Nintendogs sparked a handheld revolution. The realistic dog physics and microphone interactions (which allowed players to talk to their pups) were superior to all other simulators. It was more than a virtual pet – this Nintendo DS exclusive kept the dual-screen unit on top for several months. New gamers were drawn to the DS as a result while other, more casual players were retained.

Since Nintendogs' release, many games have tried to capture the essence of canine companions, as well as fish, felines, and other critters. Equines, on the other hand, have spent their days in the spotlight as a vehicle in The Legend of Zelda games. It's not often that they receive a serious application dedicated entirely to the species. Thus, if you're a gamer who aspires to hop on the saddle and do the good thing, the release of My Horse and Me might have caught your attention.

Your Horse. My Touch.

My Horse and Me offers two kinds of gameplay: race and obstacle-oriented challenges/competitions and virtual pet-style mini-games. The former is where you'll spend the majority of your time, but don't think you can bypass the rest. You've got a dirty barn that needs cleaning, and will have to sweep up and toss new hay by scratching the bottom screen. This is mandatory once your horse becomes fatigued since the game won't let you participate in additional competitions without first making the animal feel at home. Fair enough – I wouldn't want to perform under bad conditions either.

There's a bit of irony to that last statement. Little boys and girls may enjoy the customization features of My Horse and Me, which let you change the helmet, jacket, gloves, pants, and boots of your rider. They may also enjoy caressing their horse after a successful win, and rejoice in the ability to give their best friend a treat. But they won't like the conditionsunder which they have to perform.

My Chore and Me

Jumping, the most vital component to your success, is an awkward game of graphical timing. There aren't any visual aids to help with the matter, and there shouldn't be. The problem is, My Horse and Me practically requires them. The 3D graphic details are very weak; many of the backgrounds and obstacles (which you'll have to jump over) blend together so heavily that it's hard to make them out. At the same time, you have a camera whose vertical angle is locked into place. That would be just fine if it were the appropriate angle. Chances are you can tell by all this buildup that it's not.

Players are asked to press the A button to jump over obstacles. That sounds simple enough. We've been jumping over obstacles in 2D for nearly three decades, and in 3D for more than 10 years. How hard could it be?

Remember, it's all about timing. But I'm not sure this game knows what timing it wants to abide by. Do I press the A button an inch before the obstacle? A centimeter? A foot? What translates well in the real world, and what may have translated well on a large-screen TV with a better camera angle does not work well on the DS's two-inch screens. The whole thing is a matter of guesswork, and there are several additional, initially invisible obstacles ahead that will make guessing an excruciating process.

Since the horse's speed and movement are both tied to the D-pad, you'll constantly find yourself in an uncomfortable position. The D-pad must be pushed up to increase your horse's speed. You can't steer while doing this for two reasons: (1) it's difficult to evenly spread your thumb across both buttons, and (2) when your thumb finally shows off its best yoga moves, the game just won't allow it.

Consequently, players are in a non-stop battle with themselves. Do I speed up or steer? If I choose to steer, I can adjust my horse's position and hit the jump from the straightest (and safest) position possible. But if I steer, my horse's speed won't increase – and if that doesn't happen, there's little hope that I'll be able to make the jump on the first try. The game allows you to screw up a couple of times, which should help most players survive.

But only if you're willing to backtrack and hit the jump you just messed up. If you skip it – a move most wise players will think they should make – the game will quietly announce that the next jump you hit (and every other after that) is wrong. If you go back, you have to deal with the controls again. Have you ever tried to make a horse turn around in a game? It isn't the most pleasant experience, not even in a classic like The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time. Zelda made it doable – My Horse and Me makes it disastrous. Every obstacle feels like an enormous prison that prevents your horse from progressing (or backtracking, as is the case much too often).

And then there's your horse's inability to stay active. Trained horses grow tired almost as quickly as an untrained horse. When that happens, you have to use the "calm" button (B) to re-energize your benign equine. Like any other feature in My Horse and Me, it appears to be harmless. But after struggling to invigorate your horse during a competition – combined with the necessity to speed up frequently and continually readjust your horse's position – there's nothing left to do. Either suffer or give up.

Gameplay: 4.5
Awkward controls, sluggish gameplay, and mini-games that feel like chores.

Graphics: 3.0
Bland and grainy 3D shapes. Details are scarce and often mesh together inappropriately, making them hard to tell apart.

Sound: 2.0
On the menu screens, the same jingle is played every time you push the A button. The music isn’t that great either.

Difficulty: Easy
Easy has a different meaning with this game: frustration squared.

Concept: 6.0
Some good, some bad. My Horse and Me’s mode variety looks great on a menu screen but falls apart in execution.

Overall: 4.5
If all you seek is the novelty factor and don't care about gameplay, My Horse and Me is a galloping time. Not a good or great time, but a time nonetheless. If any form of interactive entertainment is desired, you'll have to jump over many, many hurdles to find it.