In a first for the PlayStation, Mary King's brings horses down from the top shelf and onto your TV. Is it going to be the favourite or are Midas simply taking us for a ride?
Maria Sanchez

When Monty Python decided to replace all the horses in The Holy Grail with comedy coconuts for the sake of entertainment, you can't help thinking that perhaps they had the right idea. After all, since Play School's Dapple and Rentaghost's Dobbin were permanently put out to graze, gee gees have failed to draw crowds in the entertainment world. Many years on and Riding Star attempts to recreate all the fun of equestrian life in your living room, by way of a high-tech My Little Pony sim. Endeavouring to encapsulate all the fun and responsibility that comes with horse ownership, the player must feed, water, groom and muck out Star to ensure that he's kept in tip top condition for competing.

You join Star in the stable yard, where you can show your affection for your new-found friend using one of three phrases. However, 'Come on Star', 'Come On Boy' and 'Star Come On' begin to grate quite quickly, so you might want to take a look around instead.

In the tack room you'll find everything you need to care for him properly: brooms, oats, tack and an encyclopaedia of horse care. This tells you everything you need to know about your pony in intricate detail, from the symptoms of equine flu to the ins and outs of his excretory system. (Note: realism strays somewhat here, as illness, death and extortionate vet's bills are all excluded from the game.)

Grooming is an important part of horse care, and it's necessary to keep Star looking and feeling his best - if Star is unkempt or unhappy, it will reflect in his performance. Disappointingly, despite the extensive list of tools mentioned in your guide book, only four are available to tend to Star, including a brush, comb and some hoof oil, which are used in a stilted point-and-click routine.