Power Rangers Rita's Rewind

I grew up during the 80s and consumed pretty much every cult classic cartoon available, but when Power Rangers appeared in the 90s, I was a little too old to seriously absorb the colorful gang of heroes. My younger brothers, however, saw and I have of course not missed how immensely loved this gang is, something that is not least manifested in the fact that there are still new ventures coming every so often.

That includes video games, although it's been a very long time since there's been anything with a bigger budget. Instead of trying to make something semi-expensive, Digital Eclipse chose to go the other way with Power Rangers Rita's Rewind. Instead, it's full-on retro, with the concept feeling much like the games that were hot when the series originally debuted in 1993. In practice, this means a classic beat 'em up where we get the chance to kill all kinds of enemies on the conveyor belt.

As if to make it even more retro, it's all presented complete with graphics inspired by classic chunky TVs. You get a few options to choose from, but the default mode looks fantastic. Added to this is the typically video game inspired and absolutely phenomenal music (composed by Sean 'CosmicGem' Bialo) and voice acting that helps to lull me into this more colourful and possibly cosier era.

If you played Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge at the time (or even Battletoads and Streets of Rage 4), you'll recognise the set-up immediately. Rita Repulsa has been up to mischief, travelling back in time to collaborate with herself, and the result is that you have to punch enemies in the face on an assembly line principle, defeating a number of bosses along the way.

This kind of game is all about how intuitive and fun the fighting system feels, and I'm happy to report that it fits like a glove. It's easy to dish out a generous beating, there's a button to avoid all incoming damage, and you can jump and use a super attack that clears the screen of enemies (at least weaker ones). Thanks to this, Power Rangers Rita's Rewind manages to make me feel constantly skilful, acting as a kind of addictive sugar that constantly satisfies and makes me want to continue. Additionally, typical frustration moments have been filed down such as only losing a square of life rather than a whole life if you happen to step off the edge of a bridge or similar.

What's more, this genre always benefits from co-op play, and here too it excels. Power Rangers Rita's Rewind can be played locally by up to six people (though only four for PlayStation 4 and 5) - although initially there are 'only' five as you have to complete the game first to get your sixth fighter. Online support is also on the way, but according to Digital Eclipse, it will come a little later. Fighting alone works great, but if you get some friends to join you, the game quickly grows to unexpected levels.

For Power Rangers fans, Digital Eclipse has added the Juice Bar as a sort of hub where you can revel in Power Rangers nostalgia and I like that they also added three unexpectedly entertaining arcade games that at least kept me busy for an hour or two. The basic adventure itself is around three hours, but there are secrets to be found on the levels, which also have times you can try to beat and other challenges. There's also a dedicated speedrun mode and more, so there's plenty of fanservice and extra content to keep you playing.

One of the things that has been most praised in Power Rangers Rita's Rewind is how the beat 'em up parts are continuously mixed up with other elements that often bring to mind classic Space Harrier or Panzer Dragoon in a kind of rail shooter riding a Dinozord (and also Megazord) as well as motorbikes. And yes, these moments are wonderfully spectacular and if possible even more action-packed than the basic gameplay, with the caveat that it's not nearly as intuitive as the rest of the game. You'll probably die a couple of times before you realise what you're supposed to do and how everything works. Ironically, you're given a quick run-through of the combat bit, which is completely traditional, while here you're told nothing at all - where it would actually have been appropriate.

A fun detail is that all Power Rangers, according to the conventions of the genre, are differently good with differences in such things as range, resistance and strength. Here, however, as I said, the beat 'em up fights are interspersed with completely different game moments, and here too the unique characteristics of the characters are noticeable. The pink Rangers flying Pterodactyl Dinozord is, in my humble opinion, significantly sharper than the red Rangers Tyrannosaurus Dinozord, something that further elevates these levels.

So is there nothing that is bad then? No, I wouldn't say that, and certainly Power Ranger's Rita's Rewind has a few things that the developers could have done better. In particular, I'm bothered by the fact that all the attacks beyond jump kicks and punches - basically a flying uppercut and a top-down attack - don't add anything and are way too hard to hit with. This means that I basically only play by using the punch button, which makes it unnecessarily button-masher friendly. In addition, there is one boss in particular that is completely unbalanced in design, and I find the rail shooter-style courses a little too chaotic to feel like I have any real control. Especially in co-op with many players.

But overall, it's very easy to recommend Power Rangers Rita's Rewind. It's an incredibly loving tribute to the phenomenon and a fun game that's well worth playing through, even for those who like beat 'em ups or retro games in general but have no relation to the brand.