Detective Barbie Explained

Genre:Mystery, Adventure
Developer:Gorilla Systems Corporation
(Carnival Caper and Vacation Mystery)
Runecraft
(Mystery Cruise)
Publisher:Mattel Media/Mattel Interactive
Released:1998-2000
First Release Version:Detective Barbie In the Mystery of the Carnival Caper!
First Release Date:1998
Latest Release Version:Detective Barbie: The Mystery Cruise
Latest Release Date: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

In the late 1990s, Mattel often provided the first two games as an included bonus with their pink-and-silver Barbie PCs made by Patriot Computers.[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

Notes and References

  1. News: KIDS' PCS SHIP LATE; POST-HOLIDAY DELIVERY LIKELY. Michael White Associated Press. December 18, 1999. Daily News. https://web.archive.org/web/20170315085245/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-83632125.html. 2017-03-15. dead.
  2. News: Bestsellers. https://web.archive.org/web/20170315085439/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-685434.html. dead. March 15, 2017. December 21, 1998. The Washington Post.
  3. News: NEW COVERAGE WOULD BENEFIT MANY PARTNERS. English. Susan. November 1, 1998. The Spokesman-Review. https://web.archive.org/web/20170315001728/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-27250854.html. 2017-03-15. dead.
  4. News: PLAYERS CONQUER ISLANDS. February 29, 2000. The Cincinnati Post. https://web.archive.org/web/20170315002100/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-63438473.html. 2017-03-15. dead.
  5. News: Girls Just Want to Have Fun This Holiday Season And You Can Help With Barbie Electronic Gaming Accessories. November 23, 1999. PR Newswire (press release).
  6. Web site: YouTube gameplay video showing the puzzle pieces.. YouTube. https://web.archive.org/web/20210306133702/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGcns7M1-f8. 2021-03-06. bot: unknown. 2021-03-05.
  7. News: Mattel Media Reveals Detective BARBIE: The Mystery Cruise for PlayStation At Retail Stores Nationwide. November 20, 2000. Business Wire (press release).
  8. News: Mattel Media Stuffs Stockings With Name Brand Hybrid Toys and Electronic Entertainment Products. November 14, 2000. PR Newswire (press release).
  9. News: Henning. Alex. September 21, 2020. The Horrifying World of Doll-Based Video Games. Comic Book Resources. November 4, 2021.
  10. 1999-04-24. MEGA MIRROR: BARBIE POSER.(Features). https://web.archive.org/web/20170315001940/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-60386472.html. dead. 2017-03-15.
  11. News: Cobbett. Richard. March 22, 2014. Saturday Crapshoot: Detective Barbie. en. PC Gamer. 2017-03-14.
  12. Web site: SuperKids Software Review of Detective Barbie.. live. https://archive.today/20211104052334/http://www.superkids.com/aweb/pages/reviews/girls/5/barbied/merge.shtml. 2021-11-04. 2017-03-14. SuperKids.
  13. Web site: January 9, 2002. Обзор "Detective Barbie Platinum (Kravchuk)". dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20070309073458/http://www.7wolf.ru/index_view_areview_item_1338.zhtml. 2007-03-09. 2017-03-14. 7Wolf. ru.
  14. News: Regna. Michelle. Dec 9, 2015. 21 Barbie Computer Games You Totally Forgot Existed. en. BuzzFeed. 2017-03-14.
  15. Dakessian. Drew. March 2, 2021. The 'Girl Games' of the '90s Were Fun and Feminist. Wired. November 4, 2021.
  16. Web site: SuperKids Software Review of Detective Barbie 2: The Vacation Mystery.. live. 2017-03-14. SuperKids. https://web.archive.org/web/20000524130456/http://www.superkids.com:80/aweb/pages/reviews/girls/7/bd2/merge.shtml . 2000-05-24 .
  17. 2000-02-20. 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). https://web.archive.org/web/20170315001725/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-59549248.html. dead. 2017-03-15.
  18. 1998-12-08. Electric ideas.. https://web.archive.org/web/20170315001517/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-56344138.html. dead. 2017-03-15.

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