Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita's Rewind

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind is exactly what it sets out to be; a fun and nostalgic trip down memory lane. Stunning pixel art visuals, fun and engaging combat and a killer soundtrack will make fans of the series long for more. Sadly, some players will not feel as challenged as they’d like to be in gameplay, along with tedious frustrating moments found in the super scaler levels. A simple plot and repetitive voice work don’t do the game any favours either, but overall, if you love the Power Rangers and arcade games, you’ll find room in your heart for this one. A nostalgic trip!

While a little simple, Rita’s Rewind brings back the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers for a thrilling jaunt into the past, capturing the hype of the source material.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind nails the look and feel of both Power Rangers and the classic arcade games it’s drawing inspiration from. While the Super Scaler levels can be a bit of a mixed bag, they sing when they work, and they’re still only manageably frustrating when they don’t. Everything else, though, rules — the gorgeous sprite work, bumping soundtrack, rock-solid beat ‘em up gameplay, in-jokes for fans, and other little touches like playable in-universe arcade games. And while nostalgia will certainly enhance the experience for some, you don’t have to know your Green Ranger from your Black Ranger to enjoy it. It might even give you an itch to revisit the classic games, or give the original television series a watch. You may not be able to go down to your local arcade anymore, but if Rita’s Rewind is any indication, you can always go back in time. Just pack some spandex.

Rita's Rewind is a wonderful love letter to Power Rangers and old-school beat 'em ups, meaning it should easily appeal to fans of either or both. Results vary when it strays into different genres, but at no point does it ever stop being fun to play. It's short, and the voice samples are repetitive, but as long as you can cope with that it's thoroughly enjoyable.

It may not be an all-time standout among beat 'em ups, but Rita’s Rewind is the Power Rangers’ best cooperative outing yet.

At the end of the day, Rita’s Rewind wins me over on the nostalgia bomb of Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers content. It’s the complete audio-visual package of 90s aesthetic with a welcome evolution of the MMPR gameplay loop. Some of this gameplay loop may be frustrating and unforgiving, but it’s still a hell of a lot of fun.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind is a charming nostalgic beat-‘em-up that successfully captures the essence of the original show. While it doesn’t quite reach the heights of TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge or Streets of Rage 4—currently the benchmarks in the classic side-scrolling beat-’em-up genre—it offers a good variety of levels and a simple yet enjoyable gameplay experience. The diverse range of enemies adds to the fun, especially when playing with friends. However, the lack of move variety between the different characters and certain less polished sections—like the shooter-style stages—bring down the overall quality somewhat. That said, anyone looking for a solid beat-’em-up to enjoy with friends, particularly fans of the series, will likely have a great time. It’s a delightful throwback that might just transport you back to afternoons spent shouting “Go Go Power Rangers!” at the TV, much to the bemusement of your parents.