The pony fandom lives it some video games. We've had more crossover here than just about anything thanks to how easy it is to "Ponify" things. Time to start up a new series celebrating it!
We still haven't really gotten much love in this department from the big wigs over at Hasbro. The mobile offerings are basic and filled with ways to milk as many dollars as possible off kids, and the flash side usually doesn't last longer than an hour or two.
Originally the plan was to just write a single post with 10 potential game companies and call it good, but I, and the others here in our various EQD chats quickly discovered that we have way more to say than we originally thought. For the sake of really diving into each one, I'm splitting it up. It may be daily or bi-daily. Some may cover multiple companies. And if we have enough fun with it, we might go past 10.
Anyway, lets start with a pretty obvious one! Many of you have fallen in love with Nintendo games over the years just as much as I have. Below the break, we dive into why they would be one of the best companies out there to build us a pony game!
Nintendo POWER
Few companies have anywhere near the iconic lasting power that Nintendo has gained over the years. Their main brands are just about everywhere, so much so that even people that aren't aware at all of gaming culture know who some of their major properties are. It's almost impossible to walk through any kind of shopping area and not at least see a Mario or Pokemon on display. For gamers, entering Hyrule field for the first time, or platforming through Bowsers castle will forever be emblazoned as some of our best gaming memories. Recognizably isn't why we are picking them though. A host of things make Nintendo the perfect company for pony!
They are what I would consider to be the closest to pony in both look at feel of their overall design. The worlds they build are both care-free and fun, with brilliant colors and incredibly interesting residents. The "darker themes" sometimes used are always presented in a very optimistic, pony style way, making the player always feel like a hero regardless of the task. It's the most traditional good vs. evil company on the planet, and they have absolutely mastered telling that story across their vast catalogue of games.
How many other game developers can literally release the same plot five times, yet keep you absolutely hooked for every single re-imagining? That's just what they do. The style of their ideas keeps you engaged even if you've already saved the princess or defeated 8 dungeons and unlocked the triforce multiple times throughout the years. It's the settings they craft that really set it apart. Every resident of their world is quirky and fun to interact with. It's something My Little Pony shines on, and a reason why we have adopted so many side characters for our own works.
It doesn't stop there though. Another major bonus to Nintendo is how much value they pack into each of their releases. Outside of the earliest platforming days, you can expect to get a ton of content out of a new Nintendo release. Mario Galaxy has a stupid amount of levels and bonus objectives across a vast array of highly different settings. Zelda has always been a marathon of dungeon crawling with loads of interesting side quests littered throughout that you can easily pour 30-60 hours into. And their party games are some of the best in the business to hook up at a convention or with friends during a weekend pony viewing. These developers are the kings and queens of fun.
Something a lot of people playing the Gameloft pony game have run into an incredible amount of times over the years are the bugs. Everything from stopped progress with no solution to complete data wipes have plagued it since it's initial release years ago. For something so simple, you'd think it would be at least flawlessly optimized. Bring on the Nintendo, known for some of the most highly polished products out there. Sure, you might run into an odd quarky bug or two, but for how long and involved their vast repertoire of titles is, the amount of issues players have run into are almost non existent. As a long time PC gamer who has plowed through some of the most broken systems out there, it was always refreshing as a kid to pop in a new Zelda game and just know that everything is going to work flawlessly.
The only major negative I see to Nintendo breaking into the pony world is the lack of streaming support. They are notorious for content claiming just about anything involving their IP, forcing many a Youtuber to not bother. I can imagine a lot more people would own Wii-U's if they'd loosen up a bit and let the fans advertise for them.
Despite this, Nintendo would be an incredible pick for our very first big budget pony game. It would be an absolute joy to drop that headline here on EQD. One can dream!
Some Pony game ideas
- The Legend of Twilight - exploring the corners of Equestria and assisting various races in their home cities while conquering dungeons in the name of each to collect the lost Elements of Harmony and defeat Nightmare Moon!
- Super Pony World - Mario style, platforming around the already colorful Equestria in an attempt to save one of our many princess ponies from the evil Tirek!
- Pinkie Party! - Get your friends togeather, pick a character out of a giant mix of possible ponies, and battle it out over a giant, Equestria themed game board! Race with the wonderbolts, speed bake a cake with the cakes, or buck ALL the apples.
- Ponymon - Wander around Equestria as Ace Trainer Fluttershy as you collect all sorts of beasties and battle against the notorious Shadowbolts and claim your spot at the top after defeating the elite 4 princesses!
- Pony Kart - We've already seen the potential there. Too bad it never finished!
Have a game company recommendation or critique on the one above? Hit those comments up!
