Could your next fighting game feature nothing but four-legged ungulates? Developer Mane6 thinks so. While it may no longer have the blessing of Hasbro, this My Little Pony-inspired fighter has more legit fighting prowess than might be surmised at first glance. But is there enough here to warrant a purchase? Find out in our Them’s Fightin’ Herds review.

Fighting Is Magic

Let’s start at the beginning: Them’s Fightin’ Herds actually has a history dating back to at least a decade ago. Someone going by the alias of “Anukan” posted concept art of a game called Marevel vs. Clopcom; an obvious nod to the Marvel vs. Capcom franchise. It showed what a fighting game within the My Little Pony universe might look like. Fast-forward a few years, and a development team was formed, dubbed Mane6. Without taking any money of their own since they were using Hasbro’s intellectual property, they soon had a working game. MLP: Fighting is Magic was a mostly-working game created in the Fighter Maker 2D engine, one that was invited to be showcased at the 2012 EVO Championship Series. Shortly after, Hasbro sent a cease-and-desist letter, and production halted.

With newfound experience in making games, Mane6 charged ahead, and the result of their hard work has been realized with the release of Them’s Fightin’ Herds. The premise is similar to Fighting is Magic, as all of the game’s playable characters are four-legged ungulates (large mammals with hooves, think horse, cow,…