Horse Life doesn't exactly jump out from the competition next to it on the shelf. It definitely appeals to a limited market and the game doesn't look like much on the surface; in fact, it looks a lot like everything else. However, much to my surprise, Horse Life actually makes a lot of effort to be the best horse simulator it can be and actually does a good job for the most part, by combining many solid elements into one all-round good package, lacking only the feel of actually being in control of a horse.

Horse Life has a large focus on realism that's quite refreshing to see. After selecting a gender you can pick from three breeds of horse and immediately begin taking care of your new companion. After a bit of training you'll soon be taking care of your horse through various means, including making sure there is a constant supply of food, brushing them, giving them treats or going for relaxing rides in the forest. Horse Life is just as much about keeping supplies and your horse's mood up as it is actually riding.

The riding mainly consists of taps and swipes of the touch screen. For instance, to get your horse going you swipe a couple times across it, and to slow it or stop it you're simply required to pull back around their head. As you come to corners and jumps you need to tap specific areas of the screen or drag the DS along a specific path with the horse reacting accordingly afterwards. While this works fine, it has a quick and immediately evident downfall; there isn't much freedom while riding the horse. Even the rides you take through the forest are on a set track and don't involve much except quick taps and drags of the stylus. This is easily the biggest and, really, the only flaw with the game, although it isn't a surprising one and it's hard to really class it as a flaw. The nature of the game is much like RPGs, where you're in charge of maintaining characters and selecting their actions but not directly involved with the immediate control of them.

One of the best features of game, however, is how well it looks and moves. The horses all have incredibly smooth and realistically captured animations that are even more impressive considering the hardware. Likewise, the sound, while a little repetitive throughout, is represented very well, as your horse neighs and trots its way to victory in various competitions, which stand out as the overall objectives of the game. As you begin, you have to earn your way into the competitions by passing various training tiers, each of which unlocks a new competition. Some involve simple horse movements while others move on to more complicated, faster routines. When taking a break from competitions you need to shampoo your horse, brush it and feed it, all using the touch screen and various rubbing motions. The DS trademark dual screens don't play much into the game unfortunately, sometimes displaying a couple of statistics or maybe nothing useful whatsoever, like some tree branches.

While Horse Life serves as a great horse care simulation with excellent graphics and sound, those picking it up expecting a grand gallop where they're in complete control of every movement, such as with adventure games like Zelda or Shadow of the Colossus, may well be disappointed by the on-rails feel of the game. Still, many gamers and young girls in particular, who dream of having their own horse or indeed actually do have one, will really enjoy the simulated feel of owning and taking care of their very own faithful companion, and Horse Life does this better than any others out there at the moment.

Reviewed by Christopher Martin for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).