Barbie (1984, Commodore 64)

The primary official Barbie recreation was successfully a simulator for on the brink of exit, by which Ken invited Barbie on a sequence of dates – to the pool, a celebration, a tennis match – and the participant then needed to zoom off in a yellow convertible to purchase the right outfits. It was annoying that Ken received to select all of the actions, however the detailed graphics and use of digitised speech had been spectacular on the time.

Misplaced Phrase of Jenny (1987, NES)

I wished to incorporate a minimum of one ridiculously obscure entry and right here it’s. Misplaced Phrase of Jenny is a surreal Japan-only platformer based mostly round toy producer Takara’s localised model of Barbie – though she needed to change her title to Jenny when the corporate misplaced the official licence (and Ken’s title turned Jeff). Within the recreation, Jenny has to search out her manner again right into a theatre musical by finding sections of a door code in bizarre areas, together with a pirate ship, an enormous cake and outer house. Alongside the way in which she is attacked by offended puppies, a pumpkin man and a vengeful demise skeleton. I don’t suppose any of this made it into the forthcoming Barbie film.

Barbie Trend Designer (1996, PC)

There are many different “costume up” Barbie video games on the market (Barbie Trend Present, Barbie Magic Hair Styler, Barbie Magnificence Boutique and so on), however that is one of the best, permitting gamers to design an enormous vary of outfits after which watch Barbie mannequin them on a catwalk. Higher but, the sport got here with fabric-backed paper so you could possibly print out your designs and make outfits in your real-life dolls. Now thought of a traditional, it was just lately put into the online game corridor of fame at New York’s Sturdy Nationwide Museum of Play.

Barbie Storymaker (1997, PC)

Designed by Mattel’s personal growth studio, Barbie Storymaker allowed gamers to make their very own quick animated scenes and tales, selecting the situation, characters, objects and interactions by way of an intuitive point-and-click interface. Like the wonderful The Simpsons: Cartoon Studio this was a genuinely artistic recreation that explored the potential of the multimedia CD-Rom period.

Detective Barbie: The Thriller Cruise (2000, PlayStation)

Within the 2000s, Barbie moved away from the dressing up and role-playing components of conventional doll play and began to discover online game genres. This third title within the Detective Barbie journey sequence had gamers exploring a cruise ship to find the whereabouts of stolen artworks, interviewing passengers and searching for clues together with her vary of high-tech devices. It’s a enjoyable puzzler with a variety of mini-games that supported two gamers, and every time you play the perpetrator is completely different.

Barbie: Explorer (2001, PlayStation)

An apparent tackle Tomb Raider, Explorer places Barbie into the Lara Croft position, travelling via African jungles and Tibetan mountains to retrieve items of a magical mirror. There are many puzzles and traps and the participant can unlock power-ups, which amusingly embody “tip-toes”, permitting Barbie to navigate unstable platforms utilizing the doll’s acquainted raised-heel stance. You additionally keep away from quite than shoot wild animals, which makes Barbie extra ecologically accountable than Croft.

Barbie Seaside Trip (2001, PC)

There needed to be a seashore recreation on the record and this 2001 effort from Australian developer Krome Studios (additionally answerable for a number of Spyro the Dragon and Star Wars video games) is one of the best of a small bunch. It’s primarily a group of mini-games, from sandcastle constructing to scuba diving and water snowboarding, and you may change outfits and take images as you go. It’s price a search for the crude 3D polygonal visuals, which ship Barbie on a very terrifying journey into the uncanny valley.

Secret Agent Barbie (2001, Sport Boy Advance)

Launched alongside an identical PC title, this 2D journey platformer had Barbie travelling the world making an attempt to trace down the stolen crown jewels, utilizing an arsenal of devices and stealth skills to flee enemies and clear up puzzles. A cross between Prince of Persia and Metallic Gear Stable, however with higher outfits.

Barbie Horse Adventures: Using Camp (2008, GBA, PS2, Wii, DS, PC)

One of the best title within the Barbie Horse Adventures sequence is actually Pink Useless Redemption with out the violence. You trip a number of horses round a big island atmosphere having fun with the various surroundings and infrequently taking up mini-quests for non-player characters. It’s properly open-ended and enjoyable, and would absolutely have garnered extra consideration from online game websites if it weren’t for the Barbie title.

Barbie and the Three Musketeers (2009, Wii, DS, PC)

A number of Barbie video games of the 2000s had been tie-ins together with her animated motion pictures of the period, typically based mostly round traditional tales and fairytales; this gender-swapped tackle the Dumas novel is my favorite instance. It’s a really respectable platforming journey with beautiful evocations of the French countryside, and you get a pet kitten who can squeeze into hard-to-reach areas (which, in my view, makes it superior to the Dumas unique).