I will always have a soft spot for Power Rangers games in this website, as the first game ever reviewed here, back in January 2017, was Power Rangers Mega Battle for the Xbox One. More than just sentimental value, I was eager to check Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind out for the fact it was being crafted by Digital Eclipse, in one of the rare occasions in which they weren’t busy remastering games to sheer perfection, or making yet another memorable entry in the “virtual interactive museum” genre, something they basically have invented on their own. A beat ’em up starring the superheroes from my childhood, crafted by modern game development heroes? Of course I needed to give this game a go.

So, what we have here, at least at first glance, is a pixel-based beat ’em up reminiscent of other retro revival games in the genre, most notably. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge. You (as well as four other friends) can play as one of the main Rangers, and you need to go from left to right, beating the living hell out of Rita Repulsa’s minions in a plot that’s basically about a 2023 version of her travelling back in time, 30 years in the past (a.k.a., my childhood, thus this game made me feel Jurassic), trying to conquer the world by re-battling the Power Rangers when they were still fresh and inexperienced. Of course, that wasn’t the case.

The combat is pretty similar to Shredder’s Revenge, with the exception of the inclusion of an air lift attack, one which didn’t exactly work most of the time. That had something to do with the collision detection. Elsewhere, the combat was punchy, fast-paced, somewhat easy, but absolutely cathartic. Very rarely did a goon feel like a threat, but that’s exactly how they felt in the TV show anyway. I loved beating the hell out of those men in cheap spandex outfits, even if some of the environments felt a bit generic for a Power Rangers game (I mean, fighting on rooftops? That’s a TMNT thing).

If Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind were just about that, a series of beat ’em up levels in a pretty backdrop, it would have already been considered worth checking out in my opinion, but that’s just half of what the game has to offer. Close your eyes and think about your favorite Power Rangers memories. I am pretty sure that the cheap Super Sentai fight footage was not your fondest memory about the franchise. You know what you really want from this game, and Rita’s Rewind delivers in this aspect: Zords, baby!

There are two kinds of Zord-based levels in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind. The first one has you play as your Ranger’s specific Zord. For instance, if you’re playing as Jason, you’ll play as the T-Rex alone. These levels feel like a mixture between Space Harrier and the Landmaster levels from Star Fox 64. Avoid traps coming your way, and blow up everything else, in environments that are best described as “Game Boy Advance-esque faux 3D”. Given how Digital Eclipse has had a long track record developing games for the GBA, I wouldn’t be surprised if that was their intention with those levels. They don’t merely look like Mode 7-esque effects on a pixelated environment. These levels clearly evoque a specific art style anyone who grew up with a GBA would immediately remember.

I loved these levels. They were fairly lengthy, and infinitely replayable. It also helps that the soundtrack elevates the intensity to 10 in these sections. But that’s not all. After reaching the end of a vehicular level, you still have the chance to play as what you are really really here. Time to wreak havoc as a Megazord.

These are the shortest levels, and feel more like a first-person version of Punch-Out. In fact, they kinda reminded me of that Teleroboxer game released for the Virtual Boy, in a bizarre kind of way. You pilot the Megazord in a first-person perspective, and your objective is to punch an enemy enough to fully charge your sword meter, which performs the final blow. To do so, you gotta avoid enemy attacks, carefully move towards them, and punch them like there’s no tomorrow. It’s a bit of pattern recognition, a bit of patience, and a ton of catharsis. The Power Rangers theme song is blasted at the highest volume during these levels, lyrics and all, so you do feel the adrenaline being pumped into your veins while these levels last.

Is it fair to say that the best aspect about Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind is its fanservicey appeal? It’s nostalgic, it made me feel like a kid in the 90s once again, but there’s more to it than just a gratuitous shot of retro-tinged dopamine. It’s still a fantastic beat ’em up with great production values and fluid controls, as well as vehicular combat sections which truly make it stand out. It’s the right balance between being pure nostalgic fun and a high-quality party brawler. Grab a few friends, dress up appropriately, and be ready for one hell of a ride: it’s morphing time once again.

Graphics: 8.0 Well-animated pixel art during beat ’em up sections, as well as some simple, but charming polygons and Mode 7 effects used during Zord levels. The beat ’em up environments did not fit at all with the setting, but the rest is top notch.	Gameplay: 8.0 I have one or two qualms with the collision detection, but all in all, it absolutely gets the job done. With that being said, the real highlights are the vehicular and Megazord sections, the former playing like a Space Harrier clone.
Sound: 9.0 High-octane bangers being played no matter the level. That being said, the moment the Power Rangers theme song is blasted during a Megazord fight is utterly insane.	Fun Factor: 8.5 As a beat ’em up, it’s pretty good, though are better options out there. The vehicular sections are what make this game truly stand out, with fluid controls, a neat presentation, and an insurmountable amount of nostalgic fanservice.
Final Verdict: 8.5

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind is available now on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, PC and Switch.

Reviewed on Intel i7-12700H, 16GB RAM, RTX 3060 6GB.

A copy of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind was provided by the publisher.