

During one such occasion, I discovered a YouTube playthrough of Barbie as Rapunzel. I’m now a game developer, meaning my afternoons are sometimes spent researching why a particular type of button reminds me of my childhood (I love this job).

I never anticipated that more than twenty years later, this game would hold a treasure trove of insight into my own game development experience. I loved it, I re-played the game endlessly, and I still see the talking magic mirror in my dreams. This article has been updated since its original publication. I’d say Magic Fairy Tales Barbie was a mildly unhinged collection of mini-games that let you decorate cakes, dress up, practice diplomacy with a troll and a dragon, and rescue a Prince. Wikipedia says the game was “designed to teach children early reading and decision-making skills”. It’s a virtual storybook, similar to the beloved Lion King game. Magic Fairy Tales: Barbie as Rapunzel is burned into my memory.
