchez is a stereotypical jock who may even play for the Dolphins one day. Hulk does pretty well in school, all the girls love him, and he seems to have a great life.But could a stereotypical image hide darker plans?----Mitch Dillon -- Mitch is the school's boiler serviceman and is also a drug dealer. He's heavily involved in Daryl's fast money-making scheme.

Plot

In this game Nancy is visiting her Aunt Eloise in Florida, when a student of a nearby school is brutally murdered. The student, Jake Rogers, was greatly disliked at Paseo Del Mar High. Nancy decides to investigate the murder and find out who murdered Jake and why.

Phone Friends

The characters are familiar to those who've read the books. In the game, Nancy calls them for hints and fun. These are:
*Bess Marvin - one of Nancy's best friends.
*George Fayne - Nancy's other best friend and Bess's cousin.
*Ned Nickerson - Nancy's boyfriend.

Jake and Aunt Eloise are two characters you hear of but never meet. You can never hear Jake's voice in the game, but you can hear Eloise's voice by calling the number on the phone card.

Phone Numbers

Throughout the game you will find phone numbers on various things. They are merely for fun, not necessary to complete the game. These are:

*Aunt Eloise (The number on the phone card) - 555-1204
*Drug Depot - 555-3784 (555-DRUG)
*The Pizza Place - 555-8669 (Tony's Pizza - 555-TONY)
*Judo Club - 555-JUDO
*Police - 555-4855 (555-HULK) Even though Hulk has nothing to do with the police, this is just a cute coincidence.
*Maxine's - 555-5386
*Save the Manatees Club - 1-800-432-JOIN
*Jake's Locker - 555-JAKE

Accidents

Within Secrets Can Kill and other Nancy Drew computer games, there are a number of fatal mistakes you can make, such as falling down stairs or setting something on fire. The "Second Chance" option can be used to correct these mistakes. Here is a list of the mistakes you can make:

*Fail to replace the bolt cutters with a ladle and create a gas leak at the diner and start an explosion.
*Not fixing the boiler in time and explode Paseo Del Mar High.
*Not pointing the weapon at the culprit in time.

Cast

*Nancy Drew/George Fayne -- Lani Minella
*Voices -- Rick Calvert, Bill Corkery, Kenton Leach, Donna Rowry, and John Truong

Trivia

There are many hidden messages in Secrets Can Kill. Here are some examples:

*In Jake's locker, the magazine has an article about a Judo tournament winner: Nineco, an anagram of "Connie."
*At Aunt Eloise's house, in her gardening book, the capital letters spell "MITCH."
*A cutting board at the diner says "WATCH OUT."
*The jukebox in the diner says "werdycnan," Nancy Drew spelled backwards.
*The book (next to the TV in Aunt Eloise's house) is called Secrets Can Kill, and it mentions two characters fighting at night near a warehouse, as well as a character named Connie.
*At the diner, the menu has two messages; the left one says "soup ladle," and the right one says "bolt cutters."
*The songs on the jukebox at the diner reference Nancy in their titles, such as 'Look Behind You.'
*At the diner in the kitchen, the schedule says at the bottom: "Jake's fate happened deliberately, gravity was not his worst enemy."
*The menu on one of the tables says "danger" and "sabotage."
*The eye chart in the gym read backwards says: "If you can read this, then make no mistake, a genuine first class detective you'll make."
*In the yearbook ad on one of the bulletin boards, the hidden message is "Search below danger sign in kitchen."
*On the bulletin boards: (these are decoded)
**Find the morning edition, and discover another crime, the answer is in black and white, to who will do the time.
**There's more than one way to remove a chain so thick. Aside from the combination, Mel's bolt cutters can do the trick."
**In the face of danger, a killer if you dare, a very unlikely couple, could be a helpful pair.
**A symbol of Kanji, worn with great pride, reflects a great secret, that someone must hide.
**No where to turn, no where to hide, let the books in the library be your guide.
**Even if it meant cheating, to keep up his charade, he did what it took, to make the grade.
**When things go astray, tonight at Vandelay, it will not help to run, so you must grab the gun!
*There are many references to Her Interactive's first games called "The Vampire Diaries" and "McKenzie & Co.", like the following:
**On the bulletin boards, there are posters of The Vampire Diaries and McKenzie & Co.
**There is a CD of The Vampire Diaries on a desk in the library.
**Some of the songs on the jukebox in Maxine's Diner are from The Vampire Diaries.
**In the library, there is a book called "Vampire Diaries: Behind the Scenes."
*If you listen very closely, you can hear Morse code in the teachers' lounge.
*If you look on the whiteboard about absences in the teachers' lounge, the first letters of each name spell "Tanaka cheats."
*The Periodic Table of Elements in the teachers' lounge says: "Search Behind Boiler."
*In the teachers' lounge, the world map says: "A trophy was not the only prize, but also money of a greater size."
*In the teachers' lounge, the memo on the desk says: "Before you see the enemy, examine the elevator."
*In one of the books in the teachers' lounge there is a paper with sign language that spells out "O was innocent", an anagram for "Connie Watson".
*In the library, there is one book called "The Story of Her Interactive and the Making of Nancy Drew" by Megan Gaiser and Barbary Brunner. Her Interactive is the development company behind the game. Megan Gaiser is the President and CEO, and Barbary Brunner is the Director of Product Development.
*One of the books in the library is by Carolyn Keene, author of the Nancy Drew books.
*The blue sheet on the main desk in the library says: "Sabotage should cause concern, but with the gloves you will not burn."
*In the map drawer, there's a word-find where you can find: Mitch, murder, Jake, Hulk, Kanji, Connie, pharmacy, Maxine's, diner, case, boiler, and other words related to the plot.
*In another map drawer, the blue and green letter puzzle says: "The bolt cutters you must take or you could be the next Jake!"
*A book on dreams in the lower level of the library says: "Don't run Nancy."
*There is a book on Zodiac symbols in the library called "The Zodiac and You". In Message in a Haunted Mansion, this book was also in Abby's room.
*A jukebox at Maxine's spells out 'Jake.'
*The letters on the keypad that locks the maintenance room can be shuffled to form "Unjam the lock," although this is not the proper code.

External links

* [http://www.herinteractive.com/prod/sck/index.shtml Secrets Can Kill] by Her Interactive.

"Note: The various titles in the series do not form a continuous plot, but knowledge of pervious games can make it easier to find certain easter eggs."