My Little Pony: Friendship Gardens is a PC Video Game about My Little Pony. Released during the Generation 2 era (1997-2003), it's a Raising Sim game—you raise and care for your own Little Pony. Gameplay is divided between the farm, where you care for your pony, and Pony Village, where you can play games. Along the way, you can teach her to jump fences, play games with other Ponies, and eventually cross the rainbow to Ponyland. But don't let her rainbow fade away!
This game is also notable for featuring the Gen 2 ponies and giving them personalities (G2 is the only one to never get any Animated Adaptation). Sundance is an explorer, Morning Glory likes games, Sweet Berry likes to bake, Ivy's a glamour girl, and Lightheart likes playing jokes.
Not to be confused with My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, which is from the fourth generation, or for the game based on that series, My Little Pony, or with My Little Pony: Equestria Girls – Friendship Games.
This game contains examples of:
- Anime Hair: While this is a feature of all ponies, Lightheart is one of the few to have tri-color hair.
- Big Eater: Your pony can eat the entire stock of apples, cupcakes, lollipops, and pizza, forcing you to grow new ones.
- But Now I Must Go: Once your Pony's all grown up, she must cross over the rainbow to enter Ponyland.
- Creepy Crows: Crows can eat the crops you grow.
- Everything's Better with Rainbows: The rainbow shows how your Pony is feeling, and at the end she crosses one to Ponyland.
- Exposition Fairy: The butterfly tells you what to do and where to go.
- The Fashionista: Ivy's trait is loving fashion, and she runs a hair salon and boutique.
- Fun Personified: Lightheart loves jokes and games, and her room is full of them.
- Hello, [Insert Name Here]: You can name yourself and your Pony.
- Holiday Mode: Playing on your birthday gets you a surprise from the ponies.
- Mini-Game: Tic-Tac-Hoof, dress up, dancing, various jigsaw puzzles, and baking.
- One-Gender Race: Your pony will always be female, even though G2 had a few boy ponies in the toy line.
- Pop Up Video Games: Although they aren't the primary focus of the game, there are a variety of clickable things in the background which play cutesy animations and otherwise have no function.
- Raising Sim: It's a game where you help your Little Pony grow.
- Ridiculously Cute Critter: The ponies, and some background animals.
- Shout-Out: One of Ivy's hairstyle choices is Princess Leia's.
- Simulation Game: You raise your little pony to excel in jumping, playtime, and making friends.
- The Stoic: Morning Glory doesn't raise her voice and speaks close to a monotone.
- Talk to Everyone: You must visit all the ponies to help win the game.
- Team Mom: Sweet Berry acts as the big sister to the other ponies, and loves to bake sweet treats for her friends.
- There Is Only One Bed: Lightheart and Sweet Berry share a cottage.
- Video Game Caring Potential: You can feed your pony apples, play games with her, brush her hair, teach her how to jump, and generally keep her happy. Make a mistake in raising her, such as overfeeding her, and watch the guilt abound.
- Video Game Cruelty Potential: You can feed her green apples which make her sick, overfeed her, feed her only junk food, refuse to feed or quench her thirst, and ignore her.
- Virtual Paper Doll: You can choose your pony's body, mane, and tail colors. You can also do the same with Ivy and give her clothes. In an early screenshot, this was done to your pony instead.
