Horse-Drawn Games

Company Owner
Irene Stevenson

Age: ???

Position: CEO

Location
Scottsdale

Vermont

USA

Company History
Horse-Drawn Games, known for interactive fiction computer games, released their first console in North America on the 8th of January, 1985. The Gamewagon was originally slated for a holiday 1984 release, but technical issues delayed its production. Four games were released along with the Gamewagon, but it was also compatible with Horse-Drawn's older interactive fiction titles.

Gamewagon: Play
Included with all Gamewagons, but not available for individual sale. Gamewagon: Play was a collection of 8 simple games. All included titles featured 2d 8-bit graphics and monaural sound. The individual games did not support save files, but Gamewagon: Play kept a file of the player's scores. Half of the games included a 2-player mode for players with a second controller.


 * Turbo Tennis, a tennis game for one or two players.
 * Kart Dash, a kart racing game for one or two players.
 * Super Trivia Time, a trivia game for one or two players.
 * Gamewagon Hoops, a basketball game for one or two players.
 * I Can Decorate, an interior design game for one player.
 * Gamewagon Antfarm, an ant farm simulator for one player.
 * Gamewagon Fishtank, an aquarium simulator for one player.
 * Gamewagon Skeeball, a skee ball game for one player.

Astrid's Pony Tales
Astrid's Pony Tales bore a passing resemblance to some of Horse-Drawn's earlier work, but was set in a new universe separate from Happy Valley. Astrid's Pony Tales featured 2d 8-bit graphics, monaural sound, simple cutscenes, and save game support. The game was set within a framing device of an old mare named Astrid telling a bedtime story to her grandchildren.

The player controlled four characters. The name, gender, character class, and color scheme could be chosen for each character. There were six different character classes; destrier, charger, berserker, witch, oracle, and mystic. Due to space limitations, the class titles were truncated to dstrir, chrger, and brsrkr. Witch, oracle, and mystic are unaltered. The default characters were Roslyn (destrier), Juliet (charger), Astrea (oracle), and Yuria (witch).

While primarily a one-player game, it was possible for a second player to control some characters during battle. Each character could be set for player 1 or player 2 in the config menu. Player 1 had full control outside of battle. Developer Irene Stevenson estimates 15-20 hours of gameplay for typical players.

Astrid's Pony Tales came with an instructional manual, a story booklet starring the default protagonists, a double-sided poster (world map on one side, default protagonists on the other), and a page of stickers depicting significant characters and enemies. Astrid's Pony Tales retailed for $50, but a free copy was included with the Gamewagon-A and Gamewagon-B.

If the Gamewagon was connected to a printer, the player would be able to print stat sheets for each character, dungeon maps, and coloring pages.

"After a thousand years of peace, a long-lost island rises in the middle of the ocean. With its return comes chaos. Wicked things swarm the world and spread despair across the land. Four brave ponies must band together to defeat the evil power and seal the island away once more."

Higurashi
Higurashi was a side-scrolling action game in which the player controlled a ninja warrior. It featured 2d 8-bit graphics, monaural sound, and save game support. The player-character could duck, jump, slash with a sword, or throw a knife. The objective was to defeat a rival ninja clan. A second player could join, but enemies were more numerous and bosses were tougher in 2-player mode. The protagonist was Haru. The player 2 character, Kaito, only existed within 2-player mode and is not referred to in the storyline.

Horse-Drawn Games stated that Higurashi was not a game for children, and marketed it to mature players. However, the Electronic Game Rating Association (EGRA) appraised Higurashi and approved it for all audiences.

Higurashi included an instructional manual, a poster, and an art book. It retailed for $45. An arcade version was also released on May 1, 1985.

"The ruthless Inago ninja clan have all but exterminated their rivals. Lead Haru, the last of the Higurashi ninjas, on a quest of revenge against the wicked ninjas who slew his clan."

Voidrunner
Voidrunner was a top-down shoot-em-up in which the player piloted a small space ship. It featured 2d 8-bit graphics, monaural sound, and save game support. The player could equip their ship with both a primary weapon and a secondary weapon. Primary weapons included fast-firing machine guns or slow-firing cannons, with two weapons in each category, and an auto-cannon that combined the characteristics of both. Available secondary weapons were homing missiles, micro missiles, rockets, and a laser cannon. Primary weapons have unlimited ammunition, but secondary weapons must be replenished with pickups.

Beating the game unlocked a different ship for the player to use. This ship not only looked different, but also moved slightly faster, enabling the player to more effectively dodge enemies. The bonus ship used all the same weapons as the default ship. A second player could join, and used the same type of ship as player 1, but in a different color scheme.

Voidrunner included an instructional manual, a poster, and an art book. It retailed for $45. An arcade version was also released on May 1, 1985.

"The void is rife with danger, but highly profitable for traders courageous enough to brave it. That's where you come in. You're a voidrunner, a veteran mercenary in the employ of a major trading corporation. Clear out the space pirates, and guarantee safe passage for the cargo ships!"

Beyond Human
A remake of Horse-Drawn's classic interactive fiction title, Beyond Human, was released on September 3, 1985. Beyond Human was a cyberpunk RPG set in the distant future. This game was intended for mature players, and may not be suitable for children.

Players took on the role of a new recruit in the Special Police Force. The protagonist could be male or female, and could be named anything of the player's choosing (within a six-letter limit). SPF officers were all cyborgs to some degree, and were free to upgrade as they like. The protagonist began with augmented vision (displays enemy level and HP), but could purchase many other augments as the game progressed.

Defeated enemies awarded money and skill points. Skill points were used to enhance the protagonist's abilities (weapon accuracy, for example). Money could be used to purchase new weapons and armor, or to buy more augments. It was possible to systematically replace every part of the protagonist's body, turning him or her fully into a machine.

Beyond Human was the first Gamewagon game to depict blood. Human and cyborg enemies bled when shot, and collapsed in a puddle of blood when killed. Machines either exploded, or collapsed and emitted sparks. Enemies fought included criminals, terrorists, rogue factory robots, and evil robot cultists.

Beyond Human was priced at $50. It included a guidebook (instructions, history, tips and tricks, and artwork), and a two-sided poster. One side was a print of a watercolor painting by Irene Stevenson and depicts the default protagonist (a heavily augmented female cyborg) on a rooftop, with a rifle, wearing a trench coat over her SPF uniform. The other side was a weapons and armor chart. The game was advertised with both a short tv ad and a full-page magazine ad.

Sixgun Hero
Sixgun Hero was a top-down shooter set in a fantasy version of the old west. The player-character is not customizable; he is a archetypal cowboy named Dustin. The only available weapon is a revolver named Sierra, but the player can choose different types of ammunition with different effects. Due to the wide variety of mythical creatures battled, it is necessary to switch ammunition depending on the situation. Like Horse-Drawn's other action games, Sixgun Hero is story-driven and features many cutscenes. Despite being a story-driven game with fantasy themes, Sixgun Hero did not have RPG elements. The story was relatively long, and the game boasted upwards of 20 hours of playtime. It also features an additional "survival" mode, for monster killing sans story.

Sixgun Hero was priced at $50. It included an instructional manual and a poster depicting the hero, Dustin, riding a horse through the desert at sunset.

Gamewagon
Horse-Drawn Games released their first console in North America on January 8th, 1985. The Gamewagon was originally slated for a holiday 1984 release, but technical issues delayed its production. The Gamewagon was available in 3 different variants; A, B, and C, priced at $350, $250, and $175, respectively. Four games had been released along with the Gamewagon, but it was also compatible with Horse-Drawn's older interactive fiction titles.