Barbie Super Model

Sometimes when reviewing these old games I have to ask myself 2 questions, 1-"Why?" and 2-"What am I doing with my life?" They have never been asked as much as when I was playing Barbie Super Model a game that has you continually wondering why you even bother with these sorts of games.

The first thing you notice is the pink overload, the game almost seems like someone has used pink paint brush and tried to use it as much as they can to create the games "look". Though rather funnily the pink is the least the games problems, in fact it's just one of many.
 The player controls Barbie who starts the game in a convertible (see above) and needs to get from the start of the level to the end of it to practice her catwalk routine. Then the player needs to guide Barbie back to the start of the level. You can make barbie go up, down slow down or speed up to avoid crashing into other cars though in the end of it it's simple, dull and boring.



Along the way you can run into a gift box or a camera and play one of the games two mini games. These games involve matching Barbie's clothes to that of a magazine cover, effectively a glorified memory game that involves the player looking at Barbie in a swimsuit (yeah it's as sexy as looking at a dead turkey).

After you get back to the start of the level you do a catwalk section needing to repeat the routine you practiced in the middle of the level. After completing this you need to do the entire thing again...this time on roller skates at the beach. It's much the same as the opening car section of the game except the obstacles have changed to include people and beach balls. Again you need to get to the end of the level to do a practice routine then make your way to the start of the 

level to put your practice into action. This same level pattern is repeated between the games final 2 levels (in which Barbie walks through a ski resort and cycles through a park).

 Whilst the game's "levels" are rather pathetic and monotonously slow they also feature frustrating items like snowballs being thrown at the player for what appears to be no reason. If the player is struck they lose a life (which is indicated in the top left of the screen) and losing all the life will see them given a Game over screen.

Sadly as well as having the fun of Christmas in Cromwell's era and enough pink and purple to make your eyes bleed the music and sound effects sound as if they were designed to give you headaches. Whilst we don't expect CD quality sounds in a SNES or Mega Drive game we don't expect to have our ears assaulted by bleeps, blips and blops that sound like our speakers are damaged.

The game has very little in case of redeeming factors and really is a nightmare of a game that is best off ignored unless your a 5 year old girl who thinks that Barbie is the perfect role model.

14%

Details:
Console-SNES/Mega Drive
Release-1992
Developer-Tahoe Software Productions
Genre-Action
Players-1 or 2

Trivia:
Their is a ROM of the unreleased Game Gear version going around