DIGITAL L.A. PLAYING FIELD LEVELED BY NEW GIRL GAMES.

Byline: David Bloom 

We've been waiting for about, oh, ever for the long-predicted rise in girl-oriented games to arrive. Funny thing is, while everyone else was waiting, Mattel went out and did something about it.

The El Segundo toymaker, the world's biggest, is perhaps best-known for mega brands like Barbie and Hot Wheels.

But while they still make a lot of outlandishly configured miniature cars and female dolls, they've also been aggressively creating software for girls based not only on Barbie, but on several other brands, including Rockett's World and American Girl vintage dolls.

Lego Media has put out a few girl-oriented titles, including the excellent music-oriented Lego Friends, and No. 2 toymaker Hasbro has been creating scads of interactive versions of classics such as Risk, Life and Monopoly that appeal to non-hardcore players, including some who happen to be female.

But no other software company comes close to Mattel's wide-ranging record of often excellent titles pitched specifically for girls, both adolescents and preteens.

The company started creating girl-centric games in 1996, when it rolled out three titles, including the much-lauded Barbie Fashion Designer (since updated as Cool Looks Fashion Designer). Fashion Designer allowed PC and Mac users to design doll clothing, then print it out on special sheets of fabric that could be cut to create the clothes.

``I think it helped establish for us that girls do play on the computer,'' said product manager Lauren Berzins of the hit title.

Since then, the company has rolled out more than 30 girl-oriented titles, from mysteries to makeovers, from creativity to fantasy.

Generally speaking, the Barbie titles differ radically from games that boys might be expected to play. They lack such common game features as explosions, violence, carnivorous zombies and malevolent dragons. They tend to be graphically brighter, with more emphasis on exploring, puzzle-solving and cooperation.

Even where the Mattel titles involve more typical gameplay, they put a female-oriented spin on the proceedings.

Take Barbie Race & Ride, one of their new PlayStation games. Players ride a horse from adventure to adventure, and race other players head to head.

Another example is last year's Game Boy Color  title, Barbie's Ocean Adventure. The visually striking game involves exploring an underwater world and finding treasure. Nothing gets blown up or shot.

Mattel also has integrated all its recent PC titles with its Barbie Photo Designer digital camera. Players can put their own and their friends' faces into the games, and print them out.

Mattel doesn't exclude older girls either, relying on its Rockett's World line to engage adolescents who generally think they've outgrown Barbie, said Debbie J. Caton, the Rockett product manager.

``Barbie is aspirational, a little older than the girls playing with her,'' Caton said.

The Rockett's World line thus emphasizes such things as journal-making, friendship and secrets.

Rockett was the signature character of Purple Moon Software, a Texas company that Mattel bought last year after it had filed for bankruptcy. Mattel is now issuing new Rockett titles under Purple Moon's logo, along with such accessories as a series of Rockett books.

All this effort should pay off big for the financially troubled toymaker, said Curt Feldman, editor in chief of Games Business, a biweekly trade publication.

``When you've got brands like Mattel has, you want to test the market,'' Feldman said. ``You want to be there when the news turns from so-so to good.''

``Girls between 8 and 12 are becoming a more and more important demographic to go after,'' Feldman said. ``You've got these girls who are devoted to their brands who can now interact with the brand on a different level.

Once again, it appears Barbie is sitting pretty, only this time, on your computer screen.

Main Mann

One of the best things about what I (and Daily News film critic Bob Strauss) thought was one of last year's best films, ``Magnolia,'' was its soundtrack, populated with nine fabulous tracks from singer-songwriter Aimee Mann.

Just in time for her Oscar nomination for best original song (``Save Me''), Amazon.com is offering an online streamed version of a Jan. 30 Mann concert, including that terrific tune and six others from the soundtrack and her solo work.

The Seattle concert was held for Mann's fan club and Amazon employees (who says stock options are the only way to keep your tech workers happy?).

The site at www.amazon.com/aimee-mann. also features a free digital download of Mann's ``Wise Up,'' audio commentary on her career and an interview in both streaming audio and as a text transcript.

SITE OF THE WEEK

What: Luxuria Music, a martini-enhanced music site for the lounge/retro lovers among us.

--Where: www.luxuriamusic.com.

--What's cool: Hazy, booze-induced design, like Dino would have made were he still with us, and a Web master; offbeat travel tips in the ``Mondo Oscuro'' area (remember to scroll way right; this is ``oscuro''); a Valentine's Night launch party that included a purposely cheesy lingerie show and the staff fire-eater; the site's presiding spirit, a bald, beaming guy who calls himself ``The Millionaire.''

--Features: Visits by cool groups such as whacked Dutch wax masters Arling & Cameron; ``The Velvet Rope'' chat area; steaming, streaming lounge sounds all the time, through all the main formats; personal Web pages to luxuriate in; an e-mail newsletter.

--You'll like this if: Your musical and cultural tastes run to Esquivel's space-age bachelor pad music, the movie ``Swingers,'' the Brown Derby and Dresden Room in Los Feliz, Big Bad Voodoo Daddies, really well-made martinis and '50s fetish queen Betty Page.

Think your Web fave is good enough for Site of the Week? Send your suggestions to [e-mail] for consideration.

CAPTION(S):

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Box: SITE OF THE WEEK (See text)