Some issues are simply meant to be. Peanut butter and chocolate. Film theaters and popcorn. The Cleveland Browns and failure. By all rights, Power Rangers and a mid-90s arcade beat ‘em up also needs to be on that listing. It simply looks like one thing written within the e-book that determines cosmic historical past, willed into existence by the next energy. However it by no means occurred. Sure, there have been a few middling SNES/Genesis sidescrollers, however like most console beat ‘em ups on the time, they have been restricted by their at-home {hardware}. We by no means bought a correct, superb four-to-six participant arcade cupboard, or perhaps a sport designed prefer it was made for one. No less than, not till now. With Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind, developer Digital Eclipse has taken it upon itself to offer us the Turtles in Time/X-Males/The Simpsons-style Power Rangers beat ‘em up we by no means bought. A pair underwhelming gimmick sections imply Rita’s Rewind doesn’t fairly handle to carve out a spot for itself amongst the style’s all-timers, however it’s a fairly nice beat ‘em up that’ll make you wish to swimsuit up and make a journey again via time.
As somebody who completely loves arcade-style brawlers like this however doesn’t have a lot nostalgia for Power Rangers particularly, belief me once I say you don’t have to know “The Lore™” to observe Rita’s Rewind. Within the distant future, the yr 2023, Robo Rita decides to return in time along with her previous self, Rita Repulsa, and take out the Power Rangers. The 2023 lineup can’t cease her, so it’s as much as the unique 1993 crew to step up and handle enterprise. (Time journey, child! We’re making diagrams out of straws.) The story is fairly easy right here, but it surely permits Digital Eclipse to put in writing in some humorous moments and interactions (the Ritas, regardless of working collectively, don’t get alongside) and put sure enemies in areas they shouldn’t be.
That setup additionally provides to the entire “it is a 90s arcade sport” really feel, similar to the CRT filters, wonderful, guitar-heavy soundtrack that may stand beside the style’s greatest, and the completely gorgeous pixel artwork. Arcade video games like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time and X-Males – in addition to fashionable follow-ups like Shredder’s Revenge – labored partly as a result of they nailed a vibe, not as a result of their tales made logical sense, and Rita’s Rewind will get that. You’re not right here for the lore; you’re right here to kick some butt as a Power Ranger.
In a number of methods, RIta’s Rewind adheres to the requirements of the fashionable, retro-style beat ‘em up. The gameplay isn’t overly complicated: you’ve bought a primary assault combo, a throw if some mook will get too shut for consolation, a double soar, rising and falling assaults, a operating kick, a dodge, and a screen-clearing tremendous assault you possibly can unleash as soon as your meter is full. If you wish to pull off a sick combo past that, you’d higher be enjoying with a pal who’s prepared to throw dudes at you so you possibly can juggle ‘em. Streets of Rage 4 this ain’t.
What it’s, then, is a three-hour beat ‘em up constructed on the basics that make the style nice: characters which are simply fascinating sufficient (the Rangers — Crimson, Blue, Yellow, Black, and Pink — are kind of the identical functionally), enemies which are enjoyable to combat, cool environments that vary from a theme park to a poisonous waste dump, engaging Easter eggs and unlockables to search out, and distinctive boss fights, like the wonderful one towards Bones or the goofy brawl with Chunky Rooster. Rita’s Rewind has all of that. It feels nice to play, the degrees are memorable, the enemies power you to adapt on the fly, and the bosses are a ton of enjoyable. And, after all, it’s all even higher in co-op – as of launch, you possibly can play with as much as six folks domestically (aside from on PlayStation, which is at the moment capped at 4, however Digital Eclipse plans to carry that quantity as much as six in a future replace), although sadly on-line co-op remains to be to come back in a free post-release replace and will likely be restricted to 2 gamers when it does arrive.
All that’s to say: beat ‘em ups are form of a magic trick, the key sauce might be onerous to establish, however you’ll know when it’s not there. In Rita’s Rewind? It’s positively there. However Digital Eclipse wasn’t content material to simply trot out an excellent Power Rangers-themed brawler and name it a day. Considered one of Rita’s Rewind’s highlights is its Tremendous Scaler segments, which plop you into both the cockpit of the Megazord, the motive force’s seat of a motorbike, or behind the controls of your personal particular person Zord. These sections are, for essentially the most half, fairly nice, although sure ones might be irritating.
Generally, they function like arcade traditional House Harrier. You zoom towards the display via a pseudo-3D stage, chasing down a boss that Rita has jumbo-sized after you’ve overwhelmed them in a fistfight, or simply rolling via Putties for those who’re in your bike. These sections are each visually spectacular and a ton of enjoyable as you dodge incoming fireplace, shoot down enemies, and purchase power-ups like missiles or the Double Shot. I cherished the entire bike segments, however the Dinozord ones have been extra blended, partially due to some fairly loopy problem spikes.
Taking the unsuitable hit or lacking a soar in your Zord can value you considered one of your restricted lives, and it’s onerous to dodge the entire stuff coming at you as a result of there’s usually a lot on-screen without delay. Sure Zord segments took my co-op associate and I a number of tries simply because we stored dropping lives to single hits or missed jumps. Once they work, these segments are nice, and supply some fascinating differentiation between characters (the Pink Ranger’s pterodactyl is exclusive in that it could actually fly, as an example, making it simpler to keep away from assaults). Once they don’t, nonetheless, they are often fairly depressing. Each proceed I spent throughout Rita’s Rewind was in a Zord stage. There’s actually extra good than unhealthy right here, however the unhealthy… properly, it’s notable.
The Megazord sections, which function the cap to any given boss combat, are additionally extra blended. You possibly can’t lose throughout these encounters, which is superior, however they are often irritating differently. You pilot the Megazord in first individual, dodging the boss’s ranged assaults and charged strikes till you will get shut sufficient to land some punches, which prices your Power Sword, in phases, for the ultimate blow. Getting hit knocks you again and also you lose any cost in a stage you haven’t absolutely constructed up (and in co-op, taking sufficient hits switches pilots, as properly). That’s all effective and good, however the subject is that the boss can simply soar away from you whenever you get shut, so your aim will not be solely to get in with out making too many errors, you additionally should get fortunate and hope the boss truly enables you to punch them. And for those who’re unhealthy at dodging their projectiles, it could actually get very outdated, in a short time, particularly in co-op. (In one other weird twist, these ranges add much more to your rating than the beat ‘em up ranges do, which feels odd on condition that Rita’s Rewind is a beat ‘em up initially.)
So the Tremendous Scaler ranges are a blended bag, however the extra one-off concepts actually aren’t. Whether or not it’s a Tremendous Scaler part aboard a rollercoaster, the compulsory elevator stage, or wild time journey mechanics, Rita’s Rewind is at its greatest when it is experimenting. Take the time journey, as an example. Typically, Rita’s goons can have giant tanks carrying the crystals that make time journey attainable – damaging these tanks will trigger time to rewind, placing you and your enemies in precisely the identical place you have been earlier than the assault. It additionally resets your tremendous bar, so you possibly can spend it, set off the rewind, and do it another time till you are taking out the crystal. It encourages sensible play whereas livening up in any other case commonplace encounters.
Talking of cool one-offs, between missions you’ll hang around on the Juice Bar, the place you possibly can discuss to skilled losers Bulk and Cranium, test in with Ernie, and see how any of the characters you’ve rescued over the course of the journey, like Mr. Caplan and Ms. Appleby, are doing. The best factor concerning the Juice Bar, although, is the arcade video games you possibly can play. These are model new, unique video games designed to reply one easy query: what arcade video games have been the Power Rangers enjoying throughout their downtime?
Every one is lacking an element, however for those who discover it out in considered one of Rita’s Rewind’s ranges, you unlock that sport for good. They’re fairly grand, whether or not you’re enjoying Karate Chopshop (suppose Mortal Kombat’s Take a look at Your May), Drive Bomber (a racing sport the place you attempt to blow up different automobiles and keep away from the injury your bombs trigger), or Nanopilot (Asteroids, however you’re making an attempt to protects cells from invading viruses). They’re actually enjoyable, and my co-op associate and I usually discovered ourselves stopping by for a run or two between missions. If I’ve one criticism concerning the Juice Bar, it’s that I want you possibly can change Rangers right here between missions as an alternative of getting to again all the best way out and re-select your save file. That’s form of a bummer, particularly since there’s no choice to modify Rangers if you have to use a proceed.
That stated, Rita’s Rewind isn’t brief on replay worth. Beating the marketing campaign unlocks the Inexperienced Ranger to allow that sixth (at the moment non-PlayStation) co-op slot, and there’s excessive scores to chase, S-ranks and deathless runs to realize, new difficulties to overcome, collectibles to seek out, and a velocity run mode. There’s lots to do right here after you’ve rolled credit for the primary time, and I can see Rita’s Rewind turning into a staple in my beat ‘em up library.