List of Mary-Kate and Ashley video games
{{Short description|none}}
{{DISPLAYTITLE:List of Mary-Kate and Ashley video games}}
{{Infobox video game series
| title = Mary-Kate and Ashley video games
| italic title = no
| image = Magical Mystery Mall.jpg
| caption = PAL version cover art for Magical Mystery Mall
| developer = Crawfish Interactive
Powerhead Games
Tantalus Media
M4 Ltd.
n-Space
| publisher = Acclaim Entertainment{{efn|Released under the Club Acclaim label}}
| creator = Acclaim Entertainment
| genre = Various
| platforms = Game Boy Color
PlayStation
PlayStation 2
Game Boy Advance
GameCube
Windows
| spinoffs =
| first release version = The New Adventures of Mary-Kate & Ashley
| first release date = December 1999
| latest release version = Mary-Kate and Ashley: Sweet 16 - Licensed to Drive
| latest release date = October 2002
}}
The Mary-Kate and Ashley games are a series of video games released between 1999 and 2002 that feature Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in various scenarios such as trying to solve crimes, caring for horses, or freeing a shopping mall from a curse.{{cite book|last=Klaffke|first=Pamela|title=Spree: A Cultural History of Shopping|year=2003|publisher=Arsenal Pulp Press|isbn=1551521431|pages=[https://archive.org/details/spree00pame/page/146 146]–148|url=https://archive.org/details/spree00pame|url-access=registration|quote=Mary-Kate and Ashley: Magical Mystery Mall.}} The games were released by Acclaim Entertainment on game systems including the Game Boy Color, PlayStation, PlayStation 2, Game Boy Advance, GameCube and Windows.{{cite news|title=Game firms take aim at girls market|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/thestar/access/426813451.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jun+01%2C+2000&author=Marc+Saltzman&pub=Toronto+Star&desc=Game+firms+take+aim+at+girls+market&pqatl=google|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130411164424/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/thestar/access/426813451.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jun+01,+2000&author=Marc+Saltzman&pub=Toronto+Star&desc=Game+firms+take+aim+at+girls+market&pqatl=google|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 11, 2013|accessdate=25 March 2013|newspaper=Toronto Star|date=Jun 1, 2000}}
Background
The origins of the Mary-Kate & Ashley video games originated from a South Park video game for the Game Boy Color developed by Crawfish Interactive in development in 1998.{{cite web |title=South Park (found build of unreleased Game Boy Color video game; 1998) |url=https://lostmediawiki.com/South_Park_(found_build_of_unreleased_Game_Boy_Color_video_game;_1998) |access-date=15 April 2021}} But was eventually cancelled due to South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker stating that the game would not be fitting on the Game Boy Color as that console was marketed towards children. A year later in 1999, the unreleased game's engine and assets were reused for two additional Game Boy Color titles from Crawfish and Acclaim - Maya the Bee & Her Friends, based on the Maya the Bee franchise which was released in Europe, and The New Adventures of Mary-Kate and Ashley, based on Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen and was released in North America, being the first of the various video games based on the duo.
Video games
- The New Adventures of Mary-Kate & Ashley (1999, Game Boy Color){{cite web|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/%22The%2BNew%2BAdventures%2Bof%2BMary-Kate%2B&%2BAshley%22%2Bfor%2BGame%2BBoy%2BColor%2Bin...-a058272851|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081201165413/http://www.thefreelibrary.com/%22The+New+Adventures+of+Mary-Kate+%26+Ashley%22+for+Game+Boy+Color+in...-a058272851|title="The New Adventures of Mary-Kate & Ashley" for Game Boy Color in Stores Now; Newest Title From Club Acclaim and Dualstar Interactive Ships for This Holiday Season|website=Business Wire|archivedate=December 1, 2008|date=December 16, 1999|accessdate=August 14, 2022|via=The Free Library}}
- Mary-Kate and Ashley: Dance Party of the Century (1999, PC)
- Mary-Kate and Ashley: Get A Clue (2000, Game Boy Color)
- Mary-Kate and Ashley: Magical Mystery Mall (2000, PlayStation)
- Mary-Kate and Ashley: Pocket Planner (2000, Game Boy Color)
- Mary-Kate and Ashley: Winners Circle (2001, PlayStation, Game Boy Color)
- Mary-Kate and Ashley: Crush Course (2001, PlayStation, Game Boy Color, PC){{cite web|title=Mary-Kate & Ashley: Crush Course|date=13 June 2001 |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2001/06/13/mary-kate-ashley-crush-course|publisher=IGN|accessdate=25 March 2013}}
- Mary-Kate and Ashley: Girls' Night Out (2002, Game Boy Advance)
- Mary-Kate and Ashley: Sweet 16 – Licensed to Drive (2002, Game Boy Advance, GameCube, PlayStation 2)
Reception
Reception for the games have been heavily negative,{{cite web|title=Mary-Kate & Ashley: Get a Clue! Review|date=7 June 2000 |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2000/06/07/mary-kate-ashley-get-a-clue|publisher=IGN|accessdate=25 March 2013}} with the 1999 Game Boy Color game The New Adventures of Mary-Kate & Ashley receiving a score of 6/10 from IGN while the 2000 Magical Mystery Mall received one of 4/10.{{cite web|title=The New Adventures of Mary-Kate & Ashley Review|date=19 February 2000 |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2000/02/19/new-adventures-of-mary-kate-ashley|publisher=IGN|accessdate=25 March 2013}}{{cite web|title=Mary-Kate & Ashley's Magical Mystery Mall|date=13 June 2001 |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2001/06/13/mary-kate-ashleys-magical-mystery-mall|publisher=IGN|accessdate=25 March 2013}} In contrast, the Telegraph praised the Pocket Planner as being "quite clever".{{cite news|title=Mary-Kate & Ashley Pocket Planner|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/reviews/4761195/Mary-Kate-and-Ashley-Pocket-Planner.html|publisher=Telegraph|accessdate=25 March 2013|location=London|date=15 March 2001}}
Mary-Kate and Ashley: Magical Mystery Mall sold 286,000 copies.{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/87425627/st-louis-post-dispatch/|title=Video|newspaper=St. Louis Post-Dispatch|page=44|date=January 3, 2003|accessdate=October 21, 2021|via=Newspapers.com}}
Lawsuit
In 2004, the Olsen twins sued Acclaim because they claimed that Acclaim had not made payments on a settlement agreement. The settlement agreement came about because an audit of Acclaim's books showed that royalties due to the twins had not been paid. The lawsuit included a letter from the twins' attorney, Martin Singer, that stated that Acclaim had "taken the franchise of the Mary-Kate and Ashley brand in video games which had flourished and has now run it into the ground."{{cite web|url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/tech/techinvestor/techcorporatenews/2004-04-27-olsens-sue-acclaim_x.htm|title=USATODAY.com - Olsen twins sue Acclaim over video game royalties|website=usatoday30.usatoday.com|access-date=2018-11-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140221065714/http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/tech/techinvestor/techcorporatenews/2004-04-27-olsens-sue-acclaim_x.htm|archive-date=2014-02-21|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2004/04/26/the-olsen-twins-sue-acclaim|title=The Olsen Twins Sue Acclaim|first=Juan|last=Castro|date=26 April 2004|access-date=2018-11-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160827003745/http://www.ign.com/articles/2004/04/26/the-olsen-twins-sue-acclaim|archive-date=2016-08-27|url-status=live}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{notelist}}
{{Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mary-Kate and Ashley video games}}
Category:Acclaim Entertainment games
Category:Game Boy Advance games
Category:Lists of video games by franchise
Category:Video game franchises introduced in 1999
Category:Video games based on real people