Summary
Barbieis better than anyone could have hoped for. The brand was established in 1959, so it seemed like a too little too late situation. Whether Barbie, as a brand, is still as relevant to kids in 2023 as it was in the 1960s is irrelevant.
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Barbieis just a good movie. So, in celebration of this let’s take a lot at toys and the video game realm. What toys have made the transition into gaming as good asBarbiedid with films? There are some obvious examples along with some deep cuts from the retro scene. Sadly, no Barbie game makes an appearance because they are all lacking in the gun department, to put it mildly.
8Army Men
Army Men, as toys, are older than the Barbie brand as they were established in 1938. Barbie dolls were everywhere and they became a popular icon in toy media. It’s not that wild then to imagine why the toys would get made into games in the 1990s then.
The first one, which was an RTS, was the first of the big reboot initiative that paved the way for dozens of sequels and spinoffs that were mostly action games. It was a way to marketshooters to kidswithout parents having to worry about blood flying everywhere. They were cheap, but fun experiences and wholesome in a way too.
7Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth
What came first? Was it the toys? Was it the anime? Was it the games? Even hardcoreDigimonfans may not know the answer, but the brand was first marketed to kids as a digital pet in 1997. The empire spawned from there and from the video game scene,Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuthis one of the best games in recent memory.
It’s a cybernetic detective game with turn-based RPG gameplay. Players could recruit and Digivolve Digimon into their party to create a cool squad of crime-solving monsters inthisPokemonclone.
6G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero
G.I. Joewas the evolved form of Army Men which first came into play in 1964.G.I. Joeheld plenty of comic characters that practically demanded to be introduced into comics and cartoons, and kids of the ’80s and ’90s knew this toy line was perfect for a video game.
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It was hard to get away from the brand whether one was perusing the toy aisle or watching the cartoon or playing a game.G.I. Joe: A Real American Herois a great adaptationof the NESthat allowed players to take three famous soldiers on a mission. Everyone had unique skills, and their health, and they could be swapped in the heat of battle.
5Hot Wheels Unleashed
Hot Wheelswas created in 1968 and the brand is still going strong. It’s popular with kids who just want to race cars as well as adults who love to collect things. There have been many attempts over the years to make a good racing game within this brand and it wasn’t until the last couple of years that things started to change.
Hot Wheels Unleashedis the biggest and best standalone option but the DLC packs for theForzaseries, likeForza Horizon 3: Hot Wheels, have been great too. They are fun for kids and adults who want something more in their racing game besides karts.
4Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Sagais a complete package that allows players to experience the entire nine-movie saga in Lego form. Lego is another brand that tried desperately to leap into the video game genre for years after making a solid name in the toy market starting in 1949. Fans have always adored theLego Star Warsgames, andLego Star Wars: The Skywalker Sagacombines what they loved from the classics.
None of the games were good until the originalStar Warsadaptationin 2005 which featured the prequel trilogy. It might have been weird to start there instead of the original trilogy but the prequels were more relevant in the 2000s. Since Traveler’s Tales took over the brand digitally, things have been great.
3Monster In My Pocket
Monster in My Pocketis an NES game,made by Konami, in 1992. Some may not realize it was based on a toy brand that began in 1990. Tiny, pocket-sized toys have always been a thing but putting monsters in pockets was unique in the 90s from Dracula to Frankenstein.
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Players could choose a character in the game, fly through a string of levels, and that was it. It was short, not too hard, but enjoyable all the same because Konami was still masters at their craft in the 90s.
2Skylanders
Skylanderstechnically did and didn’t start with a toy line. The first game was a spinoff from theSpyroseries which began in 2011.SkylanderstookSpyroand put him in an action RPG alongside dozens of other toy figures. The hook was thatplayers could buy characters, level them up, and then take them over to a friend’s house to continue the mayhem.
This is more of an example of a toy line and a video game line launching at the same time. It’s relevant to bring up because it exploded at launch and even established the toys to life genre. Other clones would follow such asDisney Infinity.
1Transformers: Devastation
Transformerswere one of the coolest toys in the ’80s. It combined the love children had with cars and action figures. It was like getting two toys in one in 1984 and the brand grew stronger from there.Transformershave seen plenty of movies, cartoons, and video games.
Among them all,Transformers: Devastationis one of the best adaptations since PlatinumGames worked on it. Also, a close second would beTransformers: War for Cybertron. Both games are kind of hard to find because of licensing issues, but hopefully, there should be hard copies out there somewhere for those curious.
