My Horse & Me (Wii review)

[Angrist]

http://www.cubed3.com/review/556/

I found what seems to be the first review of this game. I honestly expected it to suck, but apparently it's quite good. If only they'd charge less than €50...

http://www.cubed3.com/media/2007/December/jesusraz/myhorse1.jpg
Graphics: 8
Amazingly this is by far one of the better-looking Wii games on the market, with gorgeous locations, realistic horses and impressively fluid animation.

Sound: 8
The music throughout is pleasingly soothing and melodic, whilst the voice work is plentiful and of a very clear quality.

Gameplay: 8
Being able to take full control of your horse’s movements using the motion controls is joyful and the various modes on offer are certainly very thorough and wide ranging.

Value: 9
With lots of customisation, fun to be had in the main modes, horse caring aspects, multiplayer fun and even a large selection of extra mini-games, this is one heck of a well-rounded horse simulation game that will satiate any fan's needs.

Final Score: 8
My Horse & Me is probably the most developed horse-riding package on the market, with a perfect blend of intense championship competition, genteel, relaxed horse caring and fun mini-games being included, along with the option for multi-player entertainment as well. The first game to ever carry to official FEI license has most certainly set the standard for future horse riding titles and shown that fledgling developer W!Games is more than capable of playing with the big boys of the Gaming Industry.

[Typhoid]

So they're totally getting rid of the outdoors with the Wii, are they?

Screw riding a real horse outside, watch it on TV and live it.
Need exercise? Fuck playing outside, get the Wii balance board.
Need to go for a long run? Screw it. Get Konami's Track and Field II with the floor mat, instead.

[manasecret]

From the same person that loves hockey games. Hasn't that argument been floated a thousand times before for a thousand other games? Most recently it was made for Guitar Hero 3, and immediately shot down as a baseless argument. But since it's a Nintendo Wii, the argument holds water.

No wait, it doesn't.

[The Germanator]

This is certainly an easier way of getting your precious snowflake that pony she's always wanted for Christmas.

[Bond]

Well, it's fun playing a professional hockey videogame because I personally could never play professional hockey.

I think it becomes dangerous when videogames begin to substitute common outdoor activities (ie. playing backyard football, pickup basketball, working out).

[KillerGremlin]

While I disagree with Typhoid, someone needs to draw a line when people talk about how you can lose weight by playing your wii. Your wii is not a substitute for real exercise.

[Typhoid]

From the same person that loves hockey games. Hasn't that argument been floated a thousand times before for a thousand other games? Most recently it was made for Guitar Hero 3, and immediately shot down as a baseless argument. But since it's a Nintendo Wii, the argument holds water.

No wait, it doesn't.

I was being sarcastic.
Notice how I threw in an NES game - which I own - and which is completely fucking awesome for making you look like a tool for hopping on coloured buttons to run faster. Revolutionary.

That second part about Track and Field II wasn't sarcasm. I actually love that game.

While I disagree with Typhoid, someone needs to draw a line when people talk about how you can lose weight by playing your wii. Your wii is not a substitute for real exercise.

it is when you get the Wii balance board for the low-low price of $_____, rather than spending 0 travel time and money by going for a run outside. I'd rather have the balance board. I mean, kids can get raped and killed playing flag football nowadays. I don't want my kids outside. Outside is scary.

[manasecret]

I was being sarcastic.
Notice how I threw in an NES game - which I own - and which is completely fucking awesome for making you look like a tool for hopping on coloured buttons to run faster. Revolutionary.

That second part about Track and Field II wasn't sarcasm. I actually love that game.

I was being sarcastic.

Oh you couldn't tell?

While I disagree with Typhoid, someone needs to draw a line when people talk about how you can lose weight by playing your wii. Your wii is not a substitute for real exercise.

There is no difference between "real" exercise and playing a Wii, it only depends on how hard you're playing a game. If you play a Wii game to exercise, then you just have to make sure you are really making your heart work.

A cardiovascular workout is a cardiovascular workout, and you can lose weight no matter how you go about doing that workout. If you have fun playing a Wii game and you really truly make it into a workout, then who are you or I to judge that? Instead of denouncing their choice -- perhaps someone's only motivation to actually get up and exercise -- I say encourage them and tell them to make sure they actually make it into a workout.

Electronic stationary bikes and treadmills are essentially video games as well, and no one denies the ability to get a tough cardiovascular workout from that. But you can also play around on them and get no workout at all from them. It just depends on the effort you put in.

[manasecret]

I think it becomes dangerous when videogames begin to substitute common outdoor activities (ie. playing backyard football, pickup basketball, working out).

.... and riding horses? ;)

[Typhoid]

I was being sarcastic.

Oh you couldn't tell?

I could tell you were.
The last line of "No wait, it doesn't" gives it away easily.

Me saying I was being sarcastic has nothing to do with not acknowledging you, too - were being sarcastic.

I simple said I was, because I didn't expect a drawn out, Nintendo-defense post.

And don't say "Well that's what you're doing now, and I was being sarcastic too, hypocrite", because I am defending myself. Not a company that I just like.



EDIT:

Electronic stationary bikes and treadmills are essentially video games as well, and no one denies the ability to get a tough cardiovascular workout from that. But you can also play around on them and get no workout at all from them.

I'd say that's a far stretch.
You're comparing riding a bike (essentially, a stationary bike IS riding a bike, without moving) to flicking your wrist, or standing on a wakeboard and moving back and forth? The balance board, will only really improve your balance, and maybe lower leg strength - depending on how much weight you have to keep balanced.

I'd make the argument DDR can be seen as exercise, you can't deny that.

[manasecret]

I could tell you were.
The last line of "No wait, it doesn't" gives it away easily.

Me saying I was being sarcastic has nothing to do with not acknowledging you, too - were being sarcastic.

I simple said I was, because I didn't expect a drawn out, Nintendo-defense post.

And don't say "Well that's what you're doing now, and I was being sarcastic too, hypocrite", because I am defending myself. Not a company that I just like.



I was being sarcastic.

Oh you couldn't tell?


I'd say that's a far stretch.
You're comparing riding a bike (essentially, a stationary bike IS riding a bike, without moving) to flicking your wrist, or standing on a wakeboard and moving back and forth? The balance board, will only really improve your balance, and maybe lower leg strength - depending on how much weight you have to keep balanced.

I'd make the argument DDR can be seen as exercise, you can't deny that.

I didn't mean the balance board specifically, but I guess I should have said that since isn't the game called "Wii Fitness"? My fault. Though I don't know what mini-games will be included with the board thing, there could possibly be some that make you move your arms and legs quite a bit. I think Nintendo marketing that as a "Fitness" device is irresponsible if you don't really get much of a workout from it. Maybe it will, maybe it won't. My instinct tells me it's just a fucking board, how much can you really get out of it? Maybe it has some yoga-type benefits, but I've never done yoga and don't know how much you really get from it.

I was specifically taking about Wii Boxing. If you want to make a cardio workout of it, you can pretty easily. That's about all I've played that could count for cardio, though you mentioned DDR, there's one for Wii that requires you to move your arms as well. I wish there were more games that made you physically move a lot. Maybe that Mario vs. Sonic Olympic Games game? Anyone tried that?

[Bond]

.... and riding horses? ;)
Obviously riding horses isn't easily accessible to everyone, which is why I didn't use it as an example.

But minus the massive amount of "sarcasm" in this thread, I do think videogames somehow substituting basic outdoor activities and exercise is very dangerous. Isn't our society lazy enough already?

[manasecret]

Obviously riding horses isn't easily accessible to everyone, which is why I didn't use it as an example.

But minus the massive amount of "sarcasm" in this thread,

Haha, yeah, sarcasm. I'm just throwing that at Typhoid because it seems like his response to any rebuttal to any of his arguments is "I was being sarcastic" .

Hey, Typhoid, don't read that. If you did, I was just -- you guessed it -- being sarcastic.

I do think videogames somehow substituting basic outdoor activities and exercise is very dangerous. Isn't our society lazy enough already?I would agree if I thought they were replacing outdoor activities. For many people (if not most), it wouldn't be substituting outdoor activity and exercise, it would be filling that gap. It might even move them on their way to more strenuous exercise outdoors. That may sound like a longshot, but I know for me the hardest part of exercising is starting back up again after I've lost my routine. After a couple weeks of getting back into a routine, exercise becomes addictive and I want to do more and more of it.

Btw, here are some impressions I just read from the Japanese release of Wii Fit

http://wii.ign.com/articles/838/838976p1.html

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f294/barneyis666/WiiFit1.jpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f294/barneyis666/WiiFit2.jpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f294/barneyis666/WiiFit3.jpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f294/barneyis666/WiiFit4.jpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f294/barneyis666/WiiFit5.jpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f294/barneyis666/WiiFit6.jpg

[Angrist]

Perfect example:

http://www.weirdnewstoday.com/uploaded_images/fitness-escalator-798427.jpg

[manasecret]

Haha I love that one. Well done photoshop work, too (I'm assuming, since I've never seen an outdoor escalator), on the sun glare especially.

On the original topic, I'd like to try out this horse game. Is it only out in Europe?

[KillerGremlin]

unless you decide to do jumping jacks for an hour with your wii-mote in hand, you wont' get a cardio workout from playing your wii. period. you might as well strap one of those vibrating belts to your waist.

to quote robin williams: "stop...buying...stupid...shit"

[Perfect Stu]

Wii Fit: Cheaper to buy a handful of exercise videos...but you don't know that.

[manasecret]

unless you decide to do jumping jacks for an hour with your wii-mote in hand, you wont' get a cardio workout from playing your wii. period. you might as well strap one of those vibrating belts to your waist.

to quote robin williams: "stop...buying...stupid...shit"

I always like that "period" bit. Period.

Anyway, yes, you are agreeing with me. Then why does it sound so confrontational? If they made a game that asks you to do a bunch of jumping jacks for an hour, then that would be a cardio workout. Or if they made a game that asked you to punch the air for an hour, that would be a cardio workout. Or if they made a game that asked you to run for an hour, that would be a cardio workout. (Hint -- they've already made those last two.)

[KillerGremlin]

i think you could get a workout from playing your wii. would it be as effective as going out and running 3 miles, i don't know. i do know that your wii is no substitute for a weight routine, unless you are going to do weightless exercises....and a lot of those are really hard/advanced

[bobcat]

Haha I love that one. Well done photoshop work, too (I'm assuming, since I've never seen an outdoor escalator), on the sun glare especially.

On the original topic, I'd like to try out this horse game. Is it only out in Europe?

We actually have escalators going to our gym at fitness first haahha.

um i'll have to take a photo.......but even so you won't see the fitness first logo :( It's too far away

[Angrist]

Haha I love that one. Well done photoshop work, too (I'm assuming, since I've never seen an outdoor escalator), on the sun glare especially.

On the original topic, I'd like to try out this horse game. Is it only out in Europe?
IGN has it listed (http://wii.ign.com/index/release.html) for a February 2008 release. Oh by the way, apparently the game is made by a Dutch studio. I want to read other reviews of My Horse & Me, but there are none yet, even though the game is out here.

And I never realized that picture was photoshopped. :) I still like to think it's real. But even if it isn't, I know another example. Kids who buy a moped to get to work, instead of cycling. Then they become fatter so with a lot of struggle and money they go to fitness schools. On their moped of course.