Mighty Morphin Power Rangers

"Although the SNES version is better, this is still a really great fighting game that every Genesis owner should have in their collection."

Go, go Power Rangers! If you were around in the mid 90's you would hear that phrase a lot. Power Rangers, the kids show which featured Japanese footage, was the most popular thing around. There was Power Rangers everything; toys, shirts, lunchboxes, and games. One of the better games released, (with the SNES version being the best), was the Sega Genesis game titled, “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers”. It is a one on one fighting game released by Bandai. It featured 2 modes; a scenario mode and a 2p battle mode. The Scenario mode featured cut-scenes based on the show, with Rita Repulsa the main villain. She would send out an enemy; once you defeated that enemy that would chant a rhyme and then make the enemy big. That is when you take the role of the Megazord and finish it off for good.

Gameplay: 8/10

I thought the gameplay in this game was really good. You pick one of the five Rangers; Red, Black, Blue, Yellow, and Pink. After that you would fight one of Rita's henchmen. There are only two attack button; A for punch and B for kick. You use the directional buttons to move left and right. Each character has a couple of special they can execute. The control in the game is very responsive, and I found it very easy to pull off the special moves. Once you assume control of the uber-cool Megazord, you get a new moveset and you get a sword to slash enemies with. Once you completely deplete an opponent's life bar with the Megazord, you get to see an awesome finishing move automatically. The game's difficulty varies; if it's set at the easiest level, the game will be very easy, and if it's at the highest, it's going to be extremely hard. Now, in the final two stages of the SNES version of Power Rangers, you played as a Megazord. Let me tell you right now, the fighting system in this game totally blows that game's fighting system out of the water. I just had to clear that up.

Graphics/Sound: 8/10

The game's graphics look great. The characters are all smooth, the backgrounds are great, etc. The game also sounds very good. It's got good music, and actually has some talking in it. Although the talking sounds muffled, what can you expect from a 16 bit console? I'd rather have it then not have it at all. Wouldn't you?

Play Time/Replayability: 5/10

The Scenario mode in this game lasts about as long as an episode of the show, so you'll be done with it pretty quick. However, it's still fun to just beat it again every now and then. You could always play your friend in battle mode for more replay value. There aren't any unlockables. However, once you beat the 2nd stage in Scenario mode, you get to play as the Green ranger!

Final Recommendation: Buy

Power Rangers on the Sega Genesis is a really fun fighting game. It may not be one of the deepest around, but it surely is one of the funnest! Every Genesis owner should go out and buy this game. I was lucky enough to get it for $2, but I would have gladly paid much more than that!

Final Score: 8/10

Interesting Information

The SNES and Genesis versions of Power Rangers are two completely different games; while this is a fighting game, the SNES version is a beat-em-up. Although I favor the SNES version, you couldn't play as the green ranger! So, you can play as 6 rangers in the Genesis version, and only 5 in the SNES version!

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 06/30/05, Updated 06/30/05