Saban’s Mighty Morphin Power Rangers:Mega Battle review for PS4, Xbox One

The fandom of the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers has been something that not many franchises have been able to sustain for over 20 years. What was once a 90?s live action TV show that featured monsters, teenagers with attitude, and a head in a tube, has now become a vital part of pop culture.

Something we haven?t had since the SNES era is a great Power Rangers game. The brand has seen countless types of merchandise, including birthday candles. (I don?t know, don?t ask.) But, like many franchises that’ve eclipsed to the stature of Power Rangers, we have been given tons of crappy games. In my opinion, the only Power Ranger games worthwhile were on the SNES and Genesis. The first two on SNES were Mighty Morphin Power Rangers based on the TV show and the movie.

There was something that made these games much more than cash grab. The music was one thing that stuck out. In a time where games had extremely memorable music, the original SNES release holds the test of time. The other factor was the simplified gameplay and controls. It just worked. I can easily pick up these games and enjoy them to this day. So, in my eyes, a foundation was laid, yet never had a true successor 20 plus years later.

The newest Power Rangers Mega Battle game left many with high expectations. The first seasons of the show featured the same Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, which to this day are the fan favorites. Over the last 5 years, MMPR has been a hot topic at conventions, on TV and believe it or not, on the toy shelves. With all of this excitement over the original team, led to the creation of Mega Battle.

On paper, they were right on target with what would make a great Power Rangers game. The problem, is it all falls flat. The visual design was one of my first big concerns. Power Rangers Mega Battle had a somewhat super deformed character design for the rangers that made it look like the game was made for mobile.

Honestly, if it was made for mobile, I could be a bit more forgiving. Sadly, that?s not the case here. At the same time, visuals aren?t everything. If you?re a fan of the franchise, you would most likely pick up the game regardless. But is it worth your hard earned cash? The short answer is maybe. This is a digital only game that should be taken at face value. It has a lot that fans will love and appreciate. The gameplay isn?t one of those things.

The collision detection during combat is off and something you see in many unpolished beat ?em ups. To me, if this portion of the game is temperamental, you?re going to have a bad time. They should?ve taken the time to ?PIZZA? instead of ?FRENCH FRIED?. (I hope someone gets the reference.) That?s really one of the only things that took away from my experience. Well, that and only having one life. At least it?s not as bad as Contra.

Now, let?s talk about what works with the game. For starters, the audio samples are a nice touch, as it brings you back to the original episodes. There?s nothing like hearing ?Its Morphin time? from the original cast. Now, back to the visual design. I mentioned that I wasn?t a fan of the rangers. That?s where that opinion ends. The villain design was actually terrific and add a nice original flair to familiar characters like Rita Repulsa, Goldar, and King Sphinx.

There is one other component of the game which I?m not a fan of. Just like the original games and series, the enemies grow large and you will have to fight them in your Megazord. It should?ve been one of the best parts of the game. That?s not the case here with a weird cockpit target focused battle system and some button sequencing makes it feel forced and uninspired. Overall, the game is on the short side, but the difficulty and having one life will help you time last. For a digital only game, it?s not too bad if you?re a diehard fan. Otherwise, you may find yourself getting easily frustrated.