Some would say that the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic phenomenon has nothing at all to do with video games. I've got several images that prove otherwise.
Grown men in love with a cartoon aimed at little girls? Preposterous! Outrageous! Truly, truly, truly outrageous!
The Brony phenomenon is really nothing new. Over the years boys of all ages have found themselves drawn to the bright and colorful worlds cartoon production companies create in order to capture the hearts of the younger female demographic. Look at She-Ra: Princess of Power or The Powerpuff Girls; neither of these shows were specifically aimed at adult males, yet they watched and enjoyed.
The only difference with My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is that nowadays folks that enjoy off-kilter things have better means of communicating and finding each other.
The point is that MLP fans are everywhere, and the video game fan/Brony audience crossover is much larger than you probably think. See for yourself!
Final Fantasy Dissidia Duodecim: Friendship is Magic
As you may have seen last week in the Cloud Strife article, Final Fantasy and My Little Pony fans are often one in the same. DeviantArtist LynxGriffin embodies this notion, having painstakingly recreated every single character from the PSP's Dissidia Duodecim in pony form.
I'm make a witty comment here, but that Kefka pony might be the most glorious thing I have ever seen. I might need to find a bare spot on my arm for it.
Street Fighter: Fighting is Magic
Not to be confused with My Little Pony: Fighting is Magic, an actual fighting game in development by fans of the show, this image depicts the most famous of World Warriors in equine form. It stands to reason there's a palette-swapped version with blond hair wandering about with a similar moveset.
While I can't find the source for this particular image, it was used to illustrate a My Little Pony / Street Fighter semi-crossover epic (update: yes I can, it's DeviantArtist c0nker) , available to read in its entirety at Equestria Daily. It's ponies hitting other ponies, which makes it okay.
Uncharted 2: Treasure Hunting is Magic
From Drake to horse in one fell swoop of DeviantArtist Saber-Scorpion's mighty pen! Yes, even PlayStation 3 exclusives are not immune to the ponification of video games. I particularly enjoy the cutie marks—the picture brands on each pony's flank—the artist came up for Drake and crew. Nathan sports a compass, indicating his dedication to exploration. Elena-pony has a movie camera on her hip, which indicates she should probably get a job at Fox Photo.
Phoenix Wright: Friendship is Legal
Overruled, unknown artist that may or may not be named Zeph!
Friendship Effect 2
Recognize DeviantArtist SugarFreeSprite's Mass Effect 2-inspired creation? Hint: She's a complete bad-ass, might be slightly insane, and does not sleep with women.
Ponies of War
When is a pony not a pony? When an artist like DeviantArt's JohnJoseco transforms them into humans with pony-like features. Why do this? There are several theories, many of them pretty filthy.
Here we have the mane six — Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy — dressed like members of COG, ready to help Marcus Fenix (likely an actual phoenix) take down the Locust, the Lambent, and anything else evil beginning with the letter L.
Halo: Finish the Friendship
Not only does DeviantArtist SableGear show us what a genetically-altered super pony might look like, he's even removed Master Pony's helmet, giving us a peek at what lies beneath that stoic helmet. Turns out it's a stoic face. A stoic horse face.
That's enough for now. I believe I've proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that pony fans and games aren't so different, or more to the point, pony fans and gamers are often the same. Try it right now. Go to Google image search and type in your favorite game title followed by "ponies". There is no escape.
If you want to see a specific game or franchise featured in Freaky Fan Art, use the comment system for its intended purpose and who knows, I might actually do this weekly instead of teasing you all and then not following through!