My Horse & Me (Windows)
© 2008 Atari
Featuring beautiful scenery but a clunky design, this game follows the same pattern used by previous horse sims we've reviewed over the years. Essentially you choose a horse, take care of him, practice, and compete in a variety of jumping events to unlock more horse equipment and tracks. Players can choose from four girl and two boy characters, then customize their character and horse. You can clean and groom your horse, and learn how to ride with basic dressage and jumping lessons. Players learn how to ride their horse and jump different obstacles in indoor and outdoor arenas, and train to win the five international championships. Minigames such as collecting butterflies, herding chickens and catching falling stars, all to improve your riding skills. The game features four outdoor environments each with multiple courses that can be tackled at different times of day, and four indoor locations with their own courses. You can also take pictures of yourself and your horse while riding, then add pictures to your user profile on the official website - www.atari.com/myhorseandme. Our testers noted that the game is nearly impossible to find on your hard disk after it is installed when using Windows Vista. Versions are also available for the Nintendo Wii and DS for $30.
$20, Windows*, Wii, Nintendo DS
Teaches: creativity, timing, equestrian sports, horses
CTR Rating: 76%