There was a time when computer/video games were a boy's realm only. That time is has been over for a while, but the slate of for-girls games still lacks something. "My Scene" wasn't the first; but it's definitely one of the best examples of girl-oriented games on the market today.

While some girls are content to play big brother's war games while he's busy buying the newest version of racer X, others are determined to find a computer game niche of their own. And with Barbie Nation being such a popular toy kingdom, it makes perfect sense that they would be in a position to capture the imagination of girls across the globe. Other Barbie games, and my daughter has many, capture the same essence as the classic Barbie mind frame, that Barbie can be or do anything from mountain climber to professional wrestler. But My Scene approaches the doll world from a more practical and realistic angle--what do real girls actually do?

Activities
Activities include shopping (of course), talking to friends on the cell phone, planning birthday parties and discussing fashion with friends. The girls also get to make money by dressing store windows per the storeowner’s instructions. They ride the subway from one hip location to another and catch lunch at trendy restaurants. The game's characters are the same as the dolls that inspired it, Barbie, Chelsea, and Madison, etc.

This game is great for entertainment, but I can see practical benefits as well. There are 12 special events the player must plan for and she must learn details about her friends in order to accomplish them. This is accomplished by asking and answering questions. By emphasizing working for money to buy a friend a birthday gift, the game teaches the value of money and even requires the player to practice some rudimentary math skills. They discuss birthday gift ideas, trading tips based on the preferences of the guest of honor. This demonstrates teamwork, consideration for others and some critical thinking in order to successfully achieve the goal of acquiring an appropriate gift. The girls are also given the opportunity to attend charity events, thus awakening children to the idea of civic responsibility. And its almost unnecessary for me to point out that there isn’t a trace of violence in a game like this. But this is common with most girl-oriented games.

Graphics
This game surprisingly takes a step back into the more traditional 2-dimensional art style while most Barbie games are now developed as 3-D with CGI. But it fits. The girls and the backgrounds are trendy, hip and fun. CGI would not have improved upon the artistic representation here, but would have required more computer horsepower. The 3-D graphics also feel more stiff and awkward compared to the 2-dimensional style.

Difficulty
While most computer games are designed to be difficult to beat, this one takes a different approach. The tasks and challenges are by no means difficult, but they are challenging in a realistic way and yet any diligent child of the appropriate age can accomplish all that is asked of her and enjoy herself in the process. This isn’t to paint the game as simple or easy, but to say that it is more comfortable and lower on the stress gauge than most computer games.

Overall
In summary, I have to say this is my favorite game my daughter plays with. It’s one of the few I can enjoy watching her play and ask questions about that are genuine. Even though I’ve seen her play it many times, she’s never asked me to help her figure out how to get past this obstacle or that. So that would make this practically the only game I didn’t have to coach her through at least once. I’d recommend this game to any girl age 5 up to about 9 or maybe 10 if she’s still in to dolls.


Recommended: Yes