Surplus Writing by Hagen Macy

“You don’t seem like your usual perky self—usually when you’re about to go off on a sleuthing expedition, you talk a mile a minute. I just want to make sure you’re all right. You know you can talk to me, right Nancy?”

Nancy looked down, burying her chin in the folds of Ned’s oversized Emerson College sweatshirt. A sigh broke through her nose—she tried covering it with a forced chuckle, but it didn’t take.

“Oh Ned, I hate to sound like a broken record—”

“Nancy,” Ned leaned in, his words firm. “there is nothing wrong with taking a semester off. In fact, it’s a great idea. Not everybody moves at the same pace, exactly like you said…I mean look at me! I’ve changed my major what?—three times?”

“It’s just a bit overwhelming…”

“All the more reason to take off. You need to focus on you, everybody does now and again.”

Nancy shook her head. “It’s not just that…it’s the case, I—”

Ned took her hand and began to rub his long fingers against her open palm, trying to soothe her. Nancy paused, calculating her next words, then displayed them:

“…While I’m staying with Aunt Eloise, I’m going to be doing a little undercover work with the Florida Police Department.”

“That sounds fun!”

“Yeah…it should be…but—” she looked up and gave him a weak smile. She surprised him with an impulsive peck on the lips. That made them both grin like silly schoolchildren, hiding a secret exchange.

“But what?” said Ned.

“I’m going to be posing as a student at the local high school. I know it’s just an act, and it should feel like a fun trip down memory lane. But, I don’t know. It feels…weird. I like the idea of being a high-schooler again. I miss those days At the same time though, it makes me feel sad. I don’t know.”

Ned listened closely and nodded his head even when Nancy’s thoughts trailed off.

“That all makes sense,” he assured her. “It’s so weird that being a high-schooler was just a few years ago, and yet it’s like a lifetime of differences. Everything just isn’t the same anymore. It’s scary.”

“Maybe I’m just being silly.”

“Maybe,” Ned told her, then he hugged her tight again. “but it’s natural. I’d feel the same way if I was you. Just know you aren’t alone—everyone misses things, and places, and people. Even Bess and George, and especially me!”

Nancy smiled. It was true, Ned had been out of high school longer than all of them.

“It gets easier…and weirder…as time goes by, I promise Nance. You’re gonna make it. I’ll be sending lots of love with my brain waves.”

Nancy laughed.

“Thank you. That makes me feel a lot better. Who knows? Maybe I’ll have some fun in Florida after all.”

5.     The Final Scene

This is going to be a harder one to write, because it’s just…good? It’s a good game. There’s not really a lot for me to nitpick or gush about.

This was one of the first three Nancy games I owned, and I remember back then it was my least favorite. My mom and I played it the least because we genuinely found it the hardest. We’d always get stuck very early on--literally right after Maya would go missing. It was years before I ever even got to MEET Simone or even Nicholas Falcone. I called the police, and then just gave up I guess?

I honestly don’t remember why or how we were so bad at this game. Playing it now, I found The Final Scene to probably be the easiest of the ones I’ve played so far? It’s not unchallenging and half-done like SCK, but it’s very fluid—I finished it very quickly.

The setting of the Royal Palladium Theatre is great! The backstory of the location, with it’s skeevy two-faced turn-of-the-century owner who screwed over his workers and secretly was low on funds makes it feel so real.

This is my favorite cast of characters out of the first five games—everyone is detailed and dotty, and SUPER shady. Fans point out just how unapologetically rude Nancy presents herself in this game, and yes. It’s fantastic.

  4. Treasure in the Royal Tower

This game is definitely a big fan-favorite. In the rankings I’ve seen, TRT tends to grace a lot of people’s top fives and tens. So, this might be a little controversial—I’ve never really loved this one. For me, it’s mostly just forgettable? Don’t get me wrong, I don’t dislike it—I’m more neutral towards Treasure in the Royal Tower than anything.

I see a lotta love for Wickford Castle as a location, but it just does nothing for me. The aesthetic of the castle doesn’t enthuse me—it reads more washed-out and muddled than opulent and chaotic. Sometimes it feels needlessly big—clicking five times to get through long hall after long hall gets tiring. A lot of the mini-missions are laid out specifically to make Nancy meander from one end of the castle to the other, just because. I reached a point where I audibly groaned because Nancy needed to take that convoluted route to get into the tower every. single. time.

There’re also elements to Wickford that feel underdeveloped. The smattering of dead ends you’d think would tie into some backstory about Ezra Wickford being this eccentric weirdo recluse, but he’s presented as mostly a normal dude with like five weird things he did with his house. Mr. Egan tells us he’s so proud and amazed that we found Ezra Wickford’s super-secret door—but like, it’s just a door? In plain view? In the elevator shaft? It isn’t even locked with a key. Are you telling me no maintenance man has ever been in the elevator shaft? Ever?

The characters are okay. Dexter Egan is a standout. Hotchkiss is always divine. Lisa remains memorable mostly because her character is both atrociously acted and written in a way that I think is intentional? Oh, and speaking of underdeveloped—I know these games have a long-standing tradition of “Nancy gets an invitation from a distant friend from far, far away whose link to her hangs on the thinnest of connections”, but the friend who invited her to this castle never even gives her a call. We never even meet her. What even was her name? Kristi? Courtney? Kiri? Help me out here.

There are things I like about TRT. The winter setting is fantastic. I absolutely love Nancy games that teach us things about history, and the Marie Antoinette stuff is great. The idea of this castle that’s been assembled from a dozen other homes in Europe is a great concept, even if it kind of misses the mark in my book. Also, I’m proud to announce that this was the FIRST NANCY GAME I have ever played completely through WITHOUT A WALKTHROUGH! So, this game will always be just a little special to me because of that. Overall, not a bad experience—just not my cup of chocolate milk.