Platform(s): PC (version reviewed), PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Genre: 2D Beat Em Up, Retro, 90s

Beat-em-ups are a repetitive genre by nature, so it’s up to the developers in charge to make sure that the act of beating up foes is fluid, natural, and makes sense. This is especially in the modern era of gaming where you can throw someone off your game if it doesn’t feel up to snuff control-wise. They don’t necessarily have to be blazing fast, but the controls and movement have to be as tight given its context and setting.

The latest Digital Eclipse-made 2D beat-em-up throwback title Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind (based on the hit sentai adaptation series in the 90s) is unfortunately not what I expect. When I see the 5 actors in the show do their combat thing (or the Japanese original footage it’s using), I expect feats of acrobatics and fast movement. MMPR Rita’s Rewind nails the look and the CRT filter, as well as the rad soundtrack from Sean Bialo that remixes the classic anthems and add in new ones that sound right at home. Unfortunately, the feel is severely lacking and needs work.

Ranger Danger

The way the characters fight and move in this title seem on-par and fine at first in the first few minutes, but as you keep playing, you notice some delay and unnecessary recovery time in most of the Rangers’ fighting styles, from their dive kick to their uppercuts to even their dodges which is the sole move you have to avoid big damage and the most painful of attacks. And the standard invincibility flash when you’re recovering? It feels nonexistent to the point where you can be dogpiled and not do anything else but take it like a champ until they miss.

In contrast, all the enemies in the game don’t play by the same rules. They’re fast, they have little to no recovery time with their attacks, and they don’t have obvious telegraphs to their mayhem. In fact, the toughest enemies in the game aren’t the bosses: it’s the giant three-headed Putty goon. They don’t flinch much from your attacks, and two of their knockdown moves come out instantaneously with little to no warning, or even counter. At least the toughest bosses late in the game like Madam Woe give you some warning for their hard-hitting specials.

For the record all 5 of them play exactly the same, just with different animations. While some like the Blue or Black Ranger have an extended hitbox for their third or fourth combo string attack, everyone more or less is identical. Even the secret character Green Ranger plays identical with little to no change, making you wonder why he’s worth unlocking in the first place save for fanfare and nostalgic value.

MMPR: Rita’s Rewind also features third-person rail shooter vehicle segments where you control your chosen character’s mecha and destroy everything in your path, stopping Rita Repulsa from collecting green diamonds to power up her conquest. These play just fine and adhere to being simple mindless shooter segments, but the execution and level design leaves much to be desired. Everything here can kill you in a few hits, and there are no methods to dodge attacks or even heal yourself bit by bit, making them tougher than they should be.

It’s one thing to be challenging, but it’s another to be downright unfair and cheap. MMPR: Rita’s Rewind is the latter, and that’s what mostly hurts the experience. Compare this to other 90s-style beat-em-ups like Streets of Rage 4 and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge, two games that get really challenging but give you ample tools and better controls to fend for yourself.

There are also segments where you play as the Megazord, the combined forces of the Power Rangers in giant robot form; these segments are in first-person view and your objective is to dodge enemy fire, evade their telegraphed attacks, and just punch them until you fill up your Megazord Sword energy and cut them down. You can’t die in these segments, as they feel like bonus stages. They don’t wear out their welcome so much, though to be fair, the rest of this 90s trip is pretty short. You can complete MMPR: Rita’s Rewind in just under 4 hours even with retries; replayability post-completion include a Speedrun mode and the ability to play as the Green Ranger, who just feels like a palette swap with extra attack animations.

To the developer’s credit, the game features a few segments where you beat up a Time Disrupter before it continuously rewinds time. Every so often, a Putty enemy throws in a Time Disrupter. To progress further, you need to destroy it. However, after a few seconds, it explodes and resets back a few seconds, resurrecting enemies but also replenishing your resources. These do add a nice twist to the beat-em-up stage formula as you need to handle Putty hordes while also waylaying on that particular obstacle.

Wasted Time?

Overall, this beat-em-up feels half-baked and sluggish to play and go through despite the best of intentions. For all of its purposely-default TV filter on its pixel graphics and its varied challenges that deviate from the left-to-right side-scrolling formula, the whole 15-stage experience and execution just feels middling and could have been fine-tuned better. At least you can play this with friends either offline or online, so you can enjoy it together as a big group.

While I’m no Power Rangers fan, aficionados of the series deserve better than this stock churned-out co-op beat-em-up that is less “Mighty” and more “Adequate”. If you need a 90s beat-em-up with today’s modern conveniences, you’re better off with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge.

Final Score: 50/100