Barbie Pet Patrol - Game Boy Color

The plot is simple enough. Barbie and her little friend Stacie must search through Green Arbor Park for various cute and mostly furry animals to rescue. Each successive rescue presents a more challenging puzzle, and a special prize awaits those gamers who manage to rescue all 14 animals (we won't spoil things by revealing it here).

This game isn't just about helping Barbie and Stacie do their jobs, however. These animals need to be fed and played with, too. Some of them must be nursed back to health. And little gamers will likely delight in the work because Barbie's charges include bunnies, kittens, puppies and more cute critters. Even though the graphics are typically sparse--notably simpler than the old CD-ROM version--Barbie: Pet Rescue's combination of Pokémon-style nurturing and the wholesome pinkness of Barbie herself makes it a great, if overly simple, game for ages 5 and slightly up. --Andrew S Bub