Barbie and Her Magic House
Reviewed by Cynthia A. Sorrels
Published by Hi Tech Entertainment

Age Group: Age 2 to 5, Age 4 to 8 Type: More Fun Price: $19.95

Description:

Come visit Barbie! There's so much to do at her house, you'll be back again and again. Try clicking on everything, you'll be surprised!

Getting around at Barbie's is pretty easy - click on the house to go to the front door. Ring the doorbell and wait for Barbie to answer. Once inside, you can go from room to room or look at the map to decide where you want to be. You'll have to go through the room to get to games, there aren't any direct routes to get to them.

Where to begin?? Well, once inside the front door there's a choice between going upstairs, into the living room or into the kitchen. Each room will keep your child busy and interested for quite awhile.

Games and Puzzles

There are lots of fun activities here. You can help Barbie get ready for her date with Ken or help her get ready for a modeling shoot (separate activities). The Bubbles Game is actually a matching game that kids enjoy. The refrigerator door offers jigsaw puzzles unlike other puzzle programming on the market - there are actually pieces of the jigsaw you drag and drop into place.

Lounge by the pool with Barbie and Ken!

From the pool, you can get to the Barbie Matching Game, a concentration game played with outfits, hats and shoes. There are three levels of difficulty and Ken is the narrator. Match the colors and accessories to win.

Barbie's car is SO cool...change decals, turn the lights on and off, open and close the garage door - there's lots to do here. Or head over to the stable, enjoy grooming the horses, take a dip in the pool, change the decorating scheme in the living room!

Barbie's Magic House is not an airhead program! The games, puzzles and activities are geared towards girls in a thoughtful, entertaining manner. This writer was pleasantly surprised by the content of this CD-ROM, and her daughters both love it.

Update:

I've gotten bunches of email about this particular title. Sorry, it's no longer available in the stores - the company who published it, Hi Tech Entertainment, declared bankruptcy some years ago. There is no technical support for it, although I do know the developer and am willing to forward problems on to them. And no, I'm not ready to sell my copy! ;) If you need it, you might try asking on the newsgroups. A few people have found it in the bargain bins (that's how I acquired a copy.) Good luck! Cindy

If you have any problems when using Kids Domain then please contact Cindy, who will be happy to help where possible.

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