Barbie: Ocean Discovery (1999). Play online

Summary

Barbie: Ocean Discovery landed on the Game Boy Color as a streamlined counterpart to the 1997 Windows adventure. While the computer version let a dolphin guide you through puzzles, the handheld cut that element down, focusing more on Barbie’s own underwater navigation. It was Mattel Media’s first foray into an adventure‑style title starring the iconic doll, and its sales bumped the company into a series of subsequent girl‑oriented releases.
Critics were split: Entertainment Weekly dismissed it as underwhelming, while The New York Times pointed out a quirky nod to Barbie’s marine‑biology background. A memorable piece of the marketing was a Coca‑Cola holiday tie‑in that slipped a $5 coupon for the game into special “Santa Packs,” giving kids a little extra incentive to dive in.

Storyline

In Barbie: Ocean Discovery you play as Barbie, a marine biologist diving into a vibrant underwater world. Across nine distinct maps you collect puzzle pieces by completing a variety of mini‑games – from a Pong‑style challenge and a sliding‑tile puzzle to a Kaboom‑inspired cannonball‑catcher and other oceanic tests. Each successful round brings you closer to assembling the final treasure map.

While you explore, the game lets you interact with schools of fish and other sea creatures that glide in realistic patterns, adding life to each level. The ultimate goal is to piece together the map and locate the hidden sunken treasure that Barbie has been searching for throughout her aquatic adventure.