Games Ponies Play
A mistaken identity threatens the Crystal Empire's bid for the Equestria Games.
"Games Ponies Play" is the 65th episode of *My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic* and the twelfth in its third season. James Wootton directed it, Dave Polsky wrote it, and it aired on The Hub on February 9, 2013. The story runs concurrently with the following episode, "Just for Sidekicks." In it, Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack try to persuade a visiting inspector to choose the Crystal Empire as the site for the Equestria Games.
Twilight and her friends travel to the Crystal Empire, which is about to be evaluated as a potential host for Equestria’s biggest sporting event. They leave their pets behind with Spike. At a spa, they meet Princess Cadance. A messenger arrives, warning that the games inspector, Ms. Harshwhinny, will arrive in fifteen minutes—much sooner than expected. Panic ensues, but Twilight calms everyone down and sends Rarity to prepare Cadance’s headdress while the others head to the train station. When a yellow pony steps off the train carrying a floral-print suitcase, the group assumes she is Ms. Harshwhinny and greets her warmly.
They show the supposed inspector the castle, but she suffers from claustrophobia and altocelarophobia, so she is eager to go outside. Before leaving, the ponies perform a cheer to welcome her, surprising her that Cadance knows her name. Once outdoors, they take her to the newly built stadium. Overjoyed to be outside, she runs across the track, remarking that she is enjoying her vacation. Only then do the friends realize their mistake: the pony is actually Ms. Peachbottom.
Leaving Ms. Peachbottom behind, they rush back to the train station, but the real Ms. Harshwhinny—who also has a floral-print bag—has already arrived and is getting a hooficure at the spa. She complains to Cadance that no one greeted her. Rainbow Dash confesses they welcomed the wrong pony. After hearing the story about Ms. Peachbottom, the inspector announces that the Crystal Empire will host the next Equestria Games. The Crystal Ponies’ enthusiasm supercharges the Crystal Heart, sending a beam of light into the sky.
As the friends board the train home, Applejack hears a growl. Under the seats, Spike, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and the six pets are hiding, revealing the climax of "Just for Sidekicks."
Sherilyn Connelly, author of *Ponyville Confidential*, gave the episode an "A" and called it (along with "
- Episode number
- 12 (season 3), 65 overall
Lore & Background
Twilight Sparkle and her friends travel to the Crystal Empire, which is due to be inspected to host the Equestria Games, the biggest sporting event in Equestria. They leave their pets behind with Spike. Upon arrival, they meet Princess Cadance in a spa. A messenger arrives to tell Cadance that the inspector, Ms. Harshwhinny, is due in fifteen minutes, much earlier than expected. The ponies panic, but Twilight calms them and sends Rarity to do Cadance's headdress while the others go to the train station. When a yellow pony with a floral-print suitcase steps off the train, they mistake her for Ms. Harshwhinny and welcome her.
The friends show the mistaken inspector the castle, but she has claustrophobia and altocelarophobia, so she is eager to go outside. They perform a cheer before exiting, and she is surprised that Cadance knows her. They take her to the newly-built stadium, where she runs across the track, saying she is enjoying her vacation. The friends then realize they have the wrong pony: Ms. Peachbottom. They leave her and rush to the train station, but the real Ms. Harshwhinny, who has a similar floral-print bag, has already arrived and is having a hooficure at the spa. She complains to Cadance that no one welcomed her. Rainbow Dash confesses they welcomed the wrong pony. After hearing the story of Ms. Peachbottom, the inspector announces the Crystal Empire as the next host. The enthusiasm of the Crystal Ponies supercharges the Crystal Heart, sending a beam of light into the sky. As the friends board the train home, Applejack hears growling; Spike, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and the six pets are hiding under the seats, depicting the climax of "Just for Sidekicks."
Reader's Guide
The episode is notable for its unusual narrative structure, occurring concurrently with the previous episode "Just for Sidekicks." Reception was positive: Sherilyn Connelly, author of Ponyville Confidential, gave it an "A" rating and called the two-parter the highest point of the season, describing it as an "interesting experiment in story structure." Ethan Lewis of Den of Geek called the episode both "highly unusual" and "wonderful," praising how it managed to sneak in a couple lessons. Daniel Alvarez of Unleash the Fanboy gave it 4.5 out of 5 stars, calling it "pretty solid" and "really great," and remarked it as one of the best season 3 episodes, complimenting the story, character moments, and appearances of Princess Cadance. The episode was included in two Shout! Factory home media releases: Princess Twilight Sparkle and Games Ponies Play.
Did You Know?
- The episode was directed by James Wootton and written by Dave Polsky.
- It premiered on The Hub on February 9, 2013.
- The episode occurs during the events of the previous episode, 'Just for Sidekicks.'
- The Crystal Ponies' enthusiasm supercharges the Crystal Heart, sending a beam of light into the sky.
More in My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic episodes 1-24
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