Barbie is one of the longest-running and most beloved franchises out there, and you might be surprised to learn that not only does she have a whole slew of video games out there, but she also has some pretty good ones. From dress-up flash games to Metroidvania-inspired adventures, the Barbie games run the gambit of genre and style.
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They inspired a whole generation of players in the early 2000s, and it’s honestly time Barbie gets some more love from the video game industry. Here’s hoping that some renewed love for the property will bring on some new Barbie games to add to the collection.
10 Barbie As Rapunzel: A Creative Adventure
Based on the classic animated film Barbie as Rapunzel, this game allowed you to step into the magical world of the movie. The title was released for PC in 2002, and included dress-up, puzzle, and decorating mini-games.
You go on various adventures around the castle and meet up with iconic characters from the movie as well. Barbie as Rapunzel: A Creative Adventure is one of those games that plays a bit better through some nostalgia goggles, but it has its own charm all the same.
9 Barbie As Princess Bride
Not to be confused with the classic 1987 film The Princess Bride, Barbie as Princess Bride is a game where you take on the role of Barbie yet again — but this time, she is both a princess and a bride.
Barbie as Princess Bride was launched on PC in 2000, and the gameplay included 12 unique adventures (or minigames), including dress-up and cake decorating. There was also a free-play mode called Magic Mirror where you could return to your favorite adventures and play them again.
8 Barbie Magic Genie Bottle
Launched for PC in 2000, Barbie Magic Genie Bottle is one of the most unique games in the Barbie catalog, seeing that it had a physical plug-and-play toy that went along with it. The goal of the game is to help Barbie find her five missing power gems, which takes you on a magical journey all over the kingdom.
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You could summon Barbie by plugging the bottle into your computer and rubbing it, and the bottle would light up and everything. Sure, it’s a bit gimmicky, but it added an extra dimension of fun to the gaming experience.
7 Barbie And the Three Musketeers
Metroidvania and Barbie game are two phrases that seemed unlikely to go together, but hey, there’s a first time for everything. Launched in 2009 for Nintendo DS, Wii, and PC, Barbie and the Three Musketeers is a bit of a departure from the usual Barbie game fare.
You can take on the role of four different characters, Corinne, Viveca, Renee and Aramina, each of whom has their own special weapons like grapples, whips, and fans. What’s more, this game even includes FMV scenes from the movie to serve as cutscenes.
6 Barbie As The Princess And The Pauper
Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper is a game based on yet another beloved animated Barbie movie, and the game allows you to take on the role of both of the film’s protagonists, Erika and Princess Anneliese.
The game was launched for PC in 2004, and it’s certainly one of the better-looking Barbie games out there. This title plays like more of an adventure game than many of the other Barbie titles as well, as Erika and Anneliese set out to prove that Erika is ready to become queen through a series of puzzles and tasks.
5 Barbie Superstar Makeover
Barbie Superstar Makeover may have been a flash game, but any Barbie fan who was around during the early 2000s likely played it to no end. The game is basically what gamers now think of as a character creator — you were presented with a closeup of Barbie and could customize her face, hair, eyes, lips, and accessories.
The UI and gameplay were simple, and there weren’t even that many customization options to begin with, but fans of the franchise will still remember Superstar Makeover as a staple of the Barbie gaming experience.
4 Barbie Explorer
Drawing on some major inspiration from the Tomb Raider series, Barbie Explorer came out for the PlayStation and PC in 2001. Barbie was working as a reporter this time around when she discovered a mirror at a museum that was missing four pieces, which she then set off on an adventure to find at different locations around the world.
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The gameplay mechanics focus mostly on puzzles and platforming as you might expect, and it made for a pretty good time as far as Barbie fans were concerned.
3 Barbie Pet Rescue
Barbie is famous for having dozens of careers over the past sixty or so years, as evidenced by her role as a veterinarian in the 2000 PC and Game Boy Color release Barbie Pet Rescue. In this educational adventure, Barbie takes excursions to rescue pets in need of assistance and then nurses them back to health at her own veterinary office.
Complete with point-and-click mechanics, some fun mini-games, and cute surprises along the way, Barbie Pet Rescue is a great time for animal lovers out there.
2 Barbie Horse Adventures
The Venn Diagram of Barbie lovers and horse girls has some nice overlap — hence the popular Barbie video games about rescuing, riding, and caring for horses.
There are four Barbie Horse Adventures games in total: Blue Ribbon Race for Game Boy Advance in 2003; Mystery Ride for PC in 2003; Wild Horse Rescue for PlayStation 2 and Xbox in 2003; and Riding Camp for Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2, Wii, and PC in 2008. Each title has its merits, but many consider Mystery Ride the best Horse Adventures game for its unique mechanics and satisfying controls.
1 Detective Barbie
There’s a plethora of great Barbie games to choose from out there, but fans widely agree that the Detective Barbie series is the all-time best to come out of the franchise.
After the success of the first game — a 1998 PC game titled Detective Barbie In the Mystery of the Carnival Caper! — the series got two sequels: Detective Barbie 2: The Vacation Mystery for PC in 2000, and Detective Barbie: Mystery Cruise for PlayStation also in 2000. These titles were basically the Barbie equivalent of Nancy Drew games, and fans of the series adored the point-and-click adventure games.
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