3. Barbie
Release year: 1984
Platform: Commodore 64
How dumb it is: The first-ever Barbie game, despite being a landmark event for game companies starting to view women and girls as serious consumers, lacks imagination. I admire the saltwater taffy colors of its pixel art, but, despite being named Barbie (and the Barbie movie is guilty of this, too), the game lets Ken run the show. He calls her to go on a date, and she rides her convertible around in search of new hair and clothes. Even Run Magazine, in its August 1985 issue, noted the sexism of it all, with writer Marilyn Annucci asking, “Why can’t Barbie call Ken? Why can’t Barbie say no? Why does Barbie have nothing to do but shop?” It’s a cute dress-up game with cute options, but I reject its boyfriend-first values.
