Now is your chance to befriend the horses from the Dreamworks animated film in this laid-back adventure game for the Game Boy Advance.

When the game begins, Homeland is hit by a thunderstorm and the herd is scattered. Playing as Little Creek or Little Brook from the Lakota tribe, you must tame and return the lost horses. The wilderness is a hostile place filled with porcupines, bears, and foxes, but in Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron you will be playing more like a herder and less like a hunter.

The real characters of the game are the mares, mustangs and stallions that populate the frontier. These wild horses must first be convinced of your devotion before you can ride them like the wind.

Equine Etiquette

To tame a horse you can try singing a song, talking to it, petting it and giving it food and water. Some horses only like certain types of food. As the game progresses, you will find helpful items like a flute to help your friendship efforts.

Once a horse is tamed, you can mount and ride it over hill and dale. Pay close attention to the blue bar at the top of the screen because if it falls too low, you will be bucked off your ride. Keep a full canteen and plenty of food on hand so you stay in good favor with your horse.

Ride Free

While guiding the horses back to the herd you will encounter enemies which you can attack or avoid outright. You will have to jump through obstacles, traverse the maze-like wilderness and collect special items to advance.

The graphics in Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron are decent, but some icons are hard to see. For example, the apple and the heart icon look very similar. Still, the simple graphics give way to impressive movie stills between levels.

GBA Beauty

Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron is a unique adventure that captures the feel of the hit movie. Fortunately for fans of the movie, the fun of herding and exploring the wilderness overshadows the mediocre graphics.