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86 of 93 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
IGN Review, November 11, 2002
By A Customer
November 06, 2002 - You know the drill: games made for little kids are bad, games made for girls are bad, and games made for little girls are really, really bad. Very few of you guys ever bother to play games for kids or for girls (and, for some reason, still feel the need to loudly complain about these games in emails to us and on message boards -- Sorry Bobby, but all those MK&A games aren't the reason why Acclaim didn't have the time to make the new Turok better), but you can take an informed guess that you?re probably not missing much.
There are, however, the rare few kids' game and girls' games that aren't piecemeal bits of non-entertainment (tic-tac-toe is not meant for videogaming) or awkward rush-jobs of poor game design. Usually, those uncommonly good girls' games are done by small teams working with unknown characters as a labor of love, but believe it or not, a major publisher and known developer actually turned our a game that's both enjoyable and creative for one of the world's most recognized and successful franchises. You go, girl. Features Slip into Barbie's designer spy outfits as she sneaks into danger
Use your robot spy-puppy, smoke screen and stealth ring to outwit your foes
Mini-game puzzles and a variety of gameplay (sometimes on horseback and in the water)
Collect top-secret files during your mission and unlock hidden game features
Only for Game Boy Advance
Believe it or not, Barbie: Secret Agent is the best Metal Gear knock-off that the GBA has at the moment. Of course, it's no substitute for the real deal, but as a game made for girls, it's surprisingly complex. It's also very competent in the gameplay department, which is another rarity in girls' games -- aside from some troubles grabbing onto ladders, the control is solid and smooth. The combination is a refreshing game for girls that neither insults their intelligence nor frustrates them with too much challenge. In the game, Barbie will be off to four exotic lands to track down a master burglar dame who's stealing the royal crown jewels. (For those always looking for prominent female characters in games that aren't there just to fill out a tube-top, not only are Barbie and her main adversary female, but also the smartest and most tenacious baddies in the game are really baddie-ettes.) Barbie's not the type of girl to go guns blazing into this kind of situation (or any kind of situation,) so she'll have to use her wits to duck into the shadows and fool guards as she sneaks by. Her collection of spy gadgets isn't much and may not be all that crafty -- it's hard to play sneaky when you've got an invisibility ring and a bunch of smoke bombs just waiting to be used -- but the game does force you into situations where you'll have to rely on Barbie's stealth skills instead of her spy gear. She'll spend most of the game hiding in shadows from passing enemies, sending her robo-puppy out to distract guards, and otherwise jumping around The only time Barbie really has to kick into some dangerous action is when her foes take flight and she has to chase them in high-speed chases on horseback, on a jetski, or in the Barbie Car, and even then, she's not out to hurt anybody -- just to save the day. Gameplay is a bit like Prince of Persia with some stealth mixed in. The control has that lanky, animated feel of P.o.P., although the handling is still pretty responsive and accurate. Aside from a small few really tricky jumps, the game shouldn't be too much trouble for little girls to handle -- in fact, the first few stages are such a breeze since you can just about hit every guard along the way and still pass, so there's not much of that frustration for those that are playing their first game. (There's also a training mode for new gamers to learn the ropes, as well as a number of difficulty levels once they've gotten the hang of the game.) The racing stages are just simple choose-a-path slot racers, but there's a number of mini-stages that are pretty fun -- they include standards such as Pong and Qix, but they're still simple fun for the short time they last.
Closing Comments
There's always very much a need for some quality kids games and quality games made just for girls -- they never seem to come along, but the world could use a few more good games made for beginner gamers. Luckily, Barbie: Secret Agent is one of the uncommon few that works well for the young gamers it's for -- the control is easy to handle, the level of difficulty is appropriate and involving, the graphics are colorful and cheery, the game design is creative and fun, and there's a bunch of things to collect along the way (including pallet-swaps of outfits, cars and ponies.) Of course, it's too light and simple and short for most gamers (actually, compared to most of the GBA action games out there, this one's really not a bad play-through -- I wouldn't be surprised if it started off as another game before the Barbie license was attached), but they're not the type who'd go for a Barbie game anyway. However, for the girls who love the dolls and need a game made just for them, this one will do pretty well.
-- Nix
Presentation
The girl is making it on her own as a in exotic locales with intriguing gadgets ... and she doesn't have to hurt anybody in her mission. 7.0
Graphics
Nothing special in effects or technology, but they make colorful use of the trademark Barbie pink and other visuals. 7.0
Sound Like the graphics, the GBC-quality music isn't anything special, but it does bop along nicely -- plus, there's fun touches like the underwater echo. 6.0
Gameplay
Who was expecting this? Creative gameplay, solid control, and a fair challenge make this a great game for little girls. 8.0
Lasting Appeal
It's short and simple, but there's variety between the mini-games and racing bonus stages. 6.0
OVERALL SCORE (not an average) 7.5
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