One thousand years ago, when Luna was freshly banished, we reviewed the Pony Platform Game Engine Test. Believe it or not, the Pony Platform Game is a platformer where you play as a pony. Like so many awkward situations before it, the game begins when Spike enlists the services of another (namely, you) to help him defeat a bad case of the munchies.
Does the Pony Platform Game stand out from numerous other... pony platform games? Is 8-bit the art medium of the new millenium? Can one manage to get their OC's head stuck in a floating earth island? All this and more, after the break.
As you start the game, you are offered a choice of hair, mane and eye color for your pony. Although not a selling point, the ability to play as the pony of your choice (in color, if not in mane and tail style,) is a nice touch. Your colors can be randomized at any point during the game by pressing 'R'.
A brief message details the game's interesting control style - while you can run and jump, which is perhaps a little faster on land, holding the jump key allows you to fly. Flying is smooth, but on the ground the controls feel a little unresponsive and clunky. The power of unlimited flight allows you to explore the game area with greater ease, but also leads to some awkward interactions with the environment. Thankfully, you've been blessed with the magical power of upward motion through dirt, so you can't get permanently stuck.
Look, ma! I'm an earth pony!
The game greets you with a blast of Eurobeat and the rich, visually diverse 8-bit graphics of Sonic 3, both pluses that make flying around seem like less of a chore. Additionally, the transition from walking to galloping on the ground is smooth. There's plenty of sensory appeal, for such a short game.
Snag all the scattered gems, and return to Spike. This game is technically a test of the Pony Platform Game engine, used to make Cupcake Dreams. It's short and perhaps not fully finished, but worth a play through (or a few, if you're attempting to beat my smashing high score of 55 seconds.)
