10 Best Barbie Games

Most people would probably never even think about the licensed Barbie video games. Although many different Barbie games have been released for multiple consoles over the years, these titles are either overlooked or disregarded because they are made for kids and have many of the same quality issues as other licensed games.

But, one of the greatest strengths of the Barbie games is that each title has something unique to offer. Because of this creativity, some of these games are worth a closer look regardless of the player’s age.

Barbie As Rapunzel: A Creative Adventure

Based on the 2002 animated film Barbie as Rapunzel, Barbie as Rapunzel: A Creative Adventure is a PC game that takes place in a slightly different continuity from the original movie. Rapunzel and Prince Stefan decide to host a masquerade ball, and they invite everyone except for the evil witch Gothel. When Gothel discovers this, she drains all the life from the castle and turns the prince to stone.

In order to save the prince and restore the kingdom, the player must help Rapunzel redecorate the whole castle. As they bring back color to each of the rooms, the player must also find the missing jewels from the prince’s crown.

Barbie Storymaker

Released in 1997, Barbie Storymaker is not exactly a video game. Instead, it’s a movie maker where the player can control Barbie, Ken, and other characters to create short films. To do this, the player can pick between the different character models and move them across several different sets.

But, this game is more than just playing around with virtual dolls. Players can customize the sets and make the characters smaller, bigger, and even disappear at certain points in time. While it’s not as in-depth as other movie makers, it still has plenty of interesting features and can help teach kids some basic film techniques.

Barbie And The Three Musketeers

Based on the 2009 animated film with the same name, Barbie and The Three Musketeers is a metroidvania with FMV cutscenes taken directly from the film that was released for the Wii, Nintendo DS, and PC. The main character is a 17-year-old french girl named Corinne, who is played by Barbie. Corinne goes on a journey to become a Musketeer like her father, and she meets three other women who share her dream. After they become friends and team up, they end up having to rescue the prince and save the kingdom.

Although the player starts with Corinne, they also unlock the other Musketeers as they progress through the different platforming levels. Each character has their own special abilities, and players will need to use all the characters to progress and access secret areas. Corinne also has a cat named Miette that the player must control sometimes to solve puzzles.

Barbie As The Princess And The Pauper

Barbie as The Princess and the Pauper is a 2004 animated film that follows a young princess named Anneliese and a young pauper named Erika who closely resemble each other. After a power-hungry man named Preminger tries to take over the throne, the two women are forced to switch places in order to try to save it.

To coincide with the film, there were two Barbie as The Princess and the Pauper games, and both games take place after the events of the film. The Game Boy Advance (GBA) version is a puzzle platformer where the player controls both Anneliese and Erika as they try to stop Preminger from causing chaos in the kingdom. Meanwhile, the PC version has the player help Erika prove herself worthy to become the next queen by completing various quests.

Barbie In The 12 Dancing Princesses

Barbie in the 12 Dancing Princesses is a 2006 animated film about a young princess named Genevieve and her 11 sisters as they discover a gateway to a magical world on their bedroom floor. The evil villainess Duchess Rowena, who has been mistreating the princesses and poisoning their father, discovers the magical land and tries to use the wish granting flowers to take over the kingdom.

Along with the film, two games were released. In the GBA and DS versions, the game is a metroidvania where the player controls Genevieve and defeats various bosses. As the player progresses, they obtain shoes from each of the sisters, which gives Genevieve different abilities. The PC and PS2 versions are adventure games where Genevieve explores the magical world and completes various minigames.

Barbie And The Magic Of Pegasus

Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus is a 2005 animated film where Barbie takes on the role of Princess Annika. After the evil wizard Wenlock turns her family to stone, Annika is saved by a pegasus named Brietta and flees with her to Cloud Kingdom. Annika discovers that Brietta is actually her sister who was also cursed by Wenlock years ago, and the sisters decide to go on a journey to create the Wand of Light and defeat Wenlock.

Once again, two game versions were made for this movie. The GBA version is a metroidvania where the player controls Annika and uses the Wand of Light to save people who have been turned to stone and to defeat several bosses. During the game, the Wand of Light gains new abilities, which helps the player progress. In the PC version, the player goes to each of the main locations from the film and solve puzzles.

Barbie Horse Adventures

Although the 2003 game Barbie Horse Adventures: Wild Horse Rescue is often considered one of the worst Barbie games, the other games in the Barbie Horse Adventures series have some interesting gameplay elements that make them worth a look. While each game focuses on horseback riding, they are all completely different experiences.

Blue Ribbon Race, which was the first game in the series and released on GBA, had players control Barbie as she rides her horse, collects items, and completes minigames. The Barbie game had a simultaneously creepy and soothing soundtrack that many people still talk about to this day. Mystery Ride, the first 3D title in this series, had Barbie solve the mystery of a missing horse by completing puzzles. Finally, Riding Camp takes place on a large island where players can ride wherever they want in an open-world.

The Barbie Diaries: High School Mystery

Based on the 2006 animated film The Barbie Diaries, The Barbie Diaries: High School Mystery is an adventure game where Barbie must solve a mystery at her high school. Depending on the version of the game, the premise and gameplay are different.

In the PC version, someone is trying to prevent Barbie and her friends from competing in a band contest, so Barbie must explore the large campus, interrogate other characters, and search for clues to discover the culprit. Meanwhile, in the GBA version, someone has stolen all the items from the school’s charity auction, so Barbie must investigate around campus using special items to solve the mystery.

Secret Agent Barbie

Continuing the trend of Barbie solving mysteries, the 2001 Secret Agent Barbie duology has the player take control of a Barbie who works as a spy. With the help of her friends, Barbie sneaks into various locations, solves puzzles, and completes missions across the globe.

Secret Agent Barbie: Royal Jewels Mission, which is a 2D stealth platformer on the GBA, has Barbie searching for The Queen’s Jewels after the famous burglar, Camille, steals them. The PC game, Secret Agent Barbie: Jewels Case, is a 3D action adventure where Barbie must help her friend Teresa recover her stolen fashion designs.

Detective Barbie

With Barbie solving all these mysteries, it’s not surprising that she has her own trilogy of detective games. In the Detective Barbie series, the player solves various cases by exploring environments and solving puzzles. The 1998 game Detective Barbie In the Mystery of the Carnival Caper! and the 1999 game Detective Barbie 2: The Vacation Mystery are both point-and-click adventure PC games, but the 2000 game Detective Barbie: The Mystery Cruise is a PS1 exclusive.

Out of all the Barbie games, these are the best because they require a lot more problem solving and reasoning skills compared to other entries. While they may not be as good as other point-and-click mystery games, they can still be a fun and engaging experience.

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