Diva Starz: Mall Mania
Encyclopedia
Diva Starz: Mall Mania is an action
video game developed by Digital Illusions CE (DICE) and published by Vivendi Games
for the Game Boy Color
. It was released in North America on November 1, 2001, and is based around Mattel Inc.'s Diva Starz
doll
s.
The game follows five playable dolls from the Diva Starz line as they play through six different stages. As the player completes each stage with one doll, it subsequently gets harder through subsequent levels. The game received mostly negative reviews, receiving a 40% from GameRankings.
, where the player starts by choosing one of five playable dolls from Mattel Inc.'s Diva Starz
doll line. After selecting a character, the doll is placed in a scooter
level, where they are required to jump and collect items while riding their scooter down a street. Completing the scooter level allows the player to choose from five mall-related levels: the music spot, the pet shop, the fashion spot, the snack spot, and the style spot.
The music level plays similar to the Dance Dance Revolution
series, requiring the player to input button pushes at the proper times with the music as prompted by the game. The pet shop level makes the player go through a simple maze to find their puppy at the end of it. The fashion spot requires the player to place colored items into matching colored purses which move on a conveyor belt
. The snack spot is a puzzle which lets the player make food by placing pieces in the correct order, and the style spot is a dress up game which makes the player pick outfits which look the best on the characters.
felt that the game had too little content to warrant a purchase despite its lower price point; the reviewer gave the game to her 11-year-old granddaughter, who beat the entire game in 42 minutes. IGN
's Tiffany Timbletank wrote her review in a parody style of the slang language used throughout the game, and stated regarding the length of the game, "The game levels are so short and seem designed with such little effort that I was kind of offended. This just isn't a game."
Action game
Action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, shooter games, and platform games, which are widely considered the most important action games, though some...
video game developed by Digital Illusions CE (DICE) and published by Vivendi Games
Vivendi Games
Vivendi Games, formerly known as Vivendi Universal Games, was the holdings company for Sierra Entertainment and Blizzard Entertainment. Vivendi Games was founded as Vivendi Universal Games after Vivendi bought Universal Studios in the early 2000s...
for the Game Boy Color
Game Boy Color
The is Nintendo's successor to the 8-bit Game Boy handheld game console, and was released on October 21, 1998 in Japan, November 19, 1998 in North America, November 23, 1998 in Europe and November 27, 1998 in the United Kingdom. It features a color screen and is slightly thicker and taller than...
. It was released in North America on November 1, 2001, and is based around Mattel Inc.'s Diva Starz
Diva Starz
Diva Starz was a series of fashion dolls created by Mattel Inc. during the Christmas shopping season of 2000. They are similar in design to the MGA Entertainment Bratz dolls released in 2001, and the Flavas dolls released by Mattel in 2003...
doll
Doll
A doll is a model of a human being, often used as a toy for children. Dolls have traditionally been used in magic and religious rituals throughout the world, and traditional dolls made of materials like clay and wood are found in the Americas, Asia, Africa and Europe. The earliest documented dolls...
s.
The game follows five playable dolls from the Diva Starz line as they play through six different stages. As the player completes each stage with one doll, it subsequently gets harder through subsequent levels. The game received mostly negative reviews, receiving a 40% from GameRankings.
Gameplay
Diva Starz: Mall Mania is an action gameAction game
Action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, shooter games, and platform games, which are widely considered the most important action games, though some...
, where the player starts by choosing one of five playable dolls from Mattel Inc.'s Diva Starz
Diva Starz
Diva Starz was a series of fashion dolls created by Mattel Inc. during the Christmas shopping season of 2000. They are similar in design to the MGA Entertainment Bratz dolls released in 2001, and the Flavas dolls released by Mattel in 2003...
doll line. After selecting a character, the doll is placed in a scooter
Scooter
-Vehicles:*Kick scooter, a two-wheeled non-motorized vehicle, primarily a child's play thing, designed to have the rider primarily in the standing position, propelled by a rider pushing off the ground...
level, where they are required to jump and collect items while riding their scooter down a street. Completing the scooter level allows the player to choose from five mall-related levels: the music spot, the pet shop, the fashion spot, the snack spot, and the style spot.
The music level plays similar to the Dance Dance Revolution
Dance Dance Revolution
Dance Dance Revolution, abbreviated DDR, and previously known as Dancing Stage in Europe and Australasia, is a music video game series produced by Konami. Introduced in Japan in 1998 as part of the Bemani series, and released in North America and Europe in 1999, Dance Dance Revolution is the...
series, requiring the player to input button pushes at the proper times with the music as prompted by the game. The pet shop level makes the player go through a simple maze to find their puppy at the end of it. The fashion spot requires the player to place colored items into matching colored purses which move on a conveyor belt
Conveyor belt
A conveyor belt consists of two or more pulleys, with a continuous loop of material - the conveyor belt - that rotates about them. One or both of the pulleys are powered, moving the belt and the material on the belt forward. The powered pulley is called the drive pulley while the unpowered pulley...
. The snack spot is a puzzle which lets the player make food by placing pieces in the correct order, and the style spot is a dress up game which makes the player pick outfits which look the best on the characters.
Reception
Diva Starz: Mall Mania received mostly negative reception from critics, who felt that the game was overly easy; it received a 40% from GameRankings. GameZoneGameZone
GameZone is an American multiplatform video game website. GameZone's daily coverage includes reviews, previews, news, hints & cheats, and editorials. Additionally, GameZone offers downloads, a child-targeted website and in association with GameStop, hosts GZGameShop, an online retailer...
felt that the game had too little content to warrant a purchase despite its lower price point; the reviewer gave the game to her 11-year-old granddaughter, who beat the entire game in 42 minutes. IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
's Tiffany Timbletank wrote her review in a parody style of the slang language used throughout the game, and stated regarding the length of the game, "The game levels are so short and seem designed with such little effort that I was kind of offended. This just isn't a game."