Released for the Sega Genesis in 1994, Crystal's Pony Tale is a Platform Game designed for young children starring Crystal, essentially a My Little Pony with her Serial Numbers Filed Off. She must stop an evil witch who has imprisoned her seven rainbow-colored friends, each of which require a color-coded crystal hidden somewhere to free.
The easy difficulty and saccharine tone of this game would certainly put off older gamers, but it has its own special charm.
A Sega Master System version of this game was planned, but was cancelled due to poor sales.
This game contains examples of:
- And I Must Scream: What the witch does to most of Crystal's friends. The placements are random so one of them could be encased in a cave wall and another could be rendered to a simple outline on a carousel.
- Bat Out of Hell: The bats in the river level swooping in and out of the windows of the old bridge.
- Bee Afraid: The bees that drop honey on you, which are accompanied by "Flight of the Bumblebee".
- Card-Carrying Villain: The witch.
- Cash Gate: To move forward in a stage, Crystal must give up either 5, 10 or 15 horseshoes at checkpoints, depending on the difficulty.
- Colour-Coded for Your Convenience: Crystal's friends and the gems.
- Complete Immortality: Getting hurt simply causes Crystal to lose a few horseshoes necessary for exiting stages.
- Creepy Circus Music: The carousel towards the end of the barn/grass level has this.
- For the Evulz: The witch doesn't seem to have any motivation for capturing Crystal's friends other than this.
- Gotta Catch 'Em All: Crystal must save all seven of her friends to complete the game.
- Magical Mystery Doors: A simple version of this appears early on in the game.
- Mineral MacGuffin: The seven rainbow-colored crystals.
- My Little Phony: Cutesy, candy-colored equines in a magical fantasy world? What else could it be?
- Plot Coupon: Again, the seven crystals which are needed to save Crystal's friends.
- Public Domain Soundtrack: Nearly every song in this game is a classical piece, most notably Johannes Brahms' "4th Symphony, 2nd Movement" and Gabriel Faure's "Dolly Suite, Op. 56".
- Rainbow Motif: Crystal's friends, which include the color indigo.
- Sugar Bowl
- Taken for Granite: One of Crystal's friends could be trapped behind a cave wall.
- Vile Villain, Saccharine Show: The witch. She shows up during random points in the game to impede Crystal's progress.
- Virtual Paper Doll: The player can customize Crystal's mane, tail, and body colors.
