After kids "log on" to Barbie's purple laptop computer, they get to choose whether to respond to calls for help that come via the telephone and email. Barbie assures players that other rescuers will respond to calls if they prefer to spend some time in the Center. In the Play Room, kids get to "play" with the rescued pets by petting them or engaging in a handful of games. Some of these include guiding a turtle through a maze and manipulating a slider puzzle in such a way so that a hamster can reach her water, food, and exercise compartments. The Checkup Room is where basic nurturing and pet care activities take place.

Rescue missions entail locating the powerless pets, and then determining how to rescue them. The predicaments these pets face are hardly perilous, and the problem solving required to do the deed is generally not too difficult. For example, in order to lure a parrot to capture, kids gather seeds from a patch of sunflowers, click on a plate they find on a fence post, and then watch as Barbie takes care of the rest. Once a pet is safely back at the Center, kids use the computer to create a file for the animal and perform a small job of caring for the animal, such as cleaning the shell of a turtle or removing a burr from the fur of a puppy. Children can, at any time, scroll through the pet rescue records to take a look at their roster of rescued animals, some of which include "thank you" emails from the pet's owner. As well, they receive special printable rewards for jobs well done.

The graphics in this program are absolutely outstanding. Pets are extraordinarily lifelike, and even the soundtrack is realistic - right down to the ambient sounds of barking dogs and mewing cats in the background when children are tending to an animal in the Checkup Room of the Center.

When it comes to playing with the pets, the program offers plenty of eye candy but not a whole lot of game-play depth. In fact, some of the pets respond to a child's petting in the same ways, with the color of the animal's coat the only discernible difference.

As is often the case with such high-quality graphics, there is a bit of a performance trade-off involved. The screen transitions are a little slow, but likely due to the overall relaxed atmosphere of the game, the pace did not bother testers.

We couldn't help but notice a few missed educational opportunities. For example, the addition of animal facts could have boosted the educational value of the game. Caring for animals is sugar-coated and the missions themselves are very tame, giving an all-round superficial feel to the program. A more serious approach could have been taken, but for an entertaining and gentle experience, Barbie Pet Rescue certainly delivers. Because there is nothing heavy in the content, it's the perfect game to pull out when your child's friends come for a visit.

Technically Speaking
Minimum requirements are Windows 95/98, Pentium 166, 32 MB RAM, 8X CD-ROM, 2 MB PCI-based video card, 16-bit Sound Blaster or 100% compatible sound card and speakers. Requires 95 MB hard drive space to install and 20 MB free disk space to run.

Skills Covered
Logic, problem solving, animal care.

Educational Value
This title is heavy on entertainment and appeal, and light on the brain cells. Though a couple of the games and the rescue missions require some logical thinking skills, this title's educational content is minimal. We do wish the creators had slipped in some extra animal facts or more realistic simulations of animal care.

Entertainment Value
The animals - including cats, dogs, bunnies, and turtles - featured in the game are especially true to life. It's obvious that the developers spent some time with real animals before creating the pets in this graphically rich program. Besides the indisputable "wow" factor in the visual department, the overall theme of rescuing and caring for animals will certainly draw young children to the game. The program is entirely appropriate for children approximately 5-8, incorporating a nice mix of adventure and freeform game-play that is not too challenging and rarely, if ever, frustrating.

Design
Though sometimes a little slow moving, the program plays intuitively and contains ample help features.

Replayability
The quantity and variety of rescue missions provided is adequate and the mini-games are appealing. Testers did wish they could do more with the animals once they entered the Center, however. Probably the biggest boost to replay value is the program's easygoing and very pleasing format, making it ideal for light fun. This is exactly the type of game that children will want to show their friends, and you can bet these friends will want to come back to play the game again and again!

Dollar Value
This CD-ROM retails for $30 US.