Remember when you first learned that “Friendship Is Magic”? My Little Pony may have started in the 80s, but it really blew up in the noughties with the 2010 series, which featured the aforementioned tag-line. Going strong ever since, My Little Pony has been teaching kids important lessons that everyone should know, and that goes no differently for the games that are released around the series. The newest game, My Little Pony: A Maretime Bay Adventure takes you through the titular area of Maretime Bay to discover that friendship really is magic.

My Little Pony: A Maretime Bay Adventure is an adventure-platformer with quite a lot to collect. While it’s not difficult, remember, it is a kids game, but even for an adult, it was actually a pretty decent hour and a half of game time. The game involves going around, collecting quite a few items, jumping platforms, and dressing up. There’s even a random rhythm section in the middle of the game. From herding bunnies and crabs, to collecting items, and buying fashion items for your pony, this would be a great game for most children if they watch the show.

Somewhat surprisingly, My Little Pony: A Maretime Bay Adventure actually looks really nice as well. The music leaves a bit to the imagination, being fairly simplistic, but kind of fitting to the game being more happy and upbeat. The graphics though, are actually quite good. Everything is distinguished, the foreground, background, and all the extras make sense and a sense of depth is there. Animations are crisp, resembling the source material to an impressive tee. The only “miss” which most games miss anyways, is the fact that the voices don’t really line up with the mouth movements, being totally out of sync, but at least the game is mostly voiced, and that cannot be said about most mid-tier Outright Games titles these days.

The biggest mark up I can give regarding My Little Pony: A Maretime Bay Adventure as a whole is, believe it or not, its story and the message behind it. Yes, the story is simple and very easily digestible, but at the end of the day it’s still a discussion of inclusion and segregation. It’s a plot that teaches kids about understanding and accepting everyone for what they are, even if they are seemingly different from the norm. It’s also a story about how people can learn and change, and that they’re not inherently bad people.

I will be honest, I wasn’t expecting for something like this in such a game. It is a really important message, especially in the dangerous times where the internet can be quite a harmful tool for the easily influenced minds of the young ones. The message alone makes this game worth respecting, at the very least, even if the source material is something that might have become a laughing stock for a chunk of the internet.

Do not be fooled by the source material. My Little Pony: A Maretime Bay Adventure may have been a pretty simple play and completion for an adult whose life is essentially playing video games, but it was still enjoyable. The lessons taught in the game are key and really important for a younger demographic, and it does look great as a whole. This should definitely be a pickup for most kids, and some adults should consider adding this to their library as well. If nothing else, it’s a pretty easy achievement/trophy list without ever feeling completely condescending, so why not?

Graphics: 8.5 Visually, My Little Pony: A Maretime Bay Adventure does most things right. It’s a nice looking game, with very vibrant colours. Arguably the main complaint is mouths and voices not lining up, but not a big problem at all.	Gameplay: 8.0 While a touch simplistic, as it is a kid’s game after all, My Little Pony: A Maretime Bay Adventure feels quite nice to play. From the herding sections, to adventuring and platforming, all the way to the rhythm section, everything feels like it has its place and feels complete.
Sound: 5.0 This is really the hit or miss section of the game, and it really doesn’t do either. The voices are good, but the music is kind of whatever outside of the one rhythm segment. It’s not good or bad, it’s just kind of tepid.	Fun Factor: 8.5 My Little Pony: A Maretime Bay Adventure was way more enjoyable than I expected. It was a fun burst of a game that had some interesting sections for kids, and an important lesson for everyone.
Final Verdict: 8.0

My Little Pony: A Maretime Bay Adventure is available now on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One.

Reviewed on Xbox Series X.

A copy of My Little Pony: A Maretime Bay Adventure was provided by the publisher.