Developer Mane6 has announced the full release of cartoon beat ’em up Them’s Fightin’ Herds. This stylish indie title first made headlines all the way back in 2012, and was originally developed as A My Little Pony game. Having been hit with legal proceedings by Hasbro, the developers changed tack, and merely took inspiration from that delightful equine animation. Them’s Fightin’ Herds has been in early access on Steam and Humble Bundle since 2018, and the reviews have been very positive.
Proper Pony Pugilistic Punch-Up
I found the most interesting aspect of the Steam user reviews not the positivity, but the nature of the games audience. Them’s Fightin’ Herds has attracted a core fan-base of fighting game fans. As it so happens, Mane6 are students of the genre, and have applied their knowledge succinctly. In fact Them’s Fightin’ Herds has even drawn fans from professional Esports ranks, with SonicFox and Maximilian Dood both being regular players. Outwardly, it seems a simple pick-up-and-play game, with straight forward controls. There are 3 attack buttons, light, medium, and heavy, plus a magic attack. Any fighting game virtuoso’s may indeed scoff at this point. But scorn not the simplicity, to paraphrase the great Luke Kelly. On offense you have combos, launchers, throws, magic and supers. While on the defensive you can utilize blocks, push-blocks, counters (“Cross Canters“), and “Universal Anti-Air“. The last one being a counter to those ever annoying jump-attack opponents.
Yay or Neigh
Players will have 6 characters to choose from, with each having a distinct visual and play style. For example, there’s Arizona, a rough and tumble cattlekind who specializes in powerful stomps and head-bucks. Or you may prefer Paprika, a really, really fluffy Llama. Clearly Them’s Fightin’ Herds has a strong emphasis on humour, with everything being a bit tongue-in-cheek. The animation is very distinctive, and the characters really pop, with exciting and explosive move-sets.
Them’s Fightin’ Herds offers several game modes for players. Locally you can avail of 1v1 couch play, training matches, challenges and a story mode. Go online and you can test your fetlocks against ranked or casual opponents. Further to this, there is the “Pixel Lobby”, a sort of pony social club, if you will. Here you can search for matches and socialize in a cute retro style overworld. Dig a little deeper and you may even find some of the Salt Mines. These mini games offer a co-operative dungeon crawler experience, with rewards being used to unlock in-game cosmetic items, fantastic!
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