Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita's Rewind

The indie video game market feeds on nostalgia. From their 8-bit tributes to retro platformers, yearning for the past seems to be an integral part of gaming's future. When I heard there was a new Power Rangers game coming out, I wasn't exactly thrilled by the idea. Fortunately, my worries were soon put to rest.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita's Rewind isn't just another cash-grab Power Rangers game; it's a love letter to everything that made us wake up early on Saturday mornings. The premise is wild: a robotic Rita from the future teams up with her past self to erase the Power Rangers from history. That's the sort of bonkers storyline you'd expect from the classic Mighty Morphin storyline – and it's now back and looking better than ever.

It's Morphin Time!

The combat here is straight-up addictive. You know that feeling you got playing TMNT: Shredder's Revenge, where every punch just felt right? Rita's Rewind nails that same satisfaction. Each Ranger plays differently enough that you'll want to try them all – Jason's got that heavy-hitting style, while Kimberly can basically turn the game into a shooter with her bow.

At the same time, you get the feeling that every Ranger shares a basic move pool – enough for couch co-op to feel balanced. It's rare to see a truly modern beat 'em up nail all the right aspects of classic titles like Streets of Rage, but this one does it perfectly well.

A Ranger History Lesson

The whole "alternate timeline" storyline gives Rita's Rewind some leeway to pay tribute to some of the series' most iconic moments. I'm not going to lie, I'm still salty about Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid. That game had some serious potential to be unique. Rita's Rewind, however, works much better not only as a homage to Power Rangers, but also as a tribute to arcade games in general.

Most levels appear to be influenced by classic arcade titles. Off the top of my head, I remember playing a level that looked exactly like one of the first stages of Captain America and The Avengers, and the carnival level looks exactly like the one from The Simpsons Arcade Game – not to mention the impressive Space Harrier homage.

Retro Cool Never Looked Better

Pixel art and indie games are almost inseparable. By now, I'm sure some people might be bored to bits by the whole "retro" fad most indie developers love. Still, if there ever was a game where pixel art shines, that would be Rita's Rewind.

The 2D (and occasionally 3D) sprites look amazing, with fluid animation and gorgeous parallax effects. The same can't be said of the animated cutscenes, however. I was really not a fan of the game's art style for those cutscenes, and I believe using sprites exclusively would have showcased the game's gorgeous pixel art much better.

Pros

• Great for couch co-op
• Engaging story for fans of the Power Rangers
• Gorgeous pixel art

Cons

• The animated art style can be a bit divisive