Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind Review

In a global the place gaming variations of nostalgic IP are handiest turning into an increasing number of well-liked, it’s wild to suppose how few Energy Rangers video video games we’ve had in the previous couple of console generations. If truth be told, no longer counting cell releases, we’ve handiest had two – the disappointing beat-em-up Mega Combat and the initially janky but eventually beloved fighter Battle for the Grid.

Whilst I don’t have relatively the similar life-spanning courting with Energy Rangers as I do its cowabunga cousin, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the loss of excellent video games in response to the Mighty Morphers has at all times stunned me. Like TMNT, the vibrant, action-packed display and its many iterations lend themselves completely to turning into playable.

A preview card for Power Rangers: Rita's Rewind at Gamescom 2024.

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Rita’s Rewind Is Shaping Up To Be The Mighty Morphin’ Energy Rangers Sport Of My Goals

And do not fret – Tommy Oliver is nearly without a doubt making it in.

That’s what made Energy Rangers: Rita’s Rewind this sort of wish-fulfilling divulge right through this yr’s Summer season Sport Fest as, similar to Shredder’s Revenge, it seemed to capitalise at the Rangers with a style that matches them like a glove and has someway no longer been achieved all that a lot ahead of – the unfashionable sidescrolling beat ‘em up.

By way of Rangers Lovers, For Rangers Lovers

All three fixed arcade machines in Power Rangers: Rita's Rewind.

After in short taking part in it for myself at Gamescom, I had prime hopes that it will give me the similar heat fuzzy feeling the Turtles did with their newest throwback undertaking. Even if a loss of intensity and quick runtime save you Rita’s Rewind from achieving those self same nice heights, its satisfying-if-simplistic brawling, distinctive Zord sections, and skill to seize the sequence’ spirit make it nicely value it for Energy Rangers enthusiasts.

Energy Rangers: Rita’s Rewind kicks off with the present batch of Energy Rangers doing their weekly regimen and going up towards Robo Rita, who senses imminent defeat and time travels again to 1993 to crew up together with her former self. This leaves the unique and maximum well known Mighty Morphin staff to head up towards each Ritas with a couple of artful time anomaly twists whilst retreading the occasions of the display’s first season.

Some of the greatest strengths of Rita’s Rewind is the way it captures the tacky and full of life spirit of the display and interprets it splendidly right into a unfashionable brawler. From the principle color overload and catchy tracks to the splendidly recoil discussion stuffed with deepcut references, Rita’s Rewind merely appears like being within the Energy Rangers international. And sure, I teared up just a little each and every time the principle theme music burst onto the scene.

Fulfilling Brawling Goodness That Lacks Some Intensity

A rooftop brawl in Power Rangers: Rita's Rewind.

As you’d be expecting from this sort of well-trodden style, the vast majority of your time spent in Energy Rangers: Rita’s Rewind is in side-scrolling ranges the place you progress to the precise and beat the snot out of Putties, Tengu Warriors, and no matter else crosses your trail. The core mechanics are reasonably simplistic for a brawler, with each and every Ranger having elementary combinations, a launcher, clutch assaults, a limited-use particular, and the sequence staple backflips as a dodge.

Whilst smashing thru enemies feels as nice as a brawler will have to due to the hit prevent, crunchy sound results, and the enduring particle results when attacking, the battle used to be another way unusually elementary. With the exception of some selection in animations, all 5 (in the end six) of the Rangers play precisely the similar in those sections, leaving little reason why to replay ranges or experiment.

Mix that with the loss of enemy selection and any form of development methods between Rangers, and Rita’s Rewind is at the elementary finish of the beat ‘em up spectrum. It’s nonetheless a excellent and pleasant time, like maximum sidescrollers are, however past the Mighty Morphin coat of ache, there’s no longer a lot isolating the vast majority of Rita’s Rewind phases from its contemporaries.

Zord Sections Put The May In Mighty Morphin

The Power Rangers riding a rollercoaster in Rita's Rewind.

The only space the place Rita’s Rewind stands proud is with its Outrun-esque Zord and automobile sections, which seem against the top of each and every primary episode. Those unusually difficult ranges have the Rangers leaping into their Zord and chasing an enemy down whilst capturing the whole thing in sight.

Past providing a pleasant alternate of tempo from the common ranges, those Zord sections additionally give each and every Ranger an opportunity to really feel distinctive, as they each and every trip a unique robo that controls a bit of another way, with Kimberly’s even performing as a very simple mode since she will fly round and steer clear of many of the stumbling blocks.

Those ranges additionally culminate with a climactic Megazord boss combat that acts in a similar fashion to Punch Out and has you dodging and attacking in first-person. Just like the Zord segments, that is the place Rita’s Rewind shines just a little brighter via dressed in its love for the sequence on its sleeve whilst additionally providing one thing that different brawlers don’t.

All of the Power Rangers together in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita's Rewind.

Unfortunately, a similarity that Rita’s Rewind does have with different video games within the style is its quick run time of round two hours, which can also be beefed as much as 3 to 5 with collectibles and an unlockable speedrun mode. Beat ‘em ups are quick via nature, however Rita’s Rewind’s fast tempo is a bit more noticeable taking into account its asking worth of $35.

Energy Rangers: Rita’s Rewind’s simplicity and quick tempo unfortunately imply that it doesn’t come just about buying and selling blows with the bar-setting Shredder’s Revenge like I was hoping. Nonetheless, via lovingly taking pictures the sequence’ trademark power, offering easy however pleasant brawling goodness, and environment itself aside with distinctive Zord sections, it manages to be a great time and a deal with for hardcore enthusiasts. I simply want there used to be a bit of extra to it and much more of it.