Search
Search
Sign on Options
Theme: [Light Selected] To Dark»

The Most Unlikely Fighter You've Never Heard Of

Maxwell McGee
By Maxwell McGee, Editor

The fans who became developers share the surprising story of Fighting Is Magic, a My Little Pony-inspired fighting game.

ponies

FROM FRIENDS TO RIVALS

You know about Fighting Is Magic, but what about the show that inspired it? My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic is an animated series produced by Hasbro Studios. It follows the adventures of Twilight Sparkle, a young unicorn who moves to the village of Ponyville and quickly befriends five local ponies: Apple Jack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Fluttershy. Together, they work through their own personal disputes and assist the many ponies of Ponyville. Along the way, Twilight learns more about the true meaning of friendship and the value it holds.

With their adventurous spirits and special talents, this roster of wide-eyed ponies, unicorns, and pegasi is surprisingly well suited for the ring. Here's a quick rundown of how each character handles and how their distinct personalities inform their fighting styles.

APPLE JACK

Pony Type: Earth
Weapon of Choice: Lasso
Character Reference: Nathan Spencer (UMVC3)

Apple Jack lives and works at the massive apple orchard Sweet Apple Acres with her extended family. She is a hardworking pony who enjoys the simpler things in life: apple pie, apple crisp, applesauce, apple wafers, and so on. In the game, her tomboyish personality lends her a straightforward fighting style. Apple Jack's main tactic is getting up close and personal with her opponent by using her lasso or a speedy dash. Once she's in close, she can lay down the hurt with her powerful normal attacks.

TWILIGHT SPARKLE

Pony Type: Unicorn
Weapon of Choice: Book
Character Reference: Akuma (SFIV)

The main protagonist of the show, Twilight Sparkle is chief librarian at Golden Oaks Library. She is assisted by her friend Spike, a baby dragon, who helps keep her in correspondence with Princess Celestia, her mentor. As a unicorn, Twilight Sparkle has magical abilities, which manifest as projectiles and traps during a fight. With good special and normal attacks, as well as the ability to teleport, Twilight Sparkle is a very well-rounded fighter.

RAINBOW DASH

Pony Type: Pegasus
Weapon of Choice: Hooves
Character Reference: Magneto (UMVC3)

As a pegasus, Rainbow Dash has the gift of flight and is responsible for maintaining the local weather. The most agile of the six, she uses her wings to lift her upper body off the ground and fights from a boxing stance. Similar to Apple Jack, Rainbow Dash wants to get in close and rush down her opponent. But unlike Apple Jack, she can use flight and a quick (rainbow) dash to close the distance.

PINKIE PIE

Pony Type: Earth
Weapon of Choice: Presents
Character Reference: Teddy (P4A)

Far and away the most cheerful of the cast, Pinkie Pie is a baker and professional party-thrower. At the drop of a hat, she can throw together a celebration for almost any occasion. In the game, her spontaneous personality makes her a very unorthodox fighter. Pinkie Pie's arsenal of attacks includes reverse-input charge attacks, multidirectional teleports, and a randomized present cannon. All this makes her difficult to learn, and even more difficult to fight.

RARITY

Pony Type: Unicorn
Weapon of Choice: Gems
Character Reference: Nu-13 (BlazBlue)

With an air of elegance and an eye for fashion, Rarity is the group's most fabulous pony, as well as a fashion designer. Similar to Twilight Sparkle, Rarity also has magical power, but her fighting style is more indirect. She can assault her opponent with gems that strike from behind or from an upward angle or that rain down from above. With a projectile for every situation, Rarity is an adept keep-away character.

FLUTTERSHY

Pony Type: Pegasus
Weapon of Choice: Animals
Character Reference: Eddie (GGX2)

The last thing Fluttershy would ever want is to get in a fight. She is a pegasus, like Rainbow Dash, but she is extremely shy and prefers the companionship of woodland critters over fellow ponies. Appropriately enough, she works as an animal caretaker. In battle, those same critters come to her aid and do much of the fighting for her. Her pet rabbit, Angel, leads the charge and can swing along the hair of her mane for some far-reaching heavy attacks.

Since Fluttershy's strength comes from her animal friends, she has the ability to summon them to the battlefield. Some animals, such as the ferret, will attack on command, while others, such as the porcupine, act as traps to ensnare foes. By working in concert with her woodland allies, Fluttershy can put pressure on her opponent from multiple angles at once. She may be shy, but this pony is still a very versatile fighter.

Similar to Phoenix Wright in UMVC3, Fluttershy is able to fight without technically fighting.

Maxwell McGee
By Maxwell McGee, Editor

Maxwell McGee earned a degree in Journalism from the University of Arkansas, and has contributed to The Escapist, GamePro, PC Gamer, and more. His introduction to video games was Sonic the Hedgehog 2 on the Sega Genesis, and he has never looked back. He welcomes your feedback through the site, or Twitter.

1096 comments
  Livefyre
Newest | Oldest
blazah99
blazah99

As of Friday 2/8/2013 the dev team Mane6, the guys behind Fighting is Magic, received a C&D(Cease and Desist) letter from Hasbro for copyright infringement. The team has complied with their request and removed all content from there site, leaving a lot of fans heartbroken.

However in the aftermath, still unfolding at the time of this writing, Lauren Faust, the person responsible for the shows revival, as offered to help Mane6 create new original characters for the game. No response as of yet has been given as to whether or not Mane6 will except the offer or not, seeing that as a result of this issue has caused one of the Mane6 to perminatly leave the project.

As the situtation spreads across the internet sites like IGN, Screwattack, Forbes have briefly reported on the topic in addition the fan made sites like EquestriaDaily, DerpyHoovesNews, and TheRoundStable.

Sources:

http://www.mane6.com/ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1cLC1ljzzE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZa7wgLr65o http://www.screwattack.com/shows/originals/hard-news/hard-news-021113-legacy-kain-resurrection-fighting-magic-put-down-and-acti http://www.eventhubs.com/news/2013/feb/09/my-little-pony-fighting-magic-receives-cease-and-desist-hasbro/ http://www.forbes.com/sites/danielnyegriffiths/2013/02/11/youtube-vatican-timberlake-apple-my-little-pony/2/ http://www.equestriadaily.com/2013/02/regarding-fighting-is-magic-takedown.html http://www.derpyhoovesnews.com/fighting-is-magic-devteam-served-with-cease-and-desist-notice/ http://www.roundstable.com/2013/02/08/mane6-fighting-is-magic-dev-team-served-cease-and-desist/

Caironomad
Caironomad

It's a sad to say for what was sure to be a great indie fighter, but on Friday the team behind Fighting is Magic announced that they received a cease and desist order from Hasbro's lawyers. In compliance they have indefinitely shut down work on the game, but even if they bring it back the damage has already been done as two of their staff have announced their "final and irrevocable" resignations from the team. Here's the blog post explaining the sad state of the whole affair: http://www.mane6.com/2013/02/not-all-wonder-is-endless.html

alphabetsoup314
alphabetsoup314

It starts off as a silly idea. Harmless, right? Then someone (somepony) takes that silly idea a little bit further. Others laugh at them, mock them, or point out that it is a stupid plan. And sometimes they are right, and that silly idea turns out to be nothing more than a wild goose chase. But sometimes, that silly idea grabs its creator by the wrist and leads them to dreams beyond imagination. And that is why I love indie efforts.

Take Alien Hominid  for example. It started off as a silly little flash game on a site called Newgrounds created by two guys named Tom and Dan. Then Tom and Dan decided create their own company and to take the game to Xbox. They threw their all at it. People thought they were crazy - there was no guarantee that the game, or the company, would even take hold. 

Fast forward several years later. They are now the faces behind the Behemoth success that is Castle Crashers (pun intended). 

Or, if you would still like to scoff at the idea that this silly idea can go anywhere, perhaps I should tell you the story of two guys named Wilber and Orville. They were just bicycle makers, but they had bigger dreams. They dreamt of human flight. 

"But that's preposterous!" people said, "humans are not designed to fly. They'll just come crashing down like Icarus."

Over a century later, we take for granted the ability to hop in a machine and soar above the skies, and it's all thanks to them.

The people behind Fighting is Magic may only be working on a fan project now. An unfunded, not-for-profit game, set in a fandom that mostly just gets mocked and laughed at, and at the risk of a cease and desist order that could kill the project entirely. And for what? Fame? The "reward" of making their dreams come true? When you look at it, there isn't a whole lot to gain - as much I like ponies, I admit that the show may eventually die, and be remembered as nothing more than a cartoon for girls, and the fandom will die and be forgotten, and the game too. Yes, it seems like a silly idea when you look at how little they have to gain. 

But maybe some of them will keep holding onto their silly ideas and become the next behemoths in the gaming industry.

Epsilon47
Epsilon47 like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

As a brony this is really exciting for obvious reasons.

But as a gamer, it's even more exciting. 

This isn't just some indie flash game that's gone through a few years of iterations and become marketable on an iPhone. This is a legitimate game crafted with little funding, no publisher support, and little and awareness in a niche genre which has the real possibility of becoming something special. I think that games like this, Bastion, Fez, and the huge number of other "indie"/"downloadable" games are taking over the gaming market for experimentation where the AAA titles dare not tread. Further more, they are becoming just as popular as some of the AAA's too. I think high quality grassroots projects like this are going to really take over a large part of the industry as we know it. I honestly feel that some of these major game developers are going to see there investors say, "Maybe instead of us giving you $1 million to develop this game to make $1 million in sales... Can you make a game for $100,000, and still hit $1 million in sales?"


I really think the industry is changing from the bottom up right now.

marco23p
marco23p

I just made this account so I could respond to this

First off, i love the article, it gives a really great outlook for the game, and shows how talented this community can be.

If you are reading this article as a brony hater, and are planning to write another stupid comment..just think for a moment before you do. The people behind this game put a lot of time and effort, they are not being lazy on this, and it shows a lot of talent and passion

I find it quite perplexing when people spend all there time finding brony related stuff just to tell them that they should get a life, perhaps you should take your own advice, no?

People are saying that this is the downfall of gamespot, that this is a mockery of gaming, god forbid that people get interested in something that is outside of the status quo, aren't people encouraged to be different  be unique? Or should we all be zombies who just sit around playing call of duty and pretending to be manly?  Who ever said that ponies where for girls? Just because it's marketed for little girls? Okay, then please find me some rule book of life that says, "Ponies are girly in every imaginable way". The whole idea of something being girly is man made. Not to mention  that people making this game sure as hell have enough skill to do so, and if they continue on this path, they could have a bright future, because being able to do this is quite a skill that will be valuable in this day in age.


Whilst I am not looking forward to this game too much (I dont play fighting games :/) I wish the devolpers the best of luck. And thank you to gamespot.

Ezzekiel_Fox
Ezzekiel_Fox

@marco23p I see that unintended brohoof at the end. No worries, I gotcha covered!

(\

But yes, these guys are going to be millionaires three days after this game releases. The first day for it to hit public, the second day for a major gaming company to offer them a multi-million dollar contract, which they will refuse, and then the third day where they buy lottery tickets, watch the lottery numbers that night and find out they won the jackpot.

But on a serious note, I cannot believe it has been nearly two years since the games initial announcement. When they released the video of their game in the alpha alpha ALPHA stage, with AJ kicking AJ's flank, brains literally melted. Fast forward to EVO this year where Fighting is Magic is going to be part of the lineup (if you wanna place a bet against that, I hope you're ready to lose a lot of money) and It's amazing that a fan created game made by a bunch of noponies can become as popular as it will be.

Raptornx01
Raptornx01

Just saw the article for EVO2013. Having this get featured on the main stage would be so hype.


http://shoryuken.com/2013/01/08/evo-2013-details-game-lineup-get-your-game-to-evo-and-road-to-evo-events/

Add to that that the voting system is who can raise the most money for charity makes it even better.

LOSTLEAD8R
LOSTLEAD8R

Really be awesome to see this at Evo. Would really make me want to go to Evo too.

Darklurkr23
Darklurkr23

Player's Choice for Evo 2013 you say?  XD   I haven't seen a build w/ all 6 characters since AWHILE back, but if any community can get this fighter into Evo via Donations, it's Bronies.

rasputin177
rasputin177 like.author.displayName 1 Like

Fighting game aficiandos who are obsessed with My Little Pony must need a tissue after reading this.

ShadowofSonic
ShadowofSonic

This game looks like crap, I wish bronies would kick their own buckets. They are only 'fans' of the show because they want to stand out. Sad.

bookwormpony
bookwormpony

 @ShadowofSonic "Bronies" are not the only fans of the show thank you ever much. There are the Pegasisters like me as well ^_^ 

MoonShadeOsu
MoonShadeOsu

 @ShadowofSonic oc! We are fans because we want to stand out! I also do sports just to stand out! I like listening to electronic music just because I want to stand out!

 

Hey I tell you what: I'd rather have a bunch of hobbies which I really like - even if some may not be accepted by society - instead of being a boring person with no interests whatsoever.

BLACKF0X
BLACKF0X like.author.displayName 1 Like

As a Brony, I am looking forward to this game it is coming along very nicely. The sheer determination of the community is inspiring.

itchyflop
itchyflop

f~ck me it ll be there care bears beat em up bonanza next !! rainbow power !!! ha quirky, different, fair play to the fan developers

Raptornx01
Raptornx01

 @itchyflop Long as they use the second CB movie. Lionheart was a boss. Plus the first one was kinda fucked up (like most 80's family films.)

iDefinition
iDefinition

This: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6Q5NWpGb_U

Furthermore, this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUcjKln4zhc

Raptornx01
Raptornx01 like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

 @iDefinition Not biased at all

iDefinition
iDefinition

 @Raptornx01 

Correct. Facts cannot be biased.

DutchyI
DutchyI

@abosous i just made this account to say that i find this argument really fucking hilarious. i used to be a brony and i know serverel anime fags. my experience? 8/10 bronies are socially awkward and 8/10 anime fags are fat and ugly.


thats why i left the community

abosous
abosous

@iDefinition 

I will definitely not humor a person simple-minded enough not to see where he is being biased, that is just too much m8.

I assumed you were an anime otaku hentai lover because of your profile pic and your xbox tag, so you definitely did not assume on the same basis that I did.

Oh sure it is your business, it is also the bronies' business but you don't seem to respect that, another hypocritical statement on your end, so what was the point of pointing that out? Similarly to how you can't judge otakus based on conventions and shit, you can't really judge the bronies on that either can you? common sense. Lol, the nonsensical accusations you claim I am making flew way over your head it seems, people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones, just understand that. 

Well known and accepted (which is what you were talking about, how acceptable they are) are two very different things. Rape is very well known, does that make it more accepted?

Unlike you, I didn't compare fandoms to show which one is better (which is the childish act i was protesting in the first place), I did it to show you that as much as you'd like to believe that bronies are the "weird and wrong"  part of the internet, you aren't beyond reach of that claim as well. I was trying to show you how stupid it is to claim the bronies to be abnormal when you yourself are part of something that is far from normality as far as society is concerned.

and finally, that's not true at all, hentai has only one role, which is sexual, thus most people consider otakus as sexual deviants and pedophiles because of its strong correlation. While in reality, bronies are not widely known as cloppers, that is just slander from the internet and a fox news show (in fact, not that many people are aware of it). I recall a friend of mine telling me that the whole clopper thing is out of proportion, a poll on some brony website registered 47%% cloppers vs 53%% non-cloppers. People ironically care more about what you fap to than your actual values, and since sexual deviation is more correlated with otakus, it is less accepted, liking a cartoon on the other hand, even one for little girls just makes you seem eccentric and immature. Your assumptions are completely off.



iDefinition
iDefinition

@abosous

I refer you to my original post. Other than silly ad hominem attacks, you have yet to point out what exactly is biased. (particularly in the first video. The second one is , but does have some truth in it.)

For your first question: I assumed you were a brony by the same basis as you assumed I was an "anime otaku hentai lover".

For your second paragraph, doing whatever I want in my free time is not weird, because it ends there. I would never consider going to any anime related convention. The one making a large post full of nonsense (after a post full of ad hominems) containing numerable accusations is clearly the one more interested in your so called "flame fest".


For the third, partially correct, specifically about the online communities part. However if you go past the internet, then we have a question of how well-known each are. I assume you're talking about America and unfortunately, I can't answer that.

For your last one, your arrogance is showing, again.  The one who originally compared fandoms was you. Consider taking your own advice. And lastly, considering all that bronies do, and a friendly reminder it's all based on a child cartoon, I'd say (assuming both are equally well known) that they're the ones who are much closer to pedophilia than otakus.

KilianAmberShaw
KilianAmberShaw like.author.displayName 1 Like

@abosous Made this account right now, so I could say Bravo. for once some one with a bit of intellect said something I could agree with.

abosous
abosous like.author.displayName 1 Like

@iDefinition

Thats cute, now here's a question smart guy, what made you think I am a brony? :) In fact, I'm originally a lurker and I just created an account to make that response because of how sickened I was by an anime otaku hentai lover to imply that bronies are weird.

Here is a news flash for you smart guy, as far as "regular" society goes, you and bronies are just a different shade of red. You try to stick to your online communities because over here, you are considered as normal as can be. But in reality, you are just calling the bronies an uglier shade of red to make you feel better about yours, it is really quite pathetic. From what I've seen, most bronies and otakus can at least acknowledge that they are doing something weird (and thats ok as far as i am concerned, so do i with other stuff), but its people like you that turn this into a flame fest to gain face with yourself, again, pathetic.

By the way, from what I've seen, it is easier to admit to being a brony, people might consider you slightly immature or just too nostalgic to cartoons but it doesn't really hurt face with people. You're more likely to being considered a sick fuck irl when admitting to all that hentai (most people associate loli with it). So no, your shade of red is not actually more accepted than their shade, you are just clinging too much to the context of on-line communities, and for obvious reasons -.-

"hurr durr, your fandom is worse than mine" <---- this here is what I'm talking about, you need to learn to grow up. I bet you consider anyone who calls otakus pedophiles to be mis-informed, shortsighted and close-minded. Well, big news, genius, guess what you sound like.

iDefinition
iDefinition

@abosous

Not really. I used that name because I think it's amusing. Regardless
of that, I'll retaliate by saying that the fandom of your child cartoon
is practically no different. In fact considering it is originally a
child cartoon, and I've sadly seen (thank you, Encyclopedia Dramatica.
"It's a whole universe out there" indeed.) things that are quite
comparable to most extreme hentais you might ever cross. Considering the
circumstances, and without taking into account your arrogance, your
fandom, or "genre", are arguably much worse.

2. I tend to agree.

3. I agree as well.

Celldrax
Celldrax

 @iDefinition  @Raptornx01

Shame that doesn't apply to subjective points of view. Too bad, you may have had something there...

 

Yes, I have nothing better to do.

abosous
abosous like.author.displayName 1 Like

 @iDefinition  Oh, you're being unbiased, thats pretty cool, i might as well try that. I see you are a hentai fan so:

This http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTbQwVjEwWg

Furthermore, this: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20120119072246AAMXfmP

and furthermore, this: http://www.psu.com/forums/showthread.php/183399-Why-are-so-many-anime-fans-so-freakin-weird?s=d98b561c6d92b60364a97e0cedbca6ee

 

Facts are unbiased so you are a perverted pedophile and i believe you are cancer to society >.> facts are facts m8 :D

I_Dunno_Gamer
I_Dunno_Gamer like.author.displayName 1 Like

hmm...the mechanics look interesting, the art work is pretty nice and the music sounds great. Who gives a flying feather if the characters are ponies, i'm interested in the game play.

GtWthTheProgram
GtWthTheProgram

What the hell happened to GameSpot?

 

Perhaps your focus groups have told you something that I don't know, but it blows my mind that the site is so interested in irrelevant nonsense and commentary.  You're a big budget site with a marquis name, report on big budget games with marquis titles more please.

rasputin177
rasputin177 like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 6 Like

 @GtWthTheProgram

Your so full of it. The most ignorant comment I have seen this year. This is the type of article that makes a gamng site stand out. Why do I need 5 "different" write ups on Bioshock Infinite all with a different name but the same content? Its not like they are taking away from other games. Most days I find the same article on GS and IGN just with a different name. I wish there were more interesting and unique write ups like this one. Plus, I would never have heard about this if not for this article. Your comment makes me wish they still had an "unlike" button. What a silly and out of touch comment.

BraeburnMLP
BraeburnMLP like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

@rasputin177  Your comment deserves more likes. You're one of the few people here who isn't posting hateful nonsense. 

KilianAmberShaw
KilianAmberShaw

@rasputin177 @BraeburnMLP  Agreed with both of you. indie games need the love much more then this multimillion doller games throwing there weight around as if they never started in the same position.

Raptornx01
Raptornx01 like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 8 Like

@GtWthTheProgram

Every major gaming site reports on indie games and low key titles. Frankly, those kinds of games NEED attention. More then any triple A title, which will be spammed everywhere and very hard to avoid.

 

It's games like these, or Journey, or Flow, or braid, or Limbo, that set the foundation for AAA games to be made. mainly cause this is where most of the people making those big games got their start. and the fact that people can create compelling and fun games without the AAA budget makes them even more special.

This comment has been deleted

Raptornx01
Raptornx01 like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 5 Like

 @percuvius2 well, ofcourse. I mean, you'd have to be a very special person indeed to buy a free game.

Justforvisit
Justforvisit

Man we need an officla version like on Steam or sth. ._. I'd SO buy that!

TheHappyDrunk
TheHappyDrunk like.author.displayName 1 Like

 @Justforvisit That would likely land the devs in legal trouble. There's a reason the game is being released (legally) for free as a non-profit project.

Conversation powered by Livefyre