Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper CD-ROM Ships to Retail

Sept. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- For the first time ever girls will play with Barbie as two characters, Barbie as Erika and Princess Anneliese, in Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper CD-ROM, which is now available in retail stores nationwide from Vivendi Universal Games (VU Games) for girls ages 5 and up. The creative adventure title is a part of Mattel's entertainment initiative with a national television premiere and a VHS/DVD release this Fall.

Erika, with the help of Princess Anneliese, must prove that she is worthy to be crowned queen. Girls can assist Erika in her journey through the kingdom in search of items to fulfill this quest by proving she is fair, just, thoughtful and loving. She helps villagers, solves puzzles and completes creative tasks such as: designing colorful banners, baking and decorating delicious cakes, and even decorating the castle in preparation for the most magnificent coronation ceremony in the history of the royal kingdom.

Barbie as Erika, with the aid of Princess Anneliese, cannot complete the missions in this fun-filled adventure alone. Girls must help Erika move through the game's immersive environments and unique settings -- the village, castle and forest -- so that she is fully prepared for the coronation ceremony and her role as queen.

Key product features include:

* Experience a whole new adventure with Barbie as both Erika and Princess Anneliese.
* Discover the village, forest and castle on a journey through the royal kingdom in search of items to fulfill the quest.
* Play fun games and solve puzzles to complete each royal task. Gather apples in the orchard, spin wool for fabric, find the kitten in the castle and more.
* Play five creative activities as you help Erika become queen:
* Design colorful banners
* Bake and decorate delicious cakes
* Create beautiful stained glass
* Plant a spectacular flower garden
* Groom and bathe your own kitten
* Decorate each area of the castle to prepare for the ceremony. Add stained glass windows and banners for the perfect touch.
* Collect flags, flowers and more along the way for extra fun with creative activities.

Availability and Pricing
Barbie Princess and the Pauper CD-ROM is currently available on Windows format for a suggested retail price of $29.99. For sales and ordering information, customers can call (800) 545-7677 or visit www.vugames.com.

System Requirements:
Windows 98/ME/2000/XP: Pentium II (or equivalent) 350MHz or faster; 24x speed CD-ROM drive; 64 MB RAM (128 MB RAM for Windows XP); 16-bit color; 800X600 screen resolution; Windows compatible sound card; QuickTime 6.5

Macintosh Workstation: PowerMac G3 300MHz or faster; OS 9.2.1, 10.1.5, 10.2.3; 64MB RAM (128MB RAM for OS 10.1 and up); 24x speed CD-ROM drive; Thousands of colors; 800x600 resolution; QuickTime 6.5

Source: Vivendi Universal Games