Go! Go! Power Rangers!
Gameplay
This title is a “beat-em-up”! The side-scrolling and brawling action are throwbacks to the golden age of Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis! Light and heavy attack buttons add variety to the button mashing and weapons, mixed with grapple moves also add another layer to combat. Each Ranger has an RPG-esque talent tree that players level up over time, in turn powering up your already powerful teenagers with attitudes! I found that grinding the early levels to beef up my rangers paid off in the long run. The combat can become predictable and repetitive, but the promise of extra levels and unlocking nodes on the talent trees is well worth the effort. Players will choose a starting ranger based on personal preference or the ranger’s base stats. I chose the black ranger as my starting ranger but switched 1/3 of the way in the game for reasons that I won’t spoil! The controls where responsive throughout and I never experienced any performance issues. The only major flaw I found with this title is the complete lack of online co-op play. The only way to enjoy this game with others is local co-op! This hurts the core gameplay in my opinion. The Power Rangers are a TEAM…so a great Power Ranger game needs to promote playing with a team. Yes, you can beat every mission with a single ranger, and still enjoy the game…but it will always feel like something is missing. The thrill of playing a “beat-em-up” title in the old days was having that second or third player along with you for the ride. Games like Double Dragon, Final Fight, Golden Axe, Battle Toads, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time, Scott Pilgrim vs The World, and Castle Crashers where awesome experiences because you could team up with friends and tackle the game! This title completely drops the ball in that respect. Sure, there is local co-op, but online matchmaking and online co-op allows gamers to experience the game together with old and new friends.
Graphics
This game is not a graphical powerhouse by any means. That is not necessarily a negative thing. This game is obviously a bargain arcade title. The Character Sprites are simplistic yet detailed enough to give each ranger their own personality. The rangers can morph whenever you choose, and it is a nice touch to have before and after character models! The boss battles are basically Quick Time Events, but the production value of these events are beautifully done. The game ran smoothly and never dropped in framerate and that is what we like to see in face paced action games. This title will not blow you away graphically just keep that in mind. The graphics are on par with a game like Castle Crashers or a Flash Game you may play online. The art style adds that feeling of nostalgia, and in my opinion this was a smart choice for this title. It feels like you are back in the 90’s when you boot up this game!
Audio
The theme song is there, the cheesy action movie sound effects are present, the signature “IT’S MORPHIN TIME!”...what more do you need?
Replay Factor
This would be an awesome game to run through with your friends multiple times! However, the lack of online modes hurts that replay-ability. Achievement hunters will play through multiple times to complete the achievements, and completionists will likely play through multiple times with each ranger to max out stats. The combat can become repetitive…but the nostalgia/fan factor keeps the game interesting.
Final Ne3rdom Score: 6.9/10