Playing Digital Barbie –
Everyone can finally relax because the hotly anticipated Girls’ Fashion Shoot is now available on 3DS! Feel free to cancel your Halo 5 and Destiny pre-orders because playing a digital pre-teen girly dress up sim will undoubtedly be the game the game of the year for 2013 and 2014.
Sorry, yes, I am joking as it is rather difficult for an adult male to formally review a game that is for a very specific, and very different, target audience. It is like having Roger Ebert officially review the next Barney movie. It is unfair to judge a game like this against normal standards but at the same time you probably are not even reading this review anyway because the target audience might not even be old enough to be literate.
Anyway, with the bring pink cover art and the young female focused title, Girls’ Fashion Shoot plays pretty much exactly how you would expect. In summary, you are tasked with putting together outfits for a specific photoshoot, picking a modeling pose, and even help design the cover of magazines. No matter how you look at it, models do not, and should not, help design magazine covers. They are paid to be pretty, not for their layout skills. But there are tons of options to choose from, from colors to styles, and young females gamers might get a kick out of the wealth of content available. However, there really is no way to lose as even putting together the most random and uncoordinated outfit will yield praise and rewards. A game without consequence or required skill isn’t much of a game at all but it is understandable while this decision was implemented. So basically pick an outfit, select a pose then put finishing touches on the photo; lather, rinse, and repeat. Perhaps this title might be better defined as an app versus a full blown retail game…
It doesn’t really matter what positive or negative remarks I state, parents will purchase this for their young female gamer simply from the cover alone. However, even though there is a ton of content available, the overall lack of an end goal or consequence makes this game blander than expected.
Not As Good As: Style Savvy: Trendsetters
Better Than: Smart Girl’s Playhouse Mini
Also Try: Art Academy: Lessons for Everyone
By: Zachary Gasiorowski, Editor in Chief myGamer.com