Barbie has brought her fashion expertise to the drawing board, and is hoping that her new client will be just the ticket to success in the world of fashion design. Barbie Fashion Show is a creativity title aimed at young girls that lets them choose apparel and accessories to clothe models in, then choreograph a runway fashion show. If the show is a success, then Barbie's client will hand her a new assignment, complete with new clothes and accessories.
Play begins as Barbie is presented with an opportunity to prove herself to a new client, who needs some fresh fashion designs fast. First, it's off to the design board, where players will choose shirts, pants and dresses to dress their models. The outfits can be painted in various colors and patterns, and have stickers added. Then, it's time to choose the models who will wear the outfits. Hairstyles and shoes will be added to the models, once they're chosen. Lastly, it's time for the show! Players will choose a runway, props and lighting, and decide what turns and movements the models will make as they walk down the runway.
Once the show has been played, Barbie's client will show her appreciation by giving Barbie another opportunity to design a show. There are three design studios, with ten assignments. Each assignment is basically the same, with different clothing choices and more models as the game progresses.
The creativity aspect of this game is somewhat limited, as girls choose from a set number of clothes, and can't design any from scratch. The clothes can be colored from a good assortment of designs and patterns, though. The hairstyles are also pre-determined, and don't allow for any free-style hairdos. The shoes are from a static list, too, but there are many available.
The choreograph feature is the best aspect of this game, and is where the most creativity, is, too. Here girls can run the models over and over as they select different combinations of moves. It's fun to watch the models walk down the runway! Other features include the ability to print out pictures, choose the in-game music and upload favorite outfits to the Internet, for a limited time.
This is pretty much a one-trick-pony type of game. While there are ten different assignments with different clothing choices, the gameplay itself is the same for each assignment. Pick a shirt, pick a skirt, color it, stamp it, put it on a model, choreograph the show and then start all over again. There should have been more options for free-play and creative expression, as in some sort of "design your own" aspect, where girls could have more control over the look of the actual clothes, not just the colors. The runway show is fun, with lots of cool moves for the models, but even this will get old soon.
Young girls will enjoy this game for a few hours, but as there isn't much substance to hold their attention for very long, it will probably end up on the shelf fairly quickly.
