PixlBit

IT'S MORPHIN TIME! Whoooooosh!! NOW LET'S KICK SOME BUTT!!!

When I was a kid, Power Rangers were all the rage. It didn't matter that average high school teenagers were friends with strange alien life-forms because THEY CHANGED INTO SUPER HEROES! And that was cool. I'll be the first to admit that it was my favorite show. . . for a short phase. The Rangers would jump around, making whooshing noises, and kick putty butt (seriously, putties have to be the worst bad guys ever). Near the end of each episode, a huge monster would attack the city, and the Rangers would call on their Dinozords to come and form the Mega Zord, and they would take down the bad guy. Despite how strange it was, Power Rangers was a super popular show. 

This popularity led to a video game being made. Developed by Bandai, it was released for SNES in 1994. There was a level for each Ranger, and you could choose to play with any one for any of the levels. I thought that was cool; it leant the game to some replayability since you could go back and play through using different characters. Here's the cool part: the first half of the level, you would play as the Ranger outside his/her suit; each character had unique moves and styles. They also looked very similar to how they appeared in the show, even wearing the same clothes. When you reached the mid-point of the level, the boss would appear and the Ranger morphs right before your eyes! There was nothing cooler when you were a kid. The Rangers in their suits were pallette-swaps of the same character, but they each used their own weapon. I'll say one thing: they were pretty buff!

The combat is simple. Some putties only take one hit to defeat, others take up to four or more. The Ranger can hit a bad guy consecutively four times (typical beat 'em up stuff). You can also jump into the air and perform a jump kick (which is cool). But here's the coolest part: you can throw the bad buys two different ways; you can either throw them over your shoulder or you can throw them several feet away. Over the course of the game, the enemies become more advanced. By the fourth level, some putties can throw knives, which can catch you off-guard; this keeps you on your toes. The Rangers always have a bomb which they can use only once in the level; their Dinozord appears and unleashes a screen-filling attack. For as simple as the combat is, it works very well in this game. 

The bosses are a lot of fun. They pulled monsters straight from the show, which is cool. Each boss is unique, and never do they get lazy and throw in the same boss twice. Once again, they're simple, and learning their patterns is easy. My favorite boss is definitely the Genie from the fourth level; he throws all kinds of attacks at you and even blows fire! I also love it when you beat the boss and the Ranger does their, um, Ranger dance and morphs back. Awesome!

The level design is varied and full of personality. Each level is very distinct. They go from city streets to the sewers to a hotel under construction to an underground base. Each level introduces something new: in level 2, you learn how to grapple onto hanging ledges; in level 3, you learn to wall-jump; and levels 4 and 5 are just awesome! 

The last two levels involve the Rangers jumping into the Mega Zord to take on some mammoth foes. In level 6 you face-off against a big ugly yellow creature. It's just like a fighting game as you jump around and attack, but there's some good strategy here. You can block attacks and also build up your special attack to unleash an ultimate blast! But here's the thing: the bad guy can do the same thing, so watch out. The final stage has you fighting Rita Repulsa's monster. It's the boss of the game. Just when you think you've beaten him, he turns gold and gets a new life bar. He's actually kind of challenging. 

The one thing I wish for this game was that they had a difficulty setting. The overall game is pretty easy (even as a 10 year old kid I could beat it, although the final boss was more difficult for me). But it's obvious that the game is aimed towards kids, and in that respect it hits the mark. 

Final Verdict--4 Stars: Recommended

I have a lot of love for this game. I played this game to death when I was a kid, but today, it still holds up, and is still a blast to play. The levels are great, the Rangers are unique and varied, the bosses are done well, and those last levels are great. I have to mention that the music is good too (you might find yourself humming some of the themes throughout the day); the main theme from the show (with voices) is even utitlized well. I wish this game would get more love today. 

Join me every Saturday as we take a look back at all kinds of retro games, good and bad.