Barbie: Race & Ride is a 1999 horse-riding sports game for the PlayStation, developed by Runecraft and published by Mattel Media in North America (Sony Computer Entertainment handled the European release). Aimed at young riders, it puts you in charge of a horse and lets you explore four themed areas — Beach, Forest, Meadow, and Mountain — while learning the basics of riding and horse care.
How to Play
The game opens with a riding lesson that teaches the controls before you’re set loose. You pick one of two character outfits and choose a horse from four color variations, giving it a name from a preset list such as Buttercup or Sweetie. Beach and Meadow are the two areas with competitive races, while Forest and Mountain are open for free riding; a Secret Ranch area lets you find and meet a foal. A two-player mode is available, though in it you can’t stop to clean and care for your horse the way you can solo.
As with most PlayStation-era riding games, expect the arrow keys to steer your horse and the action buttons to handle gaits like trotting, galloping, and jumping, with Start used to pause or bring up menus.
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