DinerTown Detective Agency
Posted by Ruff on June 28th, 2009
Who says that the citizens of DinerTown can only star in time management games? Well, I may have mentioned that before, but for this game, PlayFirst proved me dead wrong in my assumptions. DinerTown Detective Agency is a hidden object twist for the popular people of DinerTown. And as PlayFirst expands their characters’ potential in exploring another genre, it’s also a welcoming break for me too since I seem to be reviewing too many time management games lately.
The game stars Bernie the Bookworm. As the name implies, Bernie loves to read and him owning a magazine newsstand is evidence of that quality. However, Bernie has another dream of becoming a private investigator and chance came upon him through a magazine ad selling him his very own handy P.I. kit to start his newfound career. With Flo helping him, the duo scours through the whole of DinerTown trying to find wacky and quirky mysteries needing the help of the town’s first detective.
As a hidden object game, DinerTown Detective Agency has 2 types of mechanics spread throughout its 25 levels. First is traditional hidden object wherein you have listed objects as clues and all you have to do is to find them all to move on, and the second one needs you to collect broken parts of items and use the repaired items to interact with the actual scene. Some clues are important for Bernie’s detective work, indicated by flashing lights and sometimes, Bernie’s head popping out at the bottom of the screen telling you what clue that particular object showed him.
Each scene lets you collect one P.I. badge that either grants you bonus time or points depending if you’re playing timed or relaxed mode respectively. Actual detective work also happens in the scenes, letting you dust for fingerprints, scour the scenes for minute clues or use the dropper to collect samples depending on the particular tool available for you. You may also get to play arranging mini-games and move from room to room on some scenes.
Hidden object is only the first part of the DinerTown Detective Agency gameplay though. The second part makes use of Bernie’s cognitive abilities in trying to narrow down the suspects to three primary ones. In this phase, you get to play an IQ game, a jigsaw puzzle or some fingerprint matching to cross out those who have alibis to pass trial. Afterwards, you’re off to the last part of your sleuthing activities.
The last part makes use of deductive reasoning in order to pinpoint the actual suspect of the crime scene. By use of a checklist, you get to ask the friends of each suspect on some points they wish to share that may be used as a clue to prove them guilty or innocent of the crime. This part is quite easy since you can even deduce who’s guilty even just using half of the invited friends. Just make sure that you read the conditions carefully, or else, you lose detective points if you keep on failing.
After you reach 4 to 5 levels in DinerTown Detective Agency, you’re going to get ranked depending on how well you played. In order to get the highest score possible, try not to use hints, play well and fast, and don’t make mistakes during the second and third parts of the level. Honestly, I didn’t care much about this feature but for those not like me, I guess it adds a little replay factor to the game.
Overall, the game is presented nicely in familiar DinerTown art and fashion. I loved how all the famous Dash game stars are included in the game as either innocent or guilty on such wacky crimes. Mini-games are very engaging and enjoyable to play, and I didn’t even notice time fly so fast during my supposed-to-be trial run of the game. In summary, it’s such a fun trip through DinerTown unlike you’ve ever seen it before.
DinerTown Detective Agency Download
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(3 votes, average: 4.67 out of 5)











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