At a look, it’s fairly straightforward to get an concept of what Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind is: a co-op arcade type beat-em-up with beautiful sprite artwork, bearing some very clear similarities to 2022’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge, all the best way all the way down to the title. Nonetheless, after kicking, punching and morphin by means of the primary two episodes, I’m completely happy to report that it’s greater than only a palette swap, and developer Digital Eclipse clearly understood the task, but additionally wasn’t afraid to get inventive within the margins.
For starters, the premise is a enjoyable fan-fictional remix: within the far off 12 months of 2024, Robo-Rita Repulsa (who apparently has the identical plastic surgeon as Frieza) is going through defeat by Angel Grove’s teenage protectors. Assuming these are the identical Rangers from the unique sequence, they’re a minimum of of their late forties at this level. In any case, that’s a non-issue, as a result of Robo-Rita decides to journey again in time and be part of forces together with her youthful, less-cybernetically augmented self to place an finish to her enemies again after they had been nonetheless in highschool.
There’s no scarcity of easter eggs and fanservice, however Robo-Rita isn’t going again in time simply to make the identical errors once more, so Rita’s Rewind is admittedly extra of a Remix. Anybody who is aware of the unique sequence inside and outside is in for some surprises. For example, a boss battle in opposition to Chunky Hen, an early monster of the week villain from the primary season has a second part the place a second poultry-themed enemy seems, Turkey Jerk. It’s a cute joke at face worth, however the deep-cut reference right here is that within the authentic sequence, Chunky Hen’s costume was repainted and retooled to make Turkey Jerk’s – principally, the analog kaiju swimsuit equal of a palette-swap. Like I stated, the staff Digital Eclipse did their homework.
Should you’ve ever performed a sidescrolling beat-em up, you’re already accustomed to the core gameplay. As much as 5 gamers staff up, domestically or on-line, and progressively transfer their favourite Power Ranger towards stage left. Our heroes must cease about each twenty toes to beat the crap out of a small military of Rita Repulsa’s goons, like Putty Patrollers and Tenga Warriors, in addition to any trash can, crate or mailbox that appears prefer it might need health-restoring junk meals inside. Fight is one primary assault that may be mixed with directional inputs to string collectively rudimentary combos, plus one final assault that may be activated when a meter is full. The final assaults are appropriately excessive, and triggering one for the primary time put an enormous grin on my face. If I used to be seven, I’d have been leaping up and down on the sofa.
Periodically, a Putty Patroller will present up holding an unlimited cylinder with a inexperienced crystal in it, and if the Rangers don’t destroy it in time, it’ll set off an explosive time-warp impact that offers harm, but additionally rewinds the sport to moments earlier, a la Braid. The recreation’s visuals typically do a extremely good job creating the phantasm it is a retro recreation, all the best way all the way down to a CRT filter. The time warp impact breaks this phantasm in a extremely cool method, making it appear for second such as you’re enjoying on an arcade cupboard that’s about to quick circuit.
The place Rita’s Rewind actually units itself aside from Shredder’s Revenge is its super-scaler ranges, which shake up the 2D side-scroller method with fast-paced pseudo-3D sequences paying homage to traditional SEGA arcade video games like Outrun or Afterburner or the Tremendous Nintendo’s Mode 7 know-how. As a lot enjoyable as beat-em-ups are, these act as palette-cleansers between ranges, they usually’re actually cleverly utilized within the context of Power Rangers.
The authentic tv present repeatedly adopted a well-known format: a monster-of-the-week would seem, and after the Rangers seemingly defeated stated monster in hand-to-hand fight, Rita Repulsa would utter these infamously suggestive phrases “make my monster develop!” At which level the battle would proceed on a a lot bigger scale, with the Rangers first making use of their particular person Dinozord mechs earlier than inevitably becoming a member of them collectively to type the Dino Megazord and save the day.
Rita’s Rewind is damaged up into “Episodes.” The first one featured two levels of interior metropolis beat-em up gameplay culminating in a boss battle in opposition to Goldar on a rooftop. After he was sufficiently pummeled by lycra-clad teenagers, Robo-Rita super-sized him and he flew off. A quick cutscene confirmed the Rangers hopping into Zords and the following sequence was a 3D shoot-em-up, which was instantly paying homage to the unique Star Fox on Tremendous NES. That is becoming, since that launched the identical 12 months Rita’s Rewind takes place, when Power Rangers was at peak recognition, and serves up a pleasant double-dose of nostalgia.
After utilizing the Zords to explode a generator in some suspicious mining operation whereas dodging lasers, the second had arrived: it was time to type the Dino Megazord. However wait, the identical lingering query that I had after so many Power Rangers episodes additionally applies to Rita’s Rewind… How do a number of individuals cooperatively pilot a single humanoid mech? Undecided what the canonical rationalization is, however within the case of the online game, it takes a cue from a special kind of sofa co-op: passing a controller backwards and forwards when somebody dies or beats a stage.
After a satisfyingly low-poly transformation sequence, the angle shifted to the Dino Megazord’s cockpit, squared as much as duke it out with Goldar, Punch-Out! type. Moderately than Goldar having a standard well being bar that’s depleted, the Dino Megazord’s Power Sword is as an alternative displayed on the high of the display screen with a number of small sections working alongside the blade.
Touchdown sufficient punches in opposition to Goldar will progressively fill considered one of these sections up, at which level, it’s the following Ranger’s flip. Conversely, a participant’s flip will even finish abruptly if Goldar lands an assault. Utterly filling the meter will activate the Power Sword, which is then used to complete off the dangerous man with a quicktime occasion the place everybody cooperatively button mashes.
No one really has to cross the controller, it simply switches between gamers, however the concept is similar. It’s solely attainable the same answer for cooperative Zord-piloting has been applied in one of many many Power Rangers video games launched within the final 30 years, however I nonetheless thought it was a intelligent answer. Ready your flip won’t be fairly as enjoyable as attending to drive the Megazord your self the entire time, however should you’re enjoying with buddies, you’ll seemingly end up cheering one another on – or groaning after they get hit.
In between episodes, the Rangers turn into their civvies and regroup on the Angel Grove Youth Heart. Whereas knocking again just a few chilly ones at Ernie’s juice bar, they’ll take heed to Bulk and Cranium take credit score for defeating the earlier episodes’ villains. In case Rita’s Rewind wasn’t arcadey sufficient already, playable arcade cupboards can be unlocked. We bought to see “Drive Bomber,” a made-up racing-shmup through which a automotive can launch bombs into its personal path, and can promptly explode if it drives into them, which is hilariously troublesome, but additionally solely optionally available.
Controls-wise, the essential beat-em-up fight could be very satisfying, although at instances it may be arduous to inform what’s happening when the display screen is flooded with enemies. It was chaotic with three of us enjoying, I think about the complete five-person staff is borderline comical. The driving sequences are appropriately hectic whereas the Megazord boxing match is a bit clunky, however so is the supply materials. Critical players with a educated eye for hitboxes and body knowledge could discover one thing to nitpick, however finally, that’s lacking the purpose. Rita’s Rewind is a recreation for individuals chasing that top of renting the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Tremendous Nintendo recreation and staying up too late attempting to beat it at a sleepover. Or for individuals who grew up wishing there was a Power Rangers arcade cupboard at their native pizzeria wedged between The Uncanny X-Males and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Regardless of Power Rangers’ rise to recognition within the heyday of arcade beat-em-ups, it one way or the other by no means bought a correct one. From what I’ve seen of Rita’s Rewind, Digital Eclipse is making a valiant and long-overdue effort to treatment that, and better of all, you don’t must ask your mother for quarters each time you die.