Barbie Horse Adventures: Riding Camp

BARBIE HORSE ADVENTURES: RIDING CAMP (Playstation 2)

This one probably won't suit some people's tastes, but I think it is a magnificent game. Barbie and her best friend Teresa have enrolled at riding camp on an island to learn to ride horses. However a recent storm has caused lots of problems for the inhabitants, and they will need some help with various tasks. You play the game as Barbie, and will occasionally encounter Teresa, as well as the other inhabitants, who usually have a cheery greeting to give as Barbie approaches.

What makes this game so great is that Barbie has absolute freedom to explore the island, and go anywhere and do anything - though some things require that Barbie qualifies for them first. It looks and sounds beautiful, and apparently the PC version is even better. There is only a certain time available each day, until darkness begins to fall, accompanied by a gorgeous sunset, and lamp posts switch on. When it becomes too late Barbie gets a 'phone call from Kyle, who arrives to take her back to the stables. She can also call him up any time to do this if she becomes lost, or if her horse needs urgent care, or if she's just too lazy to find her own way back. Though Barbie's 'phone has a useful map and GPS, so getting lost usually isn't a problem. Barbie can choose to ignore Kyle's call and stay up all night if she wants to be naughty, and as night falls the stars come out and the forest sounds quite different.

The horses need care along the way - they need to drink, eat, be groomed and have their hooves cleaned to avoid injury, and there are places scattered about where this can be done. Barbie can also work in the stables caring for the other horses for extra camp credits. These camp credits can also be earned by completing tasks and collecting objects scattered around the island. The credits can be used in the dressing room to purchase new outfits or saddles for the horse, and there is a nice selection available. As a male transvestite, playing the part of Barbie at riding camp is very satisfying! When Barbie tries on new outfits Teresa also comes along to give her opinion, and I find myself agreeing with her comments.

The tasks Barbie has to perform are usually very simple, though I find it very enjoyable riding around doing things, and trying not to get into trouble. There is even an interesting mystery that Barbie solves, beginning with finding a message in a bottle on the beach. My only complaint is that most of the time you are shown exactly where you are supposed to go, and merely have to find your way there by the best route. For example one thing you have to do is find a missing cat, and its precise location is pinpointed for you. I would much rather have had to actually search for it - though I suppose you could cover up your permanent map to make it a little more difficult. Or at one point on my travels I came across some horses wandering on a hill, then later Kyle asked me to find some missing horses. I thought, "Hey! I've seen them - I know where to go!" But of course as usual I was directed straight to their precise location.

The goal of the game is to graduate from riding camp by winning ribbons in several events, which get progressively more difficult. There may only be a certain number of days to do this before Barbie has to leave, though I'm not sure about that yet. You are usually given plenty of opportunity to fail, and it isn't too hard to win the ribbons, though it is likely that you'll mess up in the harder events and have to start again if you're not careful. And you can go back any time to try and improve your times in the events, and this is a lot of fun and very challenging. For example I still haven't managed to complete the show jumping event without knocking off at least one of the bars, and I keep going back to try and do it perfectly - while still beating my previous best time. As you win the ribbons you get access to different horses, and each one is different, and better suited to some of the events. For example some horses are better at jumping, some are faster, and some are better at endurance.

You could even make up your own events to try and complete within a set time. For example you could travel from one side of the island to the other, visiting several difficult to reach locations, and finding and collecting a set number of horse shoes or whatever along the way - while also trying to have the minimum number of accidents, and also keeping your horse well looked after so it doesn't go thirsty or require other care. The adventures you can have are only limited by your imagination!

Overall I find this game to be a wonderful dreamlike experience, like a fondly remembered holiday that I never want to end. Though as I said, others might not enjoy it so much, and may find it boring, especially if they rush through it and don't take the time to immerse themselves in the game. So if you love this sort of thing then I would highly recommend this game, and if perhaps not then it's still worth a try - you never know, you might enjoy it!

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