Pippa Funnell: Take the Reins
Encyclopedia
Pippa Funnell: Take The Reins is a videogame released by Ubisoft
for the PlayStation 2
and PC
. In Pippa Funnell: Take The Reins, the player is Jade, the newest member of the Sycamores Riding School in Scotland
. Players can select a horse from a variety of breeds and colours. The player trains their horse in different disciplines, enters shows, and cares for their horse.
Pippa Funnell: Take The Reins is also known as Alexandra Ledermann: L'Ecole des Champions in France.
Throughout the game, there are numerous cutscenes, events where the character has to find something (some of these can be very difficult) and riddles. The player is sometimes helped by a "voice" called Elsys. These events, combined with the contrasting disciplines, ensure the gameplay is variable.
Friends:
Spike: Male, spiky blonde hair. He can sometimes be quite impolite to fellow pupils. A rebel, nothing seems to faze him. He is only at the academy by his parent's request. We later learn that he is from a dangerous background.
Ginger: Female, fair skin, long blonde hair. From a good family. Knows how to treat the boys.
Jade: Main character, female, short red hair with clear grey eyes and freckles. Friendly and kind. Average size, sporty appearance. Pleasant personality but with a strong character. She has what it takes to outwit authority, if the cause is right.
Esteban: Male, Spanish, short black hair. Tanned skin and clear blue eyes. Classic European dress sense. Not too eccentric, shows his gentle personality to everyone.
Kiew: Female, Asian, long black hair. Simple clothing, mostly black, white, or blue. She has a very competitive spirit and does not like defeat.
Whilst in Morocco
, Jade suspects Kiew of tampering with her horse box, so she breaks in to Kiew's room while she is having a swimming competition with Spike. Kiew, however, comes back and catches Jade red-handed, and the director takes all the player's money away.
In the lounge, the player can talk to these friends and learn their stories.
Cross Country: Player canters their horse around the course, pressing the spacebar key (PC) or X button (PlayStation 2) to jump when they are in the right spot (there is a green circle that they must be in when they jump, otherwise their horse will baulk or throw them).
Dressage: Players press the left and right arrow keys/buttons in time to make their horse perform the correct gait. Other keys/buttons are also used to control their horse and halt and salute.
Showjumping: A fairly difficult discipline to master. Players canter inside the ring following the arrows and jumping at the jumps.
Foal Care: Once the player has their foal, they have to take care of it. During Foal Care, the foal will perform 3 actions. The player then needs to guess what the foal wants based on what it does. Each week, it is suggested that the player should go to the library and read up on foal care, and take notes so they can look at them and decide which action they think their foal is doing, and act accordingly.
Ubisoft
Ubisoft Entertainment S.A. is a major French video game publisher and developer, with headquarters in Montreuil, France. The company has a worldwide presence with 25 studios in 17 countries and subsidiaries in 26 countries....
for the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
and PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
. In Pippa Funnell: Take The Reins, the player is Jade, the newest member of the Sycamores Riding School in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. Players can select a horse from a variety of breeds and colours. The player trains their horse in different disciplines, enters shows, and cares for their horse.
Pippa Funnell: Take The Reins is also known as Alexandra Ledermann: L'Ecole des Champions in France.
Gameplay
As the player, they have to arrange a timetable so that they can pass each week. To pass, they must obtain a certain score for each of the disciplines, and must train in that discipline at least twice a week. The disciplines are Horse Care, Cross Country, Dressage, Showjumping, and later Foal Care and Learning. They must also have a high social rating, which is obtained by spending time in the lounge talking to other academy riders, performing well in disciplines and purchasing items from the shops. Between training and caring for your horse, foal, and talking to the other riders, they may go shopping, change their attire in their bedroom and study in the library.Throughout the game, there are numerous cutscenes, events where the character has to find something (some of these can be very difficult) and riddles. The player is sometimes helped by a "voice" called Elsys. These events, combined with the contrasting disciplines, ensure the gameplay is variable.
Starting
First, the player must choose a name for the character they will be playing and a mount. (Choosing the name of the horse is only available on the PC version) The player can choose from many breeds. Each breed has a range of colours including a number of shades of brown, bay and grey. After the horse is selected and named, play begins with Jade in a train, sending an e-mail to her brother Lucas and a cutscene. The player then arrives at the Academy.Characters
The main character is Jade and her horse. Other characters include the staff at the riding academy and fellow riders.Friends:
Spike: Male, spiky blonde hair. He can sometimes be quite impolite to fellow pupils. A rebel, nothing seems to faze him. He is only at the academy by his parent's request. We later learn that he is from a dangerous background.
Ginger: Female, fair skin, long blonde hair. From a good family. Knows how to treat the boys.
Jade: Main character, female, short red hair with clear grey eyes and freckles. Friendly and kind. Average size, sporty appearance. Pleasant personality but with a strong character. She has what it takes to outwit authority, if the cause is right.
Esteban: Male, Spanish, short black hair. Tanned skin and clear blue eyes. Classic European dress sense. Not too eccentric, shows his gentle personality to everyone.
Kiew: Female, Asian, long black hair. Simple clothing, mostly black, white, or blue. She has a very competitive spirit and does not like defeat.
Whilst in Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, Jade suspects Kiew of tampering with her horse box, so she breaks in to Kiew's room while she is having a swimming competition with Spike. Kiew, however, comes back and catches Jade red-handed, and the director takes all the player's money away.
In the lounge, the player can talk to these friends and learn their stories.
Disciplines
Horse Care: Taking care of a horse. Horse Care includes hosing, grooming, picking his hooves and mucking his stall. It is best to do this at least 3 times a week.Cross Country: Player canters their horse around the course, pressing the spacebar key (PC) or X button (PlayStation 2) to jump when they are in the right spot (there is a green circle that they must be in when they jump, otherwise their horse will baulk or throw them).
Dressage: Players press the left and right arrow keys/buttons in time to make their horse perform the correct gait. Other keys/buttons are also used to control their horse and halt and salute.
Showjumping: A fairly difficult discipline to master. Players canter inside the ring following the arrows and jumping at the jumps.
Foal Care: Once the player has their foal, they have to take care of it. During Foal Care, the foal will perform 3 actions. The player then needs to guess what the foal wants based on what it does. Each week, it is suggested that the player should go to the library and read up on foal care, and take notes so they can look at them and decide which action they think their foal is doing, and act accordingly.