A Fighter’s Nova: Mindara is an intriguing fusion of two genres that seem to be complete opposites at first glance. Fighting games and JRPGs attempt to coexist in this pre-alpha build.
Why could a title like A Fighter’s Nova: Mindara appeal to players?
Are you a fan of fighting games? Do you love JRPGs? Or are you simply drawn to original and ambitious projects?
Whatever your answer may be, this title could be right up your alley.
BadRez Games, a Canadian development studio, is entering the market with its first title: A Fighter’s Nova: Mindara.
This is undoubtedly an ambitious project that caught our attention for several reasons. Style, gameplay, and soundtrack are three of the standout aspects of the production, along with another notable feature.
BadRez Games has decided not to rely on a publisher and instead launched a Kickstarter campaign.
The game was so well received that it surpassed its first two funding milestones of 70,000 and 90,000 CAD. This allowed the team to implement a Versus Mode featuring rollback netcode. If the 110,000 CAD goal is reached, online co-op will also be added.
The pre-alpha, available for free on Steam, offers a brief taste of the game’s core mechanics. Naturally, there are rough edges and imperfections, but the developers themselves make it clear that what we are playing is not even a final demo version of the game.
Characters, Art Direction, and Music
In A Fighter’s Nova: Mindara, we are introduced to two of the game’s main characters.
Maya: a teenager who trains relentlessly in martial arts in order to participate in the annual Sahelks tournament. During the pre-alpha, we also meet Den, Maya’s brother, who relentlessly hunts the Sahelks people.
Mindara: a proud warrior of the Sahelks lineage. His life falls apart when a mark is discovered on his fur, a sign considered an omen of misfortune. As a result, he is abandoned and betrayed by his own people. He too wishes to enter the annual tournament and claim his revenge.
Their appearance and overall aesthetic are rendered through solid cel-shaded visuals, giving the game a distinct manga/anime feel. The developers have stated that A Fighter’s Nova: Mindara is a love letter to the storytelling traditions of Shonen manga. Its inspirations include series such as Dragon Ball, Yu Yu Hakusho, Hunter x Hunter, and many others.
To further emphasize its Japanese influences, the intermission cutscenes are illustrated by award-winning artist Issaka Galadima, creator of Clock Striker.
Last but certainly not least is the soundtrack, composed by Hiroki Kikuta. For those unfamiliar with his work, he is one of the most celebrated composers in classic JRPG history, best known for Secret of Mana and Trials of Mana (Seiken Densetsu 3).
His involvement has attracted considerable attention from fans of the genre.
The JRPG Element
A Fighter’s Nova: Mindara chooses to combine the defining traits of both genres in an attempt to create something innovative.
Starting with exploration, the pre-alpha allows us to control both characters throughout the game world. Here we find classic JRPG elements, where exploration and environmental interaction play a central role. The two protagonists can switch between active and passive positions (and vice versa), interacting with the environment in different ways.
Maya, for example, is accompanied by a creature named Beem. In gameplay terms, it essentially functions as a boomerang capable of striking targets. It also allows us to collect the only collectibles featured in this build, as well as surprise enemies before engaging them.
Mindara, on the other hand, uses his fists to smash rocks that block the path. This opens up alternate routes and leads to the discovery of small secrets scattered throughout the map.
Once combat begins, the JRPG side of the experience gives way to action.
The Fighting Element
A Fighter’s Nova: Mindara becomes a fully-fledged fighting game where battles take place in real time. After every encounter, we gain experience levels and receive a combat performance rating. Yet another example of the game’s blend between JRPG and fighting game design.
Players must defeat their opponents much like in a traditional fighting game.
Our moveset consists of light, medium, and heavy attacks. We also have access to a special move that can be chained into combos using directional inputs.
Despite its fighting game mechanics, we must remember that this is still a JRPG and that we have a party at our disposal. This is where the Team Swap mechanic comes into play, reminiscent of series such as Marvel vs. Capcom and Dragon Ball FighterZ.
We can also use Enhanced versions of our special moves and activate Nova Arts. These function as true JRPG-style spells, serving as buffs, healing abilities, or offensive attacks.
Equally important are the Tag Team Finishers, powerful ultimate attacks that require a full gauge before they can be unleashed.
What Do We Expect from A Fighter’s Nova: Mindara?
It is never easy to predict the future of a project this ambitious. Naturally, its unique hybrid nature, combined with the high-profile contributions to both the visual and audio departments, has already attracted fans of the genre.
It will be interesting to see how the narrative, heavily inspired by shonen storytelling, develops. The combat system itself remains something of a mystery, as it will be fascinating to see how it evolves. How important will character levels be? How much will party synergy matter? Only time will tell.
What gives us confidence is the fact that A Fighter’s Nova: Mindara has already achieved its Kickstarter funding goal, which is certainly no small feat.
Despite its brevity, it is worth remembering that this is a free pre-alpha available to everyone. It showcases both the game’s potential and its current weaknesses.
With that said, head over to Steam and download A Fighter’s Nova: Mindara for free. There is no better way to form your own opinion.
