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When considering leads in scary games, Barbie isn't the primary idea that comes to mind. However, those who experienced the delightfully dark 1998 PC game Detective Barbie in the Mystery of the Carnival Caper recognizes that Barbie certainly holds survivor qualities.

The Absurd Premise

The premise is suitably strange: Barbie and her companion Becky have recently completed from their area sleuthing college, as obviously that's a thing. A "autumn benefit fair" is in town, and Ken is strangely the event organizer, despite the fact he and Barbie are indicated as teens. Yet the nighttime before the carnival begins, disaster occurs: Ken goes missing via a sorcery performance error, and the charity money vanishes with him! As expected, it's the task for Detective Barbie, her friend Becky (who serves as her "mission control"), and the player to unravel the puzzle of his vanishing.

Investigator Barbie was saying gamer names out loud far earlier than Fallout 4 and Starfield attempted the trick — and she could pronounce nearly any name.

The Creepiness Starts

The oddity starts pretty much immediately. When launching the game, users are asked to choose their name from a list, and Barbie will address the player by name all through the experience. I must underline how long and thorough this name list is. Should you be a person who has often struggled finding keychains with your name on them at present boutiques, you might believe you're unlucky here, but you're mistaken. There are thousands of names on the list, which seems to list almost all versions of every female first name in existence, from incredibly common to surprisingly rare. Even though Barbie utters the player's name with a honestly alarming amount of cheerful excitement, it isn't similar to text-to-speech, which has me wondering how long Barbie performer Chris Anthony Lansdowne remained in the studio rattling off damn near every feminine name under the sun.

Exploring the Carnival

After users input their name, they gain control of Barbie as she examines the area of the crime. It's late at night, and she's totally solitary (except for Becky, who periodically contacts via the Crime Computer). Looking back, I can't move past how much wandering around the game's eerie fair location is similar to playing Silent Hill 3. Admittedly, this carnival isn't covered in blood and rust, or infested with terrifying creatures like Lakeside Amusement Park, but the vibes are decidedly creepy. Things only get more paranoia-inducing when Barbie begins observing a shadowy form prowling the park. It appears she's accompanied after all.

Nothing like a tense chase down a hilariously extended slide to boost your adrenaline.

Spooky Games and Hunts

While controlling Barbie through progressively disturbing rides and attractions (the festive item stockroom still gives me nightmares), the player will find evidence, which she transmits to Becky to examine. The clues finally direct Barbie to the enigmatic character's location, and it's up to her to track them down, chasing Ken's kidnapper through a assortment of carnival/theme park staples including bumper cars, an huge slider with splitting ways, and a poorly illuminated love tunnel. These chases were genuinely heart-pounding — the music turns suspenseful, and a single misstep could result in the suspect fleeing.

Unexpected Complexity

Detective Barbie in the Mystery of the Carnival Caper had a surprising level of depth, especially for a end-of-the-century interactive title designed for female children. Rather than outfitting Barbie, or playing with her horses, Detective Barbie concentrated on genuine interactive elements, had a compelling story, and was incredibly eerie. It even had a degree of repeat play appeal — every game session changed the varieties of hints players would discover, and concerning Ken's kidnapper, there were multiple suspects — the culprit's name varied every playthrough you played. After the case was cracked, players could even print out a apprentice investigator insignia to exhibit for ultimate peer respect.

A child's initial fright! The clues in this room squeak noisily or pop up suddenly as players examine them.

Legacy and Sequels

Of course, after a handful of reruns, you'd ultimately experience everything the game had to offer, but it was remarkable back then, and even generated two subsequent titles: 1999's Detective Barbie 2: The Vacation Mystery, and 2000's Detective Barbie: The Mystery Cruise. Mattel is still cranking out Barbie video games currently — the forthcoming game is Barbie Horse Tails (yes, another equestrian/customizing adventure), which comes out in the coming weeks. Although the visuals are a definite improvement over Detective Barbie, I am skeptical Barbie Horse Tails features the same amount of play detail, replayability, or overall eeriness as its late-nineties predecessors, which is kind of a shame.

An Entry to Fear

Regardless of Mattel's original intentions for the game, Detective Barbie in the Mystery of the Carnival Caper ended up becoming my entry point for frightful entertainment, and I'd appreciate observing Detective Barbie star in another playful-yet-eerie game that involves more than costuming and equestrian activities. Society possesses plenty of horse girls, but it could absolutely employ more tough young sleuths cracking important fundraising fair mysteries.