Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper is a straight to DVD movie that was released back in 2004. There were many Barbie movies during this time and most of them had a video game tie in. The one we are looking at today is for the Game Boy Advance and if you are a Barbie fan or know someone who is, it could be worth checking out.
Barbie, a fashion doll manufactured by the American toy company Mattel, Inc., has been a computer animated virtual actress starring in direct-to-video animated films.Although Barbie has appeared in miniseries and short films since 1987, the series officially began in 2001 with Barbie in the Nutcracker.It was followed by a total of thirty-five films before it was put on hiatus in 2017. Based on the novel by Mark Twain Tells the story of a princess and a pauper who were worlds apart in lifestyles, yet identical in looks. When chance brings them together, it becomes the beginning of a great adventure and a friendship that will last a lifetieme.
Where Is Barbie?
Look, I have not seen the movie so I do not know how closely this follows the movie. However, you do not technically play as “Barbie”. Instead, you play as The Princess and the Pauper along with their two cats. Basically, there is a big bad who wants to bring chaos to the kingdom and only the Princess, the Pauper, and their two cats can save the day.
Who To Play As?
One of the interesting things about Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper is that it has four playable characters. The two human characters each have a special ability. The Princess can use a shield. The Pauper can use magical notes to reach hard to get items and so on. The two cats also have abilities! Serafina has the ability to climb up the trees and Wolfie is able to dig for stuff. I am actually impressed at how much variety there is to each character.
What Kind Of Game Is It?
If you expected Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper to be a 2D platform game then well done, you win a prize! The game sees you pick two of the characters to play as and you will need to make use of their abilities to get through the level. As a platformer, it is a pretty standard affair. There are four different areas in the game and each of the areas has its own levels that you need to complete. There are these harder, boss like levels to that you have to do before moving onto the next level. There are two difficulty levels here, but neither one is all that hard. Clearly, this is a game that is aimed at the younger demographic and there is nothing wrong with that.
Barbie Sure Is Pretty
There are many of these Barbie games and they all have a similar look. To be fair, while it will not win any prizes for the way it looks. I do think that this is a decent enough looking game and the animations are not to bad either.
Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper is a decent little (all be it rather short) platform game. It is ideal for kids who love Barbie and who are just getting into games as it is played at a slower pace and is easy enough to get through all the levels. It also is pretty easy on the eyes too so it has that going for it also.
7/10
Pros:
- The platforming is pretty solid
- Four playable characters
- You can play as cats!
- It is very easy to pick up and play
- The graphics are actually pretty decent
Cons:
Barbie As The Princess And The Pauper Game
- You can get through it in a couple of hours
- Does not pose much of a challenge