Parents' Guide to

Barbie and the Three Musketeers

By Chad Sapieha, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 7+

Cheap game based on DVD movie with clunky play mechanics.

Game Nintendo DS , Nintendo DSi , Nintendo Wii , Windows 2009
Barbie and the Three Musketeers Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

  • Barbie and the Three Musketeers Game: Screenshot #1
  • Barbie and the Three Musketeers Game: Screenshot #2
  • Barbie and the Three Musketeers Game: Screenshot #3

Community Reviews

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age 8+

Based on 5 parent reviews

LikaLaruku
LikaLaruku Adult
September 17, 2011
age 11+

One of the better Barbie movies.

Let your toddler watch this by herself; the historical inaccuracies will have anyone with an education ripping their hair out. Unlike most Barbie drivel, this one actually has some moral value. Instead of men rescuing damsels, the roles are switched & the girls are all career-motivated. The down-side is that Barbie is still a Mary Sue.

This title has:

Great role models
VickyN
VickyN Parent of 6 and 9-year-old
September 15, 2011
age 6+

Girls will love it and it doesn't do any harm

While this particular Barbie movie was more cringeworthy than others (yes, I did enjoy the Princess and the Pauper, what of it?!) I have to give this four stars because my 8 and 6 year olds LOVE it. Months after receiving it it is still a go-to game for them, and they even (gasp) cooperate to finish the challenges. It's not educational and you'll get sick of listening to it, but they didn't make the game for you and me, now, did they? :)

This title has:

Great messages
Too much consumerism
See all 5 parent reviews

What’s It About?

Based on the recently released direct-to-DVD movie starring Barbie and her friends, BARBIE AND THE THREE MUSKETEERS features the iconic doll as a French country girl who wants to head to Paris to become a musketeer. She journeys with her cat, Miette, and befriends three other young girls, each of whom has a special ability. Together, they embark on a simple side-scrolling adventure, leaping between platforms, swinging across gaps, and scaring away annoying animals with weapons such as swords, claws, and ribbon whips. Players can switch to smaller Miette whenever they like and crawl through narrow tunnels to reach hidden treasure and toggle buttons that activate bridges and doors. There’s also a shop players can visit to spend coins and buy outfits for the girls.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (5 ):
Kids say (5 ):

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.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the game and the movie. How closely does the game follow the movie’s story? Did you feel like you had an opportunity to play out events you saw in the film? If you haven’t seen the movie, does the game make you want to watch it?

  • Families can also discuss film merchandising. What purpose do games based on movies serve? Do you think these sorts of games are generally as fun and interesting as games with original stories and characters? Would you have played this game had it starred unfamiliar characters?

Game Details

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