So I've been a pretty big fan of My Little Pony starting from around 2012, when I saw my first episode of Friendship is Magic: the Season 1 episode "Party of One". The 2nd season had finished airing by that point and they would feature a block of Season 1 & 2 re-runs from 12am-2am on one of my local cable channels. This was how I watched the series for a while; nestled in the all-too-familiar comfort of late-night television. That was how I watched the show until I'd cut the cable, anyway, and they started bringing out full season DVDs in my country.
Friendship is Magic was arguably the height of the MLP franchise's popularity, and it confounds me how it never got any official handheld or home console-based video game tie-ins. It only ever seemed to get browser games & mobile games/apps instead, as well as some very minor DLC for other video games like Monopoly Plus & Pinball FX.
The G3 & G5 MLP Games
I guess the argument is that there were more kids using mobile phones or tablets than had access to a DS/3DS, or a PS4/Xbone/Switch; the game systems most active during FiM's run. But then how did the less popular and less financially successful 3rd & 5th generations of MLP get several handheld/console games each? I guess games were cheaper to make during the 2000s for Gen 3 to get a GBA game & a DS game, but I still don't know how Gen 5 got TWO multiplatform console games.
Sure, The Runaway Rainbow (2006) & Pinkie Pie's Party (2008), for the GBA & DS respectively, aren't high art. They are luicrously short minigame/puzzle collections, but they were something.
Sure, playing Maretime Bay Adventure (2022) & Zephy Heights Mystery (2024), on PS4 & PS5 respectively, weren't some mind-blowing revelation, but they were something.
I'd have loved to have had something, anything resembling these games featuring the world, lore and characters established in FiM.
Games With A Suitable Template
There were plenty of other games with similar vibes to FiM that I also would've loved to have as a template for an MLP game;
Monster High - Skulltimate Secrets (2024) had an original character creator and you could interact with, and do quests for, characters from the show.
DC Super Hero Girls - Teen Power (2021) a multiplayer action game based on a DC comics animated show developed by FiM's initial creative lead, Lauren Faust.
Them's Fightin' Herds (2018) a 2D fighting game that was initially developed as a FiM fighting game called Fighting Is Magic, but was later repurposed into a new IP following a cease and desist complaint from Hasbro.
What Games Did We End Up Getting For FiM?
A majority of them were either basic activity apps, cheap browser-based games, or your more typical microtransaction-heavy IOS/Android fare; Endless runners, city-builders, the dreaded match-3 puzzle game. As fine or serviceable as those games may be, they were never what I'd wanted or hoped for.
The Potential of FiM
Friendship is Magic has such a huge, untapped potential for video game adaptations!
The colorful cast of characters and varied environments would suit a mascot platformer, either 2D or 3D, or a fighting game as evidenced by the now repurposed fan game, Fighting Is Magic/Them's Fightin' Herds.
The high fantasy setting and lore would lend itself perfectly to a Zelda-style adventure, or an Elder Scrolls-style open-world RPG. There is even a fan-made video game project called Legends of Equestria that imagines FiM as an MMORPG, having been in active development since 2012.
The excellent music is begging for a rhythm game in some form; a Singstar clone, A Project Diva-esque game playing along to music videos or even something more rhythm-action, more akin to Hello Kitty & Friends: Happiness Parade or the Theatrhythm series.
The focus on daily life and character dynamics/relationships in most episodes could've made for a cozy farming/life simulator in the vein of an Animal Crossing, Story of Seasons or Hello Kitty Island Adventure.
The Future of MLP Games
Unless Hasbro decide to revive Generation 4 and give it a wider marketing push that includes more video games, I guess all of this is kinda moot. Generation 5 of MLP hasn't been super popular and hasn't seen much of any content updates in around a year.
There are no currently announced games in development, although there is a new movie in development, and that could always lead to a video game tie-in. There is no word yet, though, on if the movie will be based on a previous Generation, the start of a new Generation or it's own thing.
If anything, I'd say Hasbro really need to learn how to keep their brands relevant and market them better.
A new movie and few more Friendship is Magic games would be a pretty good start to me.
Cute stuff! Short and sweet too, and a unique topic at that. I’ll give this a second read tomorrow after I wake up and chat with Spike about it to give you the WG badge. Unique article! In the meantime, be sure to double check Article Guidelines just in case. Nighty night.
Oh, and If you need help or got questions don’t be afraid to fire them mu way!
So I've been a pretty big fan of My Little Pony starting from around 2012, when I saw my first episode of Friendship is Magic: the Season 1 episode "Party of One". The 2nd season had finished airing by that point and they would feature a block of Season 1 & 2 re-runs from 12am-2am on one of my local cable channels. This was how I watched the series for a while; nestled in the all-too-familiar comfort of late-night television. That was how I watched the show until I'd cut the cable, anyway, and they started bringing out full season DVDs in my country.
Friendship is Magic was arguably the height of the MLP franchise's popularity, and it confounds me how it never got any official handheld or home console-based video game tie-ins. It only ever seemed to get browser games & mobile games/apps instead, as well as some very minor DLC for other video games like Monopoly Plus & Pinball FX.
The G3 & G5 MLP Games
I guess the argument is that there were more kids using mobile phones or tablets than had access to a DS/3DS, or a PS4/Xbone/Switch; the game systems most active during FiM's run. But then how did the less popular and less financially successful 3rd & 5th generations of MLP get several handheld/console games each? I guess games were cheaper to make during the 2000s for Gen 3 to get a GBA game & a DS game, but I still don't know how Gen 5 got TWO multiplatform console games.
Sure, The Runaway Rainbow (2006) & Pinkie Pie's Party (2008), for the GBA & DS respectively, aren't high art. They are luicrously short minigame/puzzle collections, but they were something.
Sure, playing Maretime Bay Adventure (2022) & Zephy Heights Mystery (2024), on PS4 & PS5 respectively, weren't some mind-blowing revelation, but they were something.
I'd have loved to have had something, anything resembling these games featuring the world, lore and characters established in FiM.
Games With A Suitable Template
There were plenty of other games with similar vibes to FiM that I also would've loved to have as a template for an MLP game;
Monster High - Skulltimate Secrets (2024) had an original character creator and you could interact with, and do quests for, characters from the show.
DC Super Hero Girls - Teen Power (2021) a multiplayer action game based on a DC comics animated show developed by FiM's initial creative lead, Lauren Faust.
Them's Fightin' Herds (2018) a 2D fighting game that was initially developed as a FiM fighting game called Fighting Is Magic, but was later repurposed into a new IP following a cease and desist complaint from Hasbro.
What Games Did We End Up Getting For FiM?
A majority of them were either basic activity apps, cheap browser-based games, or your more typical microtransaction-heavy IOS/Android fare; Endless runners, city-builders, the dreaded match-3 puzzle game. As fine or serviceable as those games may be, they were never what I'd wanted or hoped for.
The Potential of FiM
Friendship is Magic has such a huge, untapped potential for video game adaptations!
The colorful cast of characters and varied environments would suit a mascot platformer, either 2D or 3D, or a fighting game as evidenced by the now repurposed fan game, Fighting Is Magic/Them's Fightin' Herds.
The high fantasy setting and lore would lend itself perfectly to a Zelda-style adventure, or an Elder Scrolls-style open-world RPG. There is even a fan-made video game project called Legends of Equestria that imagines FiM as an MMORPG, having been in active development since 2012.
The excellent music is begging for a rhythm game in some form; a Singstar clone, A Project Diva-esque game playing along to music videos or even something more rhythm-action, more akin to Hello Kitty & Friends: Happiness Parade or the Theatrhythm series.
The focus on daily life and character dynamics/relationships in most episodes could've made for a cozy farming/life simulator in the vein of an Animal Crossing, Story of Seasons or Hello Kitty Island Adventure.
The Future of MLP Games
Unless Hasbro decide to revive Generation 4 and give it a wider marketing push that includes more video games, I guess all of this is kinda moot. Generation 5 of MLP hasn't been super popular and hasn't seen much of any content updates in around a year.
There are no currently announced games in development, although there is a new movie in development, and that could always lead to a video game tie-in. There is no word yet, though, on if the movie will be based on a previous Generation, the start of a new Generation or it's own thing.
If anything, I'd say Hasbro really need to learn how to keep their brands relevant and market them better.
A new movie and few more Friendship is Magic games would be a pretty good start to me.
Nice post! I’m not a fan of MLP but this was still a good read. The only MLP game I really know of are those fan-made Luna games, which aren’t exactly in the style of the show to say the least lol.
Nice post! I’m not a fan of MLP but this was still a good read. The only MLP game I really know of are those fan-made Luna games, which aren’t exactly in the style of the show to say the least lol.
So I've been a pretty big fan of My Little Pony starting from around 2012, when I saw my first episode of Friendship is Magic: the Season 1 episode "Party of One". The 2nd season had finished airing by that point and they would feature a block of Season 1 & 2 re-runs from 12am-2am on one of my local cable channels. This was how I watched the series for a while; nestled in the all-too-familiar comfort of late-night television. That was how I watched the show until I'd cut the cable, anyway, and they started bringing out full season DVDs in my country.
Friendship is Magic was arguably the height of the MLP franchise's popularity, and it confounds me how it never got any official handheld or home console-based video game tie-ins. It only ever seemed to get browser games & mobile games/apps instead, as well as some very minor DLC for other video games like Monopoly Plus & Pinball FX.
The G3 & G5 MLP Games
I guess the argument is that there were more kids using mobile phones or tablets than had access to a DS/3DS, or a PS4/Xbone/Switch; the game systems most active during FiM's run. But then how did the less popular and less financially successful 3rd & 5th generations of MLP get several handheld/console games each? I guess games were cheaper to make during the 2000s for Gen 3 to get a GBA game & a DS game, but I still don't know how Gen 5 got TWO multiplatform console games.
Sure, The Runaway Rainbow (2006) & Pinkie Pie's Party (2008), for the GBA & DS respectively, aren't high art. They are luicrously short minigame/puzzle collections, but they were something.
Sure, playing Maretime Bay Adventure (2022) & Zephy Heights Mystery (2024), on PS4 & PS5 respectively, weren't some mind-blowing revelation, but they were something.
I'd have loved to have had something, anything resembling these games featuring the world, lore and characters established in FiM.
Games With A Suitable Template
There were plenty of other games with similar vibes to FiM that I also would've loved to have as a template for an MLP game;
Monster High - Skulltimate Secrets (2024) had an original character creator and you could interact with, and do quests for, characters from the show.
DC Super Hero Girls - Teen Power (2021) a multiplayer action game based on a DC comics animated show developed by FiM's initial creative lead, Lauren Faust.
Them's Fightin' Herds (2018) a 2D fighting game that was initially developed as a FiM fighting game called Fighting Is Magic, but was later repurposed into a new IP following a cease and desist complaint from Hasbro.
What Games Did We End Up Getting For FiM?
A majority of them were either basic activity apps, cheap browser-based games, or your more typical microtransaction-heavy IOS/Android fare; Endless runners, city-builders, the dreaded match-3 puzzle game. As fine or serviceable as those games may be, they were never what I'd wanted or hoped for.
The Potential of FiM
Friendship is Magic has such a huge, untapped potential for video game adaptations!
The colorful cast of characters and varied environments would suit a mascot platformer, either 2D or 3D, or a fighting game as evidenced by the now repurposed fan game, Fighting Is Magic/Them's Fightin' Herds.
The high fantasy setting and lore would lend itself perfectly to a Zelda-style adventure, or an Elder Scrolls-style open-world RPG. There is even a fan-made video game project called Legends of Equestria that imagines FiM as an MMORPG, having been in active development since 2012.
The excellent music is begging for a rhythm game in some form; a Singstar clone, A Project Diva-esque game playing along to music videos or even something more rhythm-action, more akin to Hello Kitty & Friends: Happiness Parade or the Theatrhythm series.
The focus on daily life and character dynamics/relationships in most episodes could've made for a cozy farming/life simulator in the vein of an Animal Crossing, Story of Seasons or Hello Kitty Island Adventure.
The Future of MLP Games
Unless Hasbro decide to revive Generation 4 and give it a wider marketing push that includes more video games, I guess all of this is kinda moot. Generation 5 of MLP hasn't been super popular and hasn't seen much of any content updates in around a year.
There are no currently announced games in development, although there is a new movie in development, and that could always lead to a video game tie-in. There is no word yet, though, on if the movie will be based on a previous Generation, the start of a new Generation or it's own thing.
If anything, I'd say Hasbro really need to learn how to keep their brands relevant and market them better.
A new movie and few more Friendship is Magic games would be a pretty good start to me.
This was a good quick read. I've only watched snippets of the cartoon series with my neice, so this was a healthy refresher on the series as a whole. Will read it again come morning to digest the main points raised.
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