Software:Detective Barbie

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Detective Barbie
Genre(s)Mystery, Adventure
Developer(s)Gorilla Systems Corporation
(Carnival Caper and Vacation Mystery)
Runecraft
(Mystery Cruise)
Publisher(s)Mattel Media/Mattel Interactive
Original release1998-2000
First releaseDetective Barbie In the Mystery of the Carnival Caper!
1998
Latest releaseDetective Barbie: The Mystery Cruise
November 20, 2000

Detective Barbie is a series of three mystery themed point and click adventure games starring the character Barbie. The series consists of Detective Barbie In the Mystery of the Carnival Caper! (1998) Detective Barbie 2: The Vacation Mystery (1999), and Detective Barbie: The Mystery Cruise (2000). The first two games were developed by Gorilla Systems Corporation and published on the PC by Mattel Media/Mattel Interactive. The third game was developed for the PlayStation by Runecraft.

History

The games were sold with pink-and-silver Barbie PCs.[1]

Detective Barbie In the Mystery of the Carnival Caper! was the 9th top-selling computer game at 13 software retail chains representing 53 percent of the U.S. market for the week that ended December 5, 1998.[2]

Plot

Detective Barbie In the Mystery of the Carnival Caper!

Ken went to a local carnival and volunteered for a disappearing magic trick and now he can't be found. It is up the player to locate him.[3] Tasks include gathering clues in specific locations of the park, solving puzzles, and playing mini-games.

Detective Barbie 2: The Vacation Mystery

Team Barbie Detective (Barbie, Ken, and Becky) solve a mystery regarding a series of antique jewels that have been stolen at Lighthouse Cove hotel.[4] Players can use the Barbie GamePad to play the game.[5] Clues are on different locations each new game. Clues bring Barbie closer to solving the mystery and make her find puzzle pieces that contains a mysterious message on the back once fully assembled.[6]

Detective Barbie: The Mystery Cruise

Announced on November 20, 2000, this was a two-player game.[7][8] The premise involves Barbie investigating the disappearance of artworks from a cruise ship.[9]

Gameplay

In the case of the computer games, the entire game has a standard point-and-click style controlled via a mouse. Players move Barbie to a new location by moving the mouse to the edge of the screen, where the cursor will turn into a big pink arrow. Players click on hotspots to interact with them, while interacting with characters to uncover clues.[10]

Critical reception

Detective Barbie In the Mystery of the Carnival Caper!

Richard Cobbett of PC Gamer said the game had neither glitz nor glamour.[11] SuperKids said "persistence, patience, and good directional abilities" were required to solve the case, instead of logic and deductive reasoning skills.[12] Russian website 7Wolf wrote that the graphics were simple, but that it was a good game for girls to unite around.[13] Michelle Regna, writing for Buzzfeed, said the best part of the game was its rides, such as the "Tunnel of Love".[14] Drew Dakessian of Wired said that the game "enabled me to live out my girl-gumshoe dreams."[15]

Detective Barbie 2: The Vacation Mystery

SuperKids thought the game may be too difficult for young players, and recommended that people with short attention spans should stay away from it.[16] The Boston Herald thought the game wasn't innovative but that it would still provide hours of entertainment,[17] though it did describe the game as one of the "hottest new releases" in the children's interactive software space.[18]

See also

  • List of Barbie video games

References

  1. ↑ Michael White Associated Press (December 18, 1999). "KIDS' PCS SHIP LATE; POST-HOLIDAY DELIVERY LIKELY". Daily News. https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-83632125.html. 
  2. ↑ "Bestsellers". The Washington Post. December 21, 1998. https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-685434.html. 
  3. ↑ English, Susan (November 1, 1998). "NEW COVERAGE WOULD BENEFIT MANY PARTNERS". The Spokesman-Review. https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-27250854.html. 
  4. ↑ "PLAYERS CONQUER ISLANDS". The Cincinnati Post. February 29, 2000. https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-63438473.html. 
  5. ↑ "Girls Just Want to Have Fun This Holiday Season And You Can Help With Barbie Electronic Gaming Accessories". PR Newswire (press release). November 23, 1999. https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Girls+Just+Want+to+Have+Fun+This+Holiday+Season+And+You+Can+Help+With+...-a057764954. 
  6. ↑ "YouTube gameplay video showing the puzzle pieces.". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGcns7M1-f8. 
  7. ↑ "Mattel Media Reveals Detective BARBIE: The Mystery Cruise for PlayStation At Retail Stores Nationwide". Business Wire (press release). November 20, 2000. https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Mattel+Media+Reveals+Detective+BARBIE:+The+Mystery+Cruise+for...-a067129360. 
  8. ↑ "Mattel Media Stuffs Stockings With Name Brand Hybrid Toys and Electronic Entertainment Products". PR Newswire (press release). November 14, 2000. https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Mattel+Media+Stuffs+Stockings+With+Name+Brand+Hybrid+Toys+and...-a066913560. 
  9. ↑ Henning, Alex (September 21, 2020). "The Horrifying World of Doll-Based Video Games". Comic Book Resources. https://www.cbr.com/horrifying-doll-based-games-bratz-barbie/. 
  10. ↑ MEGA MIRROR: BARBIE POSER.(Features). 1999-04-24. https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-60386472.html. 
  11. ↑ Cobbett, Richard (March 22, 2014). "Saturday Crapshoot: Detective Barbie" (in en). PC Gamer. http://www.pcgamer.com/saturday-crapshoot-detective-barbie/. 
  12. ↑ "SuperKids Software Review of Detective Barbie.". http://www.superkids.com/aweb/pages/reviews/girls/5/barbied/merge.shtml. 
  13. ↑ "Обзор "Detective Barbie Platinum ( Kravchuk )"" (in ru). January 9, 2002. http://www.7wolf.ru/index_view_areview_item_1338.zhtml. 
  14. ↑ Regna, Michelle (Dec 9, 2015). "21 Barbie Computer Games You Totally Forgot Existed" (in en). BuzzFeed. https://www.buzzfeed.com/michelleregna/hi-im-barbie. 
  15. ↑ Dakessian, Drew (March 2, 2021). "The 'Girl Games' of the '90s Were Fun and Feminist". Wired. https://www.wired.com/story/girl-games-90s-fun-feminist/. Retrieved November 4, 2021. 
  16. ↑ "SuperKids Software Review of Detective Barbie 2: The Vacation Mystery.". http://www.superkids.com/aweb/pages/reviews/girls/7/bd2/merge.shtml. 
  17. ↑ Games hold clue to Barbie's appeal; Barbie Detective 2: The Vacation Mystery. Mattel Media, $30. Windows 95/98. For age 5 and up. 2 1/2 stars.(Arts and Lifestyle). 2000-02-20. https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-59549248.html. 
  18. ↑ Electric ideas.. 1998-12-08. https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-56344138.html. 



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