Barbie and the Three Musketeers (Wii, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi, Windows)

There are some good Barbie games out there, but this isn’t one of them. Aside from a few polished clips from the film, the game looks like a free Flash-based PC game. Plus, stiff, unforgiving controls make moving around and jumping a frustrating chore. Worst of all, though, is that many levels are just too hard. It can be very difficult to figure out where to go next or how to go about getting there. It’s tough to believe that the game’s target demographic of six- and seven-year-olds will have the patience or fortitude required to work through some of these navigational puzzles.

Still, it’s not all bad. Our heroines’ and Miette’s distinct abilities are fun to use, and provide good reason to return to earlier levels with areas that were previously inaccessible. And Viveca’s clothing shop will provide good entertainment for doll-loving youngsters. It’s just too bad that the rest of the game feels so rushed and unpolished.