The Interlude

While people washed their groceries and fled cities, I was finishing my junior year of college in my childhood bedroom — feeling stranded and listless as April 2020 progressed. Then, my brother brought his GameCube over to my mom’s house and my inner child called me to action. I needed to finish the Bratz: Rock Angelz video game. I needed a win.

By 2005, Bratz already dethroned Barbie due to its passion for modern fashion and detachable (and delectable) shoes. Whereas Barbie taught girls to be sweet and nice girl bosses, Bratz embraced little girls’ attitudes. Despite the criticism Bratz received at the height of its popularity, the brand persevered and cemented itself in the culture as the doll that celebrated girls of all types of boldness and ethnicities. Interest in Bratz merchandise skyrocketed even higher after MGA Entertainment released Bratz: Rock Angelz on GameCube, GameBoy, and PlayStation 16 years ago.

Accompanying the doll line and the direct-to-video movie, the video game has our girlies — Cloe, Jade, Sasha, and Yasmin — launching their own teen magazine after Jade lost her internship at the snooty Your Thing magazine. The newly minted Bratz Magazine allows the girls to travel the world and start a band. Ah, the power of early aughts print journalism!

When I got Rock Angelz for Christmas in 2005, my six-year-old self never envisioned it’d take me 14 years to complete it. Until I finally beat the Bratz game, I don’t think I fully embraced femininity in the way I used to as a kid. I eventually started hating the color pink, then internalized misogyny set in and I left Bratz behind.  

The open-world concept of the game gives you the freedom to explore Stylesville, the fictional LA-esque city where the Bratz reside, as you unlock parts of the world and help other Bratz characters with sidequests and complete mini-games. When I say “help,” I really mean solve the most innocuous problems — like Meygan trying to recover the clothes she lent out to all the other Stylesville residents or quite literally picking up Dylan’s flying homework at the park. (No matter how stupid the task is I will always help Koby and his fine ass. (Yes, despite being a mere combination of pixels on my boxy old television, Koby caught my eye.) These sidequests eventually become published stories in the magazine. I may have spent four years getting an undergraduate journalism degree, but I truly learned how to find a story in anything through the Bratz.

Jade had all the fashion industry scoops. Game screenshots via Geneviève Bel. Graphic by Maggie Chirdo.

Developed by Blitz Games, the shopping and make-up simulators in Rock Angelz had me especially hooked as a kid. The clothes in this game are simply to die for, especially the white cropped tank emblazoned with the classic Bratz red lips. Players can shop to their heart’s content through different stores in the game, unlocking more collections as they travel to London and Paris. The early 2000s aesthetic is even hotter than I remember it. But be cautioned! Despite looking super hot in your newly bought leather jacket and plaid mini skirt, the Dylan NPC will yell “What are you wearin’?!” or “Is it Halloween already?” whenever you pass by. Other NPCs will have choice comments, but you just gotta swerve by them in roller skates.

Which brings me to this: get good at roller skating. Mini-games and the subsequent final challenge of the game hinge on your ability to ride on these tortoise-speed skates. My struggle to do so at 22 years old made me regress mentally,  so much so that I begged my brother to beat it for me (like I used to do as a kid. But he insisted that this was a journey I had to complete on my own. My 28-year-old brother quite literally said, “No rage-quitting in this house.” And like that, I spent 40 minutes on fake skates trying to pick up pieces of a contract to save Cloe from Burdine in 30 seconds.

Gameplay and storyline aside, the soundtrack can transport anyone back to the pop-punk times of 2005. Rock Angelz was my gateway into girl power rock (sorry Ms. Lavigne). Per the album credits in the game booklet, the singers who brought these unparalleled vibes include Cloe, Sasha, Yasmin, and Jade. They were in the studio! At six and 22 years old, I choose not to question that. 

Sasha’s femme punk track “Who I Am” praises girls who aren’t afraid to speak. Yasmin’s “Rock The World” proves the Bratz were not playing when they made a rockstar-themed line. Musically, the heavy guitars and pounding drums dispel any sly criticism that the soundtrack is poser music. My personal favorite is Cloe’s “Grow Up”. It’s an earworm that will have you singing its hook, “Everybody’s telling me to grow up get a sensible haircut. You’re wearing too much makeup just grow up. Grow up! Blah Blah Blah I can hear you. Blah Blah Blah I’m not listening” for months after you’ve beaten the game. 

Here’s Sasha sporting the annoyingly slow roller skates in question! Graphic by Maggie Chirdo.

Some non-doll artists also make an appearance, like Aslyn with “Be The Girl” and sister duo Aly & AJ with singles from their debut album Into The Rush. Aly & AJ posters are displayed all over the game’s worlds and if you collect tokens you can unlock their music videos and artwork. Aly and AJ getting a Bratz promo? Icons supporting icons!

The Bratz have made a comeback in the past few years, inspiring influencers and celebrities. MGA Entertainment re-released the 2001 line of dolls in time for its 20th anniversary. On social media, Bratz has leaned into 2000s nostalgia by sharing clips from the game and creating the new TikTok meme sound. (Jade was right, I LOVE this game).

A reacquaintance with Bratz was exactly what I needed in a time of uncertainty. Aside from the obvious nostalgia bomb, Bratz encourages you to embrace femininity, fashion, and friendship without compromising the dolls’ original boldness. 

Are the graphics any good? No. Are the mini-games enjoyable? Sometimes. Does it rock? Hellz yeah!