Mega Pony

Mega Pony
The game's stage select screen.
Creator(s)	KhaoMortadios
Date published	November 13, 2013
Type of game	Action / Platformer

Mega Pony is an action/platformer fangame created by KhaoMortadios. The game is a crossover between My Little Pony and the famous video game franchise Mega Man from Capcom. The game features Mega Pony, a robot unicorn in a quest to stop Discord who has brainwashed and corrupted the Mane Six.

Premise

"In the year of 200X, Princess Celestia called upon the Elements of Harmony to stop the chaotic desires of the Draconequus Discord. However, after his defeat, Discord took over the minds of the six ponies who represented the Elements of Harmony. Now Princess Celestia calls upon the most powerful equine robot in all of Equestria. Celestia calls upon to Mega Pony."

Gameplay / Features

The game features platforming and shooting, very similar to the NES Mega Man games. Mega Pony will go through rooms, avoiding obstacles, climbing up and down stairs and shooting enemies to make their way through the end of the level, where one of the corrupted Mane Six will wait to duel him in battle. Once defeated, Mega Pony will acquire their special weapon as a reward as well as the Element of Harmony they held.

To reach Discord, Mega Pony must take care of the Mane Six first:

• Laugh Mare

Previously known as Pinkie Pie. She is found deep inside a sugar wonderland guarded by Gummy, many chocolate spikes, party balloons. She uses the Party Cannon attack to throw balloons at Mega Pony. She will occasionally rocket up to the top of the screen and rain balloons from above. Once defeated, Mega Pony will acquire the Party Cannon. Her weakness is the Sonic Rainboom.

• Magic Mare

Previously known as Twilight Sparkle. She is found in her lab underneath the tree at the Golden Oaks Library, guarded by her pet Owlicious and a maze of teleporters. Her specialty is the use of magic to deal damage, as well as her ability to teleport and shoot. She will occasionally retreat from one side of the screen to the other, firing at the player before charging a shot. During the time she is charging, she is invulnerable. Once defeated, Mega Pony will acquire the Magic Wave. Her weakness is The Stare.

• Kind Mare

Previously known as Fluttershy. She awaits deep inside the Everfree Forest, guarded by Manticores and pit butterflies. Even though she doesn't attack you directly, she is still a dangerous foe. She sends her critters after you, hurt one of her animal friends and she will stun you with her stare, leaving the player wide open for an animal to strike. Once defeated, Mega Pony will acquire the Stare. Her weakness is the Party Cannon.

• Loyal Mare

Previously known as Rainbow Dash. She is found at the Rainbow Factory in Cloudsdale, guarded by Wonderbolts, giant fans and falling platforms. She's a fast and agile opponent who is very hard to avoid as she crashes into you at high speeds. Her attacks eventually get quicker and harder to dodge once she gets weaker, flipping around the arena and attacking with thunder from above. Once defeated, Mega Pony will acquire the Sonic Rainboom. Her weakness is the Gem Seeker.

• Honest Mare

Previously known as Applejack. She is found at Sweet Apple Acres, which is overrun by Timberwolves and fruit bats. She's mounted on a powerful robot to attack and throw apples at you, both by sucking them in and shooting them back out towards the top of the arena, where they drop on to the player. Once defeated, Mega Pony will acquire Apple Bucker. Her weakness is the Magic Wave.

• Generous Mare

Previously known as Rarity. She dwells deep below the diamond caves, guarded by hordes of Diamond dogs. She uses her Gem Seeker ability to hurl sharp gems at you. When she is far away, she will place gems underneath you to act as landmines. At close range, she will try to ram the player, with or without a Gem Shield. Once defeated, Mega Pony will acquire the Gem Seeker. Her weakness is the Apple Bucker.

It's not enough to just beat the Mane Six, you also must brave Discord's fortress, where you must use everything you have learned to get through. Enemies that are normally unique to each of the Mane Six Stages also make appearances here:

• Fortress Approach- Red Dragon

In this section, the player will need to advance towards Discords fortress and scale the outside wall after entering through the ventilation system. Once the player reaches the end of the area, they will encounter a large red dragon that targets the player and shoots a barrage of fireballs at them. After it sustains enough damage, it switches sides in the arena. Its desperation move is to cover the field in smoke, obscuring platforms and making it easier to fall into the bottomless pit on the right. Its weakness is the Stare. It prevents it from entering its desperate state and changing sides.

• Spiky Teleporters- Windigo

Here, the player will be assaulted with a plethora of spikes and water hazards. There are a number of prizes available to obtain for the bold, but they all lie within pixels of death. About half way through the level shifts gears and introduces teleporting puzzles. At the end of the section, the water clears out, giving way to even more spikes at the final stretch. Beyond that is the boss, the Windigo. It starts the battle with a dash attack to get close, what it does next is based on how far it is from you. Its attacks include dashing from one side of the arena to the other, summoning ice spikes from the ground before crashing into an unwary player, and causing a tornado that can suck the player in if too close. The Tornado hurls out Ice shards on the player. Its weakness is the Magic Wave.

• Bot Gauntlet- Omega Crusader

In this area, the player must climb the tower once again, avoiding spike traps and other hazards as they make their way towards the mini bosses and eventual boss. Sweetie-bot from the Generous Mare stage makes a return appearance here, and the player finds that the other crusaders had a similar makeover. Each of them have a different style of attacking the player, drill horns, winged boomerangs and thrown horseshoes respectively. The boss of the Area is the Omega Crusader, a giant robot with three heads and giant hooves towering over the arena. It has four attacks. It can stomp the player with its hooves in an attempt to keep them in the middle of the arena, and an attack for each of the heads. It starts off basic when all three heads, but as they each fall the attacks become more vicious, attacking more times with each turn. This boss is unique as it has not one weakness, but three. It follows the 'big sister' pattern where one would use the Gem Seeker on Sweetie-bot, Apple Bucker on Apple-bot, and Sonic Rainboom on Scoota-bot.

• Final Rush- Tank of Discord

Here the player is given a moment to catch their breath as they head for what appears to be the inner sanctum of Discord's fortress. Once inside, the player is given the option of picking a teleporter, leading to each of the Mane Six's boss rematch. Upon defeating each one, the player is awarded a large health pick up and sent back to the main area. Once they are all defeated once again, the bottom of the area drops and the player can face Discord's newest creation, the Tank of Discord. It has no periods of invincibility, but its attacks are difficult to dodge. To win, the player must first blow off the canopy to initiate its desperation phase, where it changes its projectile from a regular shot to one that explodes upon impact, shooting out more shots in a cross pattern. Its only weakness is how fast the player can use the attack button. Once defeated, Discord will fly out of the tank and beg for forgiveness.

With the battle over, Mega Pony walks back home, but not before noticing the chocolate rain pouring down on him. Shortly thereafter a loud crack startled Mega Pony, who then looks up to find Discord hiding in clouds of cotton candy. He then goes on to tell Mega Pony that they have actually yet to face off and that all the enemies, including the Discord in the tank he had fought thus far, were all just 'wily robots.' He then states that there is one more stage to get through and one more boss before whisking the both of them away back to the fortress where Mega Pony could prepare and confront Discord for real.

• Episode 27X- Discord

This stage is pure chaos. No enemies can harm you, but the crazed obstacles are sure to perplex the player on a first run through. Invisible teleporters, hidden spikes, and glitched ladders abound. There are plenty of Easter eggs to be found in the background. Some are not easy to spot, but they are references to the season two premiere and other infamous memes in the brony fandom. Once through the final door, the Chaos recedes and Discord appears before the player in wearing a large cape, which he flings off before summoning his own health bar. His attack patterns are reminiscent of the Yellow Devil from Mega Man lore, however, he does have one surprise attack he does when his health starts to get low enough. Instead of just jumping to the other side like normal after a few volleys, he adds one more volley mid way through the jump that splits upon hitting the ground, forming a few more shots that go both perpendicular and parallel to the ground. He has no weaknesses so all weapons deal one damage and his shots block all incoming damage. Once he is defeated once again, the Mane Six emerge from within the Elements of Harmony and channel their power through Mega Pony for one final blast to finish Discord off before he could recover, turning him back to stone.

Ending

"Discord has finally been defeated by the power of friendship and peace returns to Equestria once again. However, the never-ending battle continues until all Chaotic Forces are defeated. Fight, Mega Pony! For everlasting harmony!"

With Discord defeated, Mega Pony can now finally return home to Canterlot. During his journey, he passes all the locations he visited during the game as the credits roll. After a certain amount of time Mega Pony is joined by the Mane Six as they all travel to Canterlot, where the Princesses, Spike, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders await their return.

Lastly, the game displays your current in game time and the fastest time. The game timer could be displayed in game earlier, as it is a setting in the options menu.

Completion Bonus

Upon completing the game for the first time, two new modes are unlocked at the title screen. Mane Six Mode, and Boss Rush. Mane Six Mode follows a what-if scenario in which one of the Mane Six manages to avoid brainwashing and sets out to defeat the Mane Six's doppelgangers to reclaim the Elements and defeat Discord. Any Reference to Mega Pony, including his appearance in the ending is replaced with the character of your choice. Also, certain items are not available for every character. Pegasi like Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy cannot get Emergency Wings. The Energy Balancer does nothing, along with ???.

Mane Six abilities

• Twilight: Twilight can Teleport short distances in all directions and uses the Magic Wave as her main attack, so long as he ammo gauge allows. It works like Mega Pony in that regard, however unlike Mega Pony, her bar naturally refills over time when none of her skills are in use.
• Fluttershy: Fluttershy can throw bunnies forward at her foes and flying squirrels from above. If the animals or Fluttershy takes damage, her weapon energy increases. At a certain level, she can use the Stare. She can also fly through the use of multiple jump button presses.
• Applejack: Applejack can use the Apple Bucker infinitely with no ammo count. She can also use her lasso to grab onto ceilings a fair distance away, provided there is one, and climb up or down the rope.
• Pinkie Pie: Pinkie Pie carries around a small Party Cannon with her. It needs no ammo to fire, but it has the limit on how many balloons can be on screen at once, three at a time. She can also drop a spring in front of her, keeping her safe from spikes on the floor and enabling her to have a really high jump.
• Rainbow Dash: Rainbow is an all Melee Character. She uses the Sonic Rainboom, but with one addition, if the player presses the jump button just as the hit connects, Rainbow Dash will gain an extra few seconds of invincibility as she rolls out of danger. The player has control over her roll. She also has a drop kick that can be used in mid air to deal damage to foes or get back to the ground quickly. Like Fluttershy, she has the power of flight, unlike her though, her wings are more powerful, enabling better vertical movement with proper jump button presses. While climbing ladders, she will punch things instead of using a weapon like every other character.
• Rarity: Rarity can use the Gem Seeker with no need for ammo. She can also create gem platforms in front of her, even in mid air, giving her decent vertical mobility to put her on par with the rest of her friends.

Boss Rush

Here, the player can face off against all the bosses in any order they choose, as any character, as they compete for the best time. The player is given four Energy Tanks, one Super Tank, and one Weapon Tank at the start.

On the outside of the selection area is the Mane Six, in order of the stage Select Screen. At the top is Discord. Below the player are four more teleporters. The top left one is the Red Dragon, beside it is the Windigos. The bottom left is the Omega Crusader, and beside that is the Tank of Discord.

Upon completing Boss Rush, the Player is awarded a new completion time.

Items / Upgrades

Upgrades

• Party Cannon: This weapon allows Mega Pony to shoot balloons at a desired distance. By holding the shoot button down, the balloon will fly forward and inflate once you release the button. Once it inflates, it will go up until either hit a target or just disappear from screen. Balloons that are inflated can pierce armor, even from below. Received from Laugh Mare.
• The Stare: With this weapon, Mega Pony will unleash a fierce stare on all enemies onscreen. The shock have different effects on certain enemies. Some get destroyed, others cry, and others such as Manticores reward the player with health/ammo pellets. This power can only be used four times. Note: Some enemies are unaffected by it, such as Diamond dogs. Received from Kind Mare.
• Magic Wave: A powerful magic attack that shoots three swirling magic balls at enemies. It can be useful to quickly take down Timber Wolves and other foes with a lot of health, especially if all the projectiles hit at once. Received from Magic Mare.
• Apple Bucker: With this attack, Mega Pony will hurl an apple towards a foe. It can either be a simple throw or a full apple buck if the shoot button is pressed with timing or held down. Pressing the shoot button will fire another apple, enabling multiple bucks in quick succession. The Apples can be bucked straight or up if up is pressed or held along with the fire button and have an armor piercing effect when bucked. Ammo is easy to spend, so it is best to use it on armored foes or Generous Mare. Received from Honest Mare.
• Gem Seeker: This weapon will home in on enemies, trying to hit them with gems. Keeping the shoot button held down will summon a max of six gems that will float around Mega Pony, giving them a destructive shield for protection against weak blows. Received from Generous Mare.
• Sonic Rainboom: With this weapon, Mega Pony will be able to reach places he couldn't before by dashing on the ground or in the middle of a jump. It also damages enemies that he flies past. He will not be harmed so long as he reaches the other side of his target when the dash ends. Received from Loyal Mare.
• Mega Friendship Buster: This upgrade for the regular buster lets Mega Pony use charged shots, which are much more powerful than the regular buster shots. With minor charging, the buster shot gains a larger hit box. At full charge, it deals triple damage as well. Mega Pony alternates between black and blue when at full charge. Available from the start at Zecora's Shop.

Items

• Health Pellets: This item will restore your HP. They come in two sizes: big and small. Small pellets will recover a tiny bit of HP, while big pellets will recover a good chunk.
• Ammo Pellets: This item will restore your special weapon ammo. You must first switch to the weapon you wish to replenish and then grab the pellet. If you have the Energy Balancer, you will automatically replenish ammo for the weapon with the least ammo if multiple weapons have already been used, even if you have switched to the standard Friendship Buster.
• Gems: The in-game currency for purchasing upgrades at Zecora's Shop. A small gem is worth 2-4 gems, while a big gem is worth 20 gems.
• Extra Life: Pick this item up to earn one extra life. They look like the character's face.
• Energy Tank: When used, this item will fully replenish your HP. The player can hold up to four at once.
• Weapon Tank: When used, this item will fully replenish all your special weapon's ammo. The player can hold up to four at once.
• Super Tank: This item will fully replenish both your HP and weapon ammo.The player can hold only one at a time.
• Spike Call: Use this item to summon Spike, who will drop a number of items for you. These include the various Tanks, all types of Pellets and extra lives. He even has a change of gifting you gems and another Spike Call. You can only hold two at a time.
• Emergency Wings: They will automatically save you when falling into a pit. Note that you can move while flying for a short time, use that time to make sure something safe is under you before the wings' energy runs out and you fall again. These are a one time use only item.
• Spike Guard: When touching spikes, this item will prevent you from automatically losing a life, Mega Pony will instead take damage and be able to move for a brief period to get off the spikes. These are a one time use only item.
• Energy Balancer: This item lets you replenish ammo without the need of switching to that specific weapon. If more than one weapon has low ammo, the pellet will replenish the weapon with the lowest ammo.
• Megaman Adaptor: It is in the shape of Mega Man's head and is the most expensive item in the game. This item replaces Mega Pony's sprite with Mega Man's.