Barbie to the rescue!
Secret Agent Barbie is a far cry from GoldenEye or any of James Bond's other adventures, but for a fairly slick 3D escapade based on the classic girls' doll, it actually makes for an entertaining time. It's a licensed game much like Shrek 2 or Toy Story 2 but with Barbie instead and for the target audience it should provide some solid fun. You play the role of Barbie, who is currently in her role as fashion spy. Her mission, should she choose to accept it, is to travel the world, infiltrating fashion shows and the like to discover the truth behind rumors that someone is creating an invisibility suit. There are five locations around the world to visit, including Paris, New York and Rio, and there's a mission in each one which will help bring you closer to the solution. The game plays out a little like a junior version of Tomb Raider or Metal Gear Solid, with Barbie able to sneak around, leap on platforms and use special gadgets like a remote control puppy and pink vision glasses to help her out. It wouldn't be a Barbie game without lots of costumes to change into, but fortunately this one has you covered. As far as the audience for this goes, this is a jolly little romp. It's got enough innocuous action to keep young fans entertained, with some slick visuals and all the elements which make Barbie so popular. The game is perhaps a little on the short side, with only five main missions, but with the dressing up aspect and the good challenge level, this should last a fair amount of time. A good choice for younger gamers.
