We Need To Talk About ‘Barbie & Her Magical House’, The Best ’90s Computer Game
Before there was Animal Crossing, before there was The Sims, there was Barbie and Her Magical House — the best game I’ve ever played.
If you grew up in the ’90s, there’s a solid chance you also experienced the joy that was the computer game, Barbie and Her Magical House. If you can’t quite place it in your mind, perhaps this will jog your memory? Yes, that’s Barbie. And yes, that’s her exceptionally magical house.
In the game, you were invited to explore Barbie’s bubblegum pink mansion, which features a lot of decor I would very much like to own today. The pleated lamp! The pastel plant boxes! The lavender cordless phone!
Every Nosy Little Kid’s Dream
After being invited inside you were welcome to click your way around Barbie’s pool, kitchen, bathroom, stables, closet, and more — it was a baby snoop’s dream.
In the garage, you could help Barbie customise her convertible. In the stable, you could help style her horse Rosebud. And in the bathroom, you could… watch Barbie take a bubble bath?
Right At Home With Barbie
The patio and pool were two of my favourite places to click around. On the patio, Barbie — the thoughtful host she is — invites her main man Ken over for a swim. Over by the pool, you can switch up the colour of the water and wait for another of Barbie’s mates to float by.
Another personal highlight of the game was helping Barbie switch up her makeup and jewellery. Again, there were so many chic — and incredibly ’90s — options. Say what you want about our girl Barbie, but you can’t say she doesn’t have style.
Unfortunately, there’s no way to play Barbie and Her Magical House today — unless, I don’t know, your computer from 1994 is still operational and your mum hasn’t thrown away your CD-ROM in an attempt to finally clean out your childhood bedroom.
Thankfully, there are a bunch of gameplay videos on YouTube that are truly incredible. YouTuber sohojojo uploaded a five-part series back in 2009, which I highly recommend checking out if you’re looking to relive your youth with Barbie and her perfectly decorated home.