 This title
bundles three previously released Barbie CD-ROMs:
- Adventures with Barbie: Ocean
Discovery
- Generation Girl Gotta Groove
CD-ROM
- Barbie Magic Hair Styler
Adventures with Barbie: Ocean
Discovery is a moderately fun, and somewhat limited, adventure
game for children approximately ages 5 and up. The fun? Kids get
to guide Barbie underwater in search of pieces of a treasure map.
Why is it limited? The educational value of the game is rather
low. Although a "save the marine life" sub-theme is
featured, children won't come away from the game with many facts
about the sea and its creatures. Barbie
takes on the role of marine biologist in the game, and her search
for treasure involves swimming underwater, looking for clues. Sandy
the Dolphin is her faithful companion, and players' source for game hints. Children take part in assorted activities, one of
which is a puzzle in which kids fix the coral reef. Kids collect
gold charms, use a magnifying glass, and solve problems on their
quest.  Barbie Magic Hair
Styler is a simple title that allows children to "doll
up" the dolls. First, kids select one of 4
dolls--Barbie herself, Christie, Kira, and Teresa--after which they choose a
special theme, be it Wedding, Career, Dream Date, or Costume
Party. Then, it's off to the beauty salon, where they can play with
hairstyles, apply make-up, and add accessories to their chosen
model. Kids can rotate their doll to get side and back-angle
views, snap a "photo" of the dolls to keep in a
scrapbook, and watch their doll in action in a short video clip.
Barbie Magic Hair Styler fails to
offer much variety or originality, yet was very appealing to
testers. Barbie fans ages 3-4 will actually spend a lot of time
with the game.
 In
Generation Girl Gotta Groove CD-ROM, players meet with
Barbie and her "Generation" girlfriends at International
High. Kids create sets, develop and practice dance routines, and
choose costumes for the girls' performances. The Generation Girls
have different specialties, such as salsa, swing, hip-hop, and pop
music.
All three titles in the bundle
are low in educational content. However, they
can be fun for Barbie fans and they have some replay value. The low price of this 3 CD-ROM set makes
it worthwhile, if only to add some variety to a child's software
collection.
Children under 5 or 6 will need
help playing Ocean Discovery, but will enjoy the free-play Magic
Hairstyler title.
See More Screenshots -
Barbie Birthday Collection Picture Gallery
Pros:
- Economical way to add
variety to a child's software collection.
- Moderately engaging
activities will please some young Barbie fans.
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Cons:
- Not very educational.
- None of the 3 CD-ROMs
stands out as particularly impressive.
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Back
| For Windows |
By: Vivendi |
Ages 3-7 |
Published: 2002 |
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