Description:
Was Mattel's Barbie Magic Genie Bottle & CD-ROM more inspired by I Dream of Jeannie or Christina Aguilera? It doesn't really matter--despite the almost-identical blonde heroine and fairly kitschy premise, Barbie doesn't quite live up to those two pop classics. The game itself is reminiscent of other adventure titles, like the Might and Magic series, with a first-person perspective (which can be wonderful or dizzying, depending on your constitution) and a floating Barbie to guide you on your journey. By capping the accompanying genie bottle, you can choose to reduce Barbie to a voice-over, which helps, since her image took up a quarter of our screen. Using the bottle and various magic items they find, kids must look around four magical lands for puzzle pieces, all the while speaking to various townspeople. We found the process of problem solving required serious patience, since the interface of the game is often confusing and counterintuitive. Kids who enjoy methodically searching through every corner of a game will love this task, but others may find it tedious. We were pleased with the detailed, Arabian-inspired art in the game's design. But this is a prime example of how the concept behind the CD-ROM wasn't followed through on, as there is very little to engage a young history buff, and there are no elements of Arabian culture in the dialogue that we could find. (The innkeeper could be in Abu Dhabi or Secaucus, New Jersey, for all we could tell.) It should also be noted that this game is basically entertainment--not educational--software. The best part of the game is the bottle itself. It requires a joystick port and three AAA batteries, as well as a small flathead screwdriver to install the batteries. Parents will want to be present at installation, since we had to alter our control settlings to calibrate the new addition. Once the bottle was installed, it lit up with every touch, and added a fantastic element to our journey. (Ages 6 and older) --Jennifer Buckendorff
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