Horses have been our most loyal companions for thousands of years. They’ve left a trace in many cultures, lifestyles and industries, and video gaming is no exception. Since the first games were developed for various consoles, game developers included horses just to make them more fun to play.
We all know and love the latest horse games that push the boundaries of technology and include realistic horse mechanics, but there is nothing like experiencing some nostalgia with some retro games.
These pixelated games brought joy and plenty of fun back in the day, and sometimes going back to play them can bring many memories providing you with long-hour entertainment.
So, if you are one of the gamers that prefer retro games, here is a selection of 5 games that include some of the most famous horse race names, according to TwinSpires, and other fictional ones.
Best Retro Games that Include Horses
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time (N64)
There is no doubt that The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is one of the best games ever made, and fortunately there is plenty of horse-riding action throughout the story.
The game introduces you to Link’s much-loved horse Epona who has featured in lots of next Zelda video games such as in Zelda: Breath of the Wild where she may be unlocked with an Amiibo.
The name Epona comes from ancient instances – she becomes the protector of horses. Galloping around Hyrule on Epona is a without a doubt magical feeling, leaping fences and riding off into the unknown. It was one of the first N64 games to really blow our minds and make us realize what had become feasible with 3D gaming.
Ocarina of Time drove the N64 to its limits and is deservedly considered to be one of the greatest video games of all time.
Warriors of Fate (Arcade, PlayStation)
Warriors of Fate is Capcom’s 1992 sequel to Dynasty Wars and is primarily based on the identical Japanese Manga. Even though the game features pixelated graphics, it was truly stunning imagery at that time. It also included beefier sprites and the end result feels a lot more like Final Fight/Knights of the Round with a medieval Chinese subject matter.
The characters have adorable detail and animation which offer them extra persona and guarantees the game is greater enticing than Dynasty Wars. As you play, you may choose weapons and use special actions such as unique attacks, charging attacks, and grapples.
Unlike Dynasty Wars, there’s a combination of horse-primarily based and on-foot fights. The horses manage fantastically and this is pretty virtually some of the greatest horse-primarily based combat available in an arcade game.
Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master (Mega Drive)
Shinobi III is a sequel to Sega’s famous Shinobi series and is considered to be one of the most exciting games to be had for the Sega Mega Drive.
The recreation is superior to Revenge of Shinobi and has some fantastically designed tiers and greater gameplay including the ability to jump kick.
One stage, in particular, sees you using a horse as you cross boundaries and kill ninjas – it is really remarkable and we love the song and surroundings.
Sunset Riders (Arcade, Mega Drive)
Think of it as the Red Dead Redemption 2 of 30 years ago. Whenever we think about horses and video games then cowboys spring to mind. Sunset Riders, launched in arcades by way of Konami in 1991 offers some of the best retro horse action around.
Sunset Riders is one of the best Western-themed arcade games ever made, with lots of personality and character: it also happens to be one of the finest arcade games ever made full stop. It’s a side-scrolling run-and-gun game for up to four colorful cowboy bounty hunters. There is an extremely good horse riding feel as you ride alongside a moving train and shoot bad guys who are on the train and on horses around you.
Asterix: The Arcade Game (Arcade)
Most of us grew up reading the amazing Asterix books and in 1992 a fantastic arcade game was launched, with the help of Konami, which perfectly captured the artwork, humor, and character of the comics. Konami is widely known for its arcade beat-em games that many people played back in the day in arcades, or more recently in the MAME Collection, but this 1992 game often gets overlooked. This game was one of the first games that included chariot racing with horses.