If you can look past the blatant consumerism and potentially damaging image-crafting effect that the classic line of dolls has on children, Barbie Dreamhouse Party has a lot going for it when scrutinized with an eye for metaphor. Beyond that, the reality is that this is a crucially flawed game. This minigame collection was clearly created by developers who wanted to do the absolute best with what they had, and for this they should be applauded, but that doesn’t save the game from being a lackluster experience. A limited number of minigames, inconsistent frame rate, and repetitive gameplay hold back this game’s potential, despite its obvious appeal to the target audience of young children who love Barbie dolls. There are enough redeeming qualities here to save it from being a game to run kicking and screaming from, but there are so many better all-ages minigame collections available on Wii U, that anyone should set their sights elsewhere.

If you can look past the blatant consumerism and potentially damaging image-crafting effect that the classic line of dolls has on children, Barbie Dreamhouse Party has a lot going for it when scrutinized with an eye for metaphor. Beyond that, the reality is that this is a crucially flawed game. This minigame collection was clearly created by developers who wanted to do the absolute best with what they had, and for this they should be applauded, but that doesn’t save the game from being a lackluster experience. A limited number of minigames, inconsistent frame rate, and repetitive gameplay hold back this game’s potential, despite its obvious appeal to the target audience of young children who love Barbie dolls. There are enough redeeming qualities here to save it from being a game to run kicking and screaming from, but there are so many better all-ages minigame collections available on Wii U, that anyone should set their sights elsewhere.