My Little Pony: Harmony Quest - Budge Studios

This review of My Little Pony: Harmony Quest was completed by the Australian Council on Children and the Media (ACCM) on 18 July 2016.

About the app

This section contains details about the app provided by an ACCM Reviewer.

ACCM review

This review of My Little Pony: Harmony Quest contains the following information:

• The level to which the game was reviewed
• App description
• Reviewers comments
• In App purchasing
• Online information
• Gambling
• Advertising and product placement
• Gender stereotypes and sexual references
• Coarse language
• Game playing behaviour which may be of concern to some parents
• Other

The level to which the game was reviewed

This app was reviewed for approximately 1 hour.

App description

My Little Pony: Harmony Quest is a side-scrolling gaming app based on the franchise of the same name. The objective is to play through multiple levels, collecting items and ‘restoring’ parts of Ponyville that were damaged by evil changelings. The skills required to play the app include quick reflexes and motor skills to utilise the central functions of the app.

Reviewers comments

When the app is first opened, players are shown a video animation containing a voice-over narrative. The video describes Ponyville being attacked by a group of evil changelings and their master – the creatures descend upon the village, smash the windows of an ancient building, and ‘seize all the elements of harmony and cast the pieces across all of Aquestria’. Players are then told that the ponies have been imprisoned, and that it is up to them to free the captive ponies, repair the window, and restore all of the elements of harmony to their rightful place.

After this, players are then presented with an overhead view of a map and are instructed to click on a floating changeling. The app then informs players that two ponies are required for the first mission, and that they must select 2 of the 3 unlocked ponies. They are told that ‘the chase is on’, and the two ponies they selected must then chase after a changeling in order to collect pieces of broken glass.

This is presented as a side-scroller game where users must tap the run button in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen. The app then shows the two ponies running after the changeling, getting closer and closer until they come across a particular obstacle – e.g. a locked door, a pile of hay, etc. Players must select one of their two ponies, each of which have different powers, to defeat and bypass the obstacle. For example, one particular pony can kick apples to knock objects off shelves or to move them out of the way. Another pony is able to slowly destroy items if they are moved across the area where their unicorn horn is positioned. Ponies are also able to kick objects at the changeling directly, injuring it and allowing them to progress. After 5-6 rounds of this, the ponies finally catch up to the changeling and a brief animation shows the changeling dropping their piece of shattered glass – this is then seen to be implanted back into the window.

The next quest involves searching for elements of harmony. It is presented in the same format, utilising a set number of ponies, after which players must race through the level and overcome obstacles by using their individual pony’s powers. There are three unlocked ponies that players may use, but three that are locked – if a player clicks on any of these, players are offered various in-app purchasing options. They can buy any of the three individual ponies for $5.99, or can buy all three for $12.99. Each of these ponies unlock new levels/locations to explore, and have different powers. The objective of the game is to continue playing through levels, chasing changelings each time, in order to obtain all of the stolen items.

On the main game screen, there are multiple other icons. One is labelled ‘More Apps’, which takes players to a separate page listing other apps created by the same developer. These include other free apps (e.g. Barbie Dreamtopia Magical Hair, Monster High Frightful Fashion, Hello Kitty Nail Salon’) and link directly to an ‘install’ button within the iTunes store. Players are also able to access a settings menu where they can adjust music, language, sound effects and voiceovers, restore in-app purchases, and view the privacy policy.

Between quests, advertisements are infrequently shown – these are static advertisements that occupy the majority of the screen, and must be manually closed. They advertise other apps by the same developer, such as ‘Hello Kitty Lunchbox’.

In App purchasing

Yes: In order to complete all the levels, players must unlock various ponies. The app allows players to purchase the three individual ponies for $5.99, or they can buy all three for $12.99. Each of these ponies unlock new levels/locations to explore, and have different powers. The objective of the game is to continue playing through levels, chasing changelings each time, in order to obtain all of the stolen items.

Online information

N/A.

Gambling

No simulated gambling content was found during this review. If you find simulated gambling content in this app please contact us with the details so we can update our review.

Advertising and product placement

On the main game screen, there is an option labelled ‘More Apps’ which takes players to a separate page listing other apps created by the same developer. These include other free apps (e.g. Barbie Dreamtopia Magical Hair, Monster High Frightful Fashion, Hello Kitty Nail Salon’) and link directly to an ‘install’ button within the iTunes store.

Between quests, advertisements are also infrequently shown – these are static advertisements that occupy the majority of the screen, and must be manually closed. They advertise other apps by the same developer, such as ‘Hello Kitty Lunchbox’.

Gender stereotypes and sexual references

N/A.

Coarse language

N/A.

Game playing behaviour which may be of concern to some parents

No game playing behaviour which may be of concern to parents was identified during this review.

Other

N/A.

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