Yup, I’m talking about ponies again.
Today I’m eyeing up the best of what the brony community has to offer in the way of gaming. At the moment it’s all flash based internet games, but there are bigger projects in the pipeline such as the Pony MMO and My Little Pony: Fighting is Magic. I’ve seen the videos, it actually looks pretty good.
So until they come out, what should you play? Well, let me tell you:
Rainbow Dash Attack
http://www.deviantart.com/#/d398yy7
This game is probably as simple as it gets. As your character, Rainbow Dash, runs across the screen, she’ll encounter black and white clouds. She can run or fly (if you press the space bar) through the white ones for points. The black ones are thunder clouds, and will take a life off you if you go through them. Instead, you must time it so you kick them with your back hooves as you go past, for extra points.
This is a fun little time waster for a couple of minutes, but there isn’t much of substance there. Also, there are no music or sound effects, which could easily have been put in (after all, there’s an enormous MLP musical community out there). That definitely hurts the game.
Collect Cupcakes, Lick Ponies
http://yeaka.deviantart.com/art/MLP-FiM-Flash-Game-202202384
http://yeaka.deviantart.com/#/d3cgwj4
Ok, I admit it; I picked this out simply because the name made me giggle. There’s actually two games here (both are linked). The first is a quick side scrolling game where you literally walk across the landscape collecting cupcakes and licking ponies. Er, ok. The sequel, however, is a silly little platformer with a fun premise. Doctor Whooves (Doctor Who in pony form, keep up) has tasked Pinkie Pie with collecting cupcakes... and licking things.
This is actually quite a fun game. All the ponies in a level are clickable, and say some odd things after you lick them. (Rainbow Dash, no!). As well as licking the ponies, you must avoid Derpy Hooves who is hovering around making a nuisance of herself. Add in a bonkers Eurobeat soundtrack and you’re golden. NEXT!
Rainbow Dash Mini Game
http://urimas.deviantart.com/art/Rainbow-Dash-Mini-Game-DONE-V3-201264368
This game is strikingly similar to Rainbow Dash Attack, but it’s not by the same creator as you’d expect. You fly or run through clouds, the white ones giving you points and the black ones electrocuting you. This time though, Derpy Hooves (her again?) is intent on knocking you out of the sky.
I liked this version a lot better. The sprite style art work looks ace, the music firs nicely and there’s even a power gauge that depletes the longer you stay in the air, stopping things from getting too easy. The Dash/Derpy collision animation is giggle-worthy too.
Dash Off
http://distoorted.livejournal.com/683.html
Yup, it’s another Rainbow Dash game. This time, you must collect apples and avoid ‘baked bads’ being dropped by Derpy (DAMMIT DERPY!), while meeting up with your friends who give you power up bonuses to your flying power.
It’s a very simple concept, but it’s well realised. The sprite animation is pretty, the 8 bit music by RainbowCrash88 is fantastic, and the option to share your score at the end of the game is a nice touch. I wouldn’t play it again though, because there’s no real challenge in it.
Super Filly Adventure
http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/579165
In this game you take control of a filly named Jade, who’s just moved to Ponyville. Pinkie Pie throws a party to welcome you to town, when suddenly, oh no! A dragon appears and starts being all mean and stuff! What’s a filly to do? Grab a magic staff and teach it a lesson, that’s what!
From what I saw, the game’s pretty cool. There’s a lot of shout outs to popular retro games (I caught the Pokemon reference, but I’m sure there’s more tucked away in there). The writing is funny and very much in character. However, the game’s let down by its brevity. You rock up to town, invite some ponies to a party, fight a dragon, and BOOM! It’s the end. There are multiple endings if you want to go for them, but it felt like the creator had a lot of ideas that they had to cut out in the end. It’s a shame really.
Pony Wings
http://ponywings.nutcasenightmare.com/
Pony Wings is a clone of the iPhone game Tiny Wings which is rather popular apparently. I wouldn’t know, I have phone that’s stuck somewhere in 2001. You play as Scootaloo, who is trying to outrun the night on her roller skates (ponies and skates? I was SO.IN.). It looks simple but takes a bit of skill to get right. Holding down S makes you build up speed, and when you let go you catch some air. The further you jump, the further you can go.
I found myself getting rather addicted to this, trying to better my score each time. The addition of parasprites as speed boosts are a nice touch, and Scootaloo herself is ridiculously cute. The music, an instrumental version of ‘Winter Wrap Up’ from the show, is lovely and lends a rather relaxed atmosphere to proceedings. The only bone I have to pick though is the lack of a leader board.
If you try any of the games on here, this is the one I’d recommend. Go forth and skate, pony!
