Them’s Fightin’ Herds is a My Little Pony Style 2D Fighter

Right now, Dragon Ball FightersZ or Street Fighter V might be eating up the bulk of your free time, but if you’re on the hunt for a cuter, less bipedal kind of fighter, you might want to check out Them’s Fightin’ Herds. Co-developed by Lauren Faust, the creator of Hasbro’s animated series My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, it distills the art of fighting down to four buttons, one of which is reserved for special abilities that function via the magic system.

Them’s Fightin’ Herds rose to equine fame on Indiegogo, where it collected $586, 346 USD worth of funding. If the concept sounds familiar, that’s because TFH is a “spiritual successor” to 2013 project My Little Pony: Fighting is Magic, which was terminated by developer Mane6 after a cease and desist order was issued by Hasbro. Luckily, Faust picked up the reins, joining Mane6 to help realise its dream of adorable equestrian brawler. TFH features a unique, RPG story mode that lets you chat with NPCs, solve puzzles, and unlock costumes, as well as a “Visual Pixel Lobby” — a multiplayer lounge where you can interact with real world players. The combat itself is powered by GGPO for superior, fluid fighting, and includes a Juggle Decay mechanic that manages length of combos and prevents “standing infinites” (stops opponent from standing for the remainder of a combo) when the meter fills up.

Them’s Fightin’ Herds is out February 22 for PC (Windows, Mac, Linux). Wishlist it here.