Trail of the Twister is the twenty second game in the Nancy Drew adventure series. It is based on Nancy Drew Mystery Stories #155: The Mystery in Tornado Alley. In this game, Nancy goes undercover in Oklahoma to catch a saboteur in a group of tornado chasers competing for a $100 million cash prize.
It was promoted with a microsite, a video web series of character interviews which can be found on Her Interactive's website, and a blog of the intern Nancy is replacing. The bar at the top of the box is of a different format so that it advertises that it can be played on both Mac and PC.
Synopsis[]
Apprehend a saboteur stirring up turbulent trouble!
A series of equipment meltdowns have been plaguing a prominent Oklahoma storm research team. They are in the running to win a $100 million grant in the upcoming Green Skies storm competition, when disaster strikes and an intern becomes stranded directly in the path of a storm, leaving him with a broken leg. P.G. Krolmeister, the founder of the team, sends you, as Nancy Drew to join the team undercover as an intern to find out who has been sabotaging them. Nancy had better keep her wits about her, as she not only has to uncover a saboteur, but battle some of the deadliest twisters in Oklahoma! Is it just bad luck that’s plaguing the storm chasers or is someone sabotaging their chances of winning?
- Go undercover as a storm chaser
- Immerse yourself in meteorology by studying clouds, reading Doppler data and surviving tornadoes
- Collect pennies by playing arcade games to purchase candy from the local store
Characters[]
Scott Varnell[]
Scott is the leader of the Canute team. Short-tempered and pessimistic, he is very dedicated to the study of tornadoes. Some people even call him gifted due to his intuitive link with twisters, but lately he seems even more put out than usual.
Debbie Kircum[]
Debbie is the project manager. She does most of the work, up to and including putting up with Scott's temper.
Tobias "Frosty" Harlow[]
Frosty is the team's photographer. His interest in tornadoes started when he was literally caught in one and got some of the best footage to date, as well as his current nickname. He's a bit overconfident about his photography abilities.
Chase Relerford[]
Chase is the team's handyman. He is a junior who signed up as a science requirement, but found himself very intrigued by the class.
Pa[]
Pa runs Ma and Pa's General Store. He's a well-loved famous local, and is very serious about tornado safety. He also runs a small museum on Oklahoma history, including the Dust Bowl. He's actually quite a fan of plays and even acts onstage from time to time.
Phone Friends[]
Nancy uses a cell phone that is accessible by an icon at the bottom of the screen.
The Hardy Boys[]
Frank and Joe are detective brothers and friends of Nancy who can give her advice if she's a Junior Detective. At the moment, they're trying to solve their own case, called Treasure on the Tracks, or as Joe calls it, The Mystery of the Train Trip.
P.G. Krolmeister[]
Krolmeister is the one who hired Nancy to find out who was behind the sabotage. He is the owner of the Krolmeister company Nancy has run into throughout many of her cases. He's a bit excitable and has been very interested in tornadoes ever since one tore through his house.
Trivia[]
Continuity[]
- This game coincides with Treasure on the Tracks.
- If you turn on the TV, you might see screenshots from past Nancy Drew games.
- The mug on Nancy's desk in the intro has the logo of Waverly Academy. (Warnings at Waverly Academy)
- The juice and chips being sold in Ma n Pa's store are the same from the snack shop. (Warnings at Waverly Academy)
- Krolmeister is a friend of Prudence Rutherford, and reveals one of her homes was destroyed by a tornado.
- The green trunk in Scott's office is the same as Dr. Quigley. (The Creature of Kapu Cave)
- When talking to Debbie for the first time, she mentions a research center in Hawaii, which refers to the Hilihili Research Center. The Hilihili logo is also seen by the crops being grown. (The Creature of Kapu Cave)
- When you ask Frosty about the disaster kit, he mentions Lori Girard. (Last Train to Blue Moon Canyon)
Foreshadowing[]
Easter Eggs[]
- When playing the Land Rush game, click on one square, and back away from the game. You will win 250 Pa Pennies.
- If you call Nancy's cell phone number, you will hear her answering machine.
- The right sticky note on the blue graph paper in front of the siren chart in the living room says "This is really just a note on the right."
- If you eat several pieces of candy in a row, the screen will turn green.
Main/recurring character revelations[]
Allusions[]
Goofs[]
- The game takes place around the real town of Canute, Oklahoma. However, while the characters often refer to the "Canute College", there is no such establishment.
- Ironically, a local convenience store worker in Canute revealed that the town is not prone to tornados or twisters due to it being in a "bowl" in the landscape.
Microsite[]
The Trail of the Twister microsite lets people 'join the team' and receive a Canute ID card by completing a quiz. The site also talks about each team member, tornadoes and terminology, and equipment.
