Nintendogs, the massively successful virtual canine simulator on the Nintendo DS has caused a sudden surge in third-party developers wanting to cash in on the title's extensive popularity. Thus far we've had Catz, Dogz and Hamsterz from Ubisoft, and then there's Purr Pals, which is inbound to the DS, and November last year saw Eidos Interactive announce that it was working on Pony Friends - also for the Nintendo DS.

Today the company behind franchises such as Tomb Raider and Hitman has released a selection of new shots to promote the upcoming game.

The title, developed by Tantalus, a company based in Australia, features six pony breeds for lucky players to care for. The animals need grooming, petting, and feeding to remain contented, though there's no mention in any press releases that the chance to muck out stables using the Nintendo DS stylus is on offer. Fear not, because the stylus is instead used to, and we quote, "remove stones from your pony's shoes." Oh, yes.

Our more sensible side tells us that Pony Friends is a title geared towards younger players, but really, if the ability to write the name of your pony with the stylus and place rosettes in your secret diary isn't enough to send Pony Friends shooting to the top of the all-format charts, then the gaming public should surely be ashamed of itself.

"Take it [your pony] for trail rides to keep it fit and watch out for birds, animals and hidden rare items to collect. Make your pony beautiful with gifts and matching sets of accessories ensuring your pony is the best pony in the whole stables!" reads the game's wildly enthusiastic promotional blurb. We have to stop now, the suspense is unbearable!

Get ready to saddle up!