【A Fighter’s Nova: Mindara】Tag-Fighter JRPG Revealed!

Typically I do not pay much attention once I see “Kickstarter” within a game’s description or title. While you get many excellent games from them, such as Hollow Knight, there have been times where something promising devolves into a scam. Rarely do you see a video game come with an excellent idea that both intrigues you, and simultaneously has a proof of concept.

Independent game studio BadRez Games has officially unveiled A Fighter’s Nova: Mindara, a narrative-driven JRPG that fuses rich storytelling and exploration with the discipline and intensity of a true fighting game. This is something I can get behind, and definitely something I plan on trying to support myself.

If you want to support their Kickstarter campaign, do so here.
A Fighter’s Nova: Mindara Kickstarter Campaign
A Fighter’s Nova: Mindara Steam Page

REVEAL TRAILER

IMPRESSIONS

To be fair, I was a bit confused about how things were going to look considering that not many have made a fighting game work outside of its traditional format. Sure, we’ve had many different types of story with Soul Calibur and now Street Fighter 6‘s “World Tour” mode, but as a whole its been a traditional arcade-style experience. This game seems to do what World Tour mode does, but inside of a tag team fighter’s format.

There seems to be a few things to do outside of combat itself, as you’re able to run around and I saw an overworld action, which is properly akin to puzzle-solving or activating a mechanism to progress further. Also, within the midst of battle, I saw you’re able to activated items (such as a health potion), which definitely adds RPG mechanics. I have no idea how this genre will be able to combine seeing as something such as 2XKO needs every single button; but we’ll see!

If we look closely, the aesthetics are a bit stylized, which helps with the rather bland 2D models and the lighting of the environment. Yes, it does look very budget, but it makes up for it in style and attitude. I love the comic and manga style panels, and how much thought the put into the voice acting and various angles; the dialogue is also pretty good. I give major props to the voice actors, mood setting music, and the intrigue we’ve already gathered from a brief glimpse of the story.

As far as fighting games, right now the animations look a bit rough. I am hoping things get smoother and more fluid once they begin to fine tune the game (as of course, that’s what a Kickstarter backing campaign is for). There are a few notable references (such as the entrance of characters after a K.O. in Dragon Ball FighterZ). Right now, this is definitely proof that things are progressively nicely, and I am wondering about the goal proper for funding and the full scope of the team’s ambition with A Fighter’s Nova: Mindara.

SCREENSHOTS

About

A Fighter’s Nova: Mindara is a narrative-driven JRPG that fuses character-focused storytelling with the intensity and precision of a true tag-team fighting game.

You follow Maya, a determined teenage martial artist searching for her own purpose, and Mindara, a mysterious wolf-man haunted by an unjust banishment and driven by revenge. Their journey leads them to a legendary tournament held within a hidden magical city—an arena where destiny, myth, and ambition collide.

As they travel, you’ll meet a diverse cast of companions—each with their own motivations, backstories, combat styles and abilities. Through friendships, rivalries, and hard-earned trust, you’ll experience a classic JRPG-style adventure where growth, wisdom, and meaning are forged not just through dialogue, but through the art of battle itself.

very encounter is a fully playable fighting game match, within a JRPG narrative experience. Battles unfold in real time with precise controls, advanced mechanics, and deep combo systems.

Switch between characters mid-fight, chain abilities together, and discover devastating tag-team synergies. Each character brings their own fighting style, signature techniques, and ultimate abilities, allowing you to experiment with team compositions and strategies.

Your relationships matter: story choices and bonds between characters directly influence combat synergy, unlocking unique duo techniques and special moves. The stronger the bond, the more spectacular—and personal their combined attacks become, seamlessly blending narrative and combat into a single riveting experience.

Inspired by classic 90s manga such as Ranma ½, Dragon Ball, Yu Yu Hakusho, HunterXHunter and more, A Fighter’s Nova: Mindara is a vibrant homage to Japanese storytelling. Its manga-style black-and-white panels, illustrated by multiple-award-winning manga artist Issaka Galadima (Clock Striker), give each cutscene a bold yet familiar look.

All of this will be set to the soaring melodies of a magical new soundtrack by Hiroki Kikuta, the original composer for Secret of Mana.

Convergence Showcase

A Fighter’s Nova: Mindara is officially featured in the Convergence Showcase, marking the game’s first public reveal.

During the showcase, players and viewers will discover (in the new trailer):

The game’s unique JRPG × fighting game hybrid structure
Its dual-protagonist narrative following Maya and Mindara
The seamless transition between story exploration and real-time combat
The core tone, visual style, and thematic foundations of the project

The Convergence Showcase serves as the starting point for Mindara’s public journey, offering a first look at a world where narrative depth and mechanical mastery are deeply intertwined.

Key Features