Game Details
Price
  • $29.95
Available on
Genre
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The Barbie Diaries: High School Mystery (PC) (Windows)

common sense media says

Modern Barbie is a smart, resourceful sleuth.


parents & educators say
  • 33% say there are positive role models
  • 33% say there are positive messages

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that the Barbie represented here is not the one with a greatly exaggerated figure. Rather, she is a cute, petite high school girl. Unfortunately, she walks with a runway-model's swish of the hips. Some of the behavior modeled in the game is negative, including a high school girl who lies and is snobby to others. Also, to win the game, Barbie must hack into the school's computers.

Educational value: Puzzles are good, and the mystery is fun to reason out.
Positive messages: Barbie is smart and resourceful. Unfortunately, she is so resourceful that she hacks into the school's computer to solve the mystery. Barbie's friends are culturally diverse.
Violence & scariness: Not applicable.
Language: Not applicable.
Consumerism: This game is based on The Barbie Diaries movie and on the Barbie doll franchise.

More on The Barbie Diaries: High School Mystery (PC)

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
Families can talk about how the Barbie represented in this software is different from the doll. Is that a good thing or a bad thing, and why? Parents might also want to discuss the part where Barbie hacks into the school computer to solve the mystery. Is it ever OK to break the law? Should Barbie have hacked into the computer or sought help from the school administration?

What's the story?

What's the story?
Barbie, the popular doll, takes on the role of detective in THE BARBIE DIARIES: HIGH SCHOOL MYSTERY, based on the straight-to-DVD movie The Barbie Diaries. On the day of her school's "Battle of the Bands" competition, Barbie's Charmz band mate receives a threatening text message telling the band to drop out and someone vandalizes their staging area -- and Barbie decides to try to discover who is trying to bungle the battle of the bands. Barbie's path throughout the game is linear, but you have flexibility to explore the high school's seven locations, talk to whom you want, and click on sparkling objects you want to investigate. You go through the game by accomplishing a series of objectives, such as getting information about a specific student by talking to people or solving puzzles.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 

The Barbie represented in this computer game is a refreshing change from the doll -- she looks like a pretty blonde teen with a normal figure instead of an exaggerated one. And while you still help her choose what she wears to school each morning, dress-up is a minor part of the game. This is a game that requires logic to help Barbie solve a mystery at her high school.

Testers really enjoyed solving this mystery. In addition to talking to characters, players liked the in-game puzzles and extra activities, including designing a necklace for a friend and decorating a friend's locker. A minor complaint was that the fun experience doesn't last long enough. While Barbie isn't a perfect role model -- she hacks into the school's computer -- she does show girls that it's OK to be smart, funny, and good at music.

Game themes & details

Game Details
Available on: Windows
Not available online
Genre: Girl
Developer: Activision Value Publishing
Released on: October 12, 2006
Price: 29.95
ESRB Rating: E for everyone

This review was written by Jinny Gudmundsen
 
 

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What parents & educators say

15
Based on 6 parent & educator reviews:
  • 33% say there are positive role models
  • 33% say there are positive messages

Most useful reviews by all members

 
My daughter thinks she is the coolest
Great game - very PC. My daughter loved every minute of it and I was comfortable enough to have her at the computer without me looking over her sholder. Finally a Barbie with a brain!

mroush
parent of 17 year old
 
LOVE IT !!
one of the best games ever

lireyah_sam@ya ...
parent of 8 and 11 year old
 
hello barbie

PerMYsurielly@ ...
kid, 13 years old
 
usually 12 under use this
Hy, BARBIE this is your fans...!!!!!! I'm love thisss hehehe!!!

CSM Screen ...
teen, 14 years old
 
Everybody that is 10 to13 should try this game.
I think that kids all ages should try playing this game.It is really cool.

emricl
teen, 14 years old
 
nice !!!!

alfie
teen, 15 years old
 
a could not stop plkaying it
it was absoulotly brill for you!!!!!!!!!

ravenchall
kid, 11 years old
 
?????
i had given u

CrazyBlu4Eva
kid, 10 years old
 
Good game,CSM should've reviewed the movie too!
This game made my brain think.CSM,could make a review for the movie and I loved it.

allex
kid, 11 years old
 
Must read...soo true
hellloo..?its true :)

Stoddert
kid, 13 years old
 
Good Game to Play Once
It's really fun the first time you play, but I wanted to see if the person "who done it" (since it's a mystery game) would change each time you played. The best thing to do would be to play it once and then give it to someone else.

4444
teen, 14 years old
 
k5rk5rk
78km65k

mNlL
teen, 18 years old
 
I perdect !
cool

CSM Screen ...
kid, 12 years old
 

May T
kid, 12 years old
 
am am cool!
I love it! i am in middle school and i still love it! and me in 7th grade, by May Thangthong my email is...

noorah21
teen, 16 years old
 
hot
cooooooooool

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About our rating system
ON: Content is appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child, some content may not be right for some kids
OFF: Not age appropriate for kids this age