What's the best version of the best Power Rangers game?

[Gloves | 12,220]

When I was a kid I remember playing a few Power Rangers games, but they all kinda mix together in my head. I'm looking for opinions on which beat-em-up (not 1v1 fighter!) is the best, and which system it's best on.

In my head I swear I remember it being Power Rangers: The Movie, but I look at gameplay and it doesn't feel right, which might be them all mixing in my head. I seem to recall perhaps some minor platforming also, but who knows, I was like 10 years old.

At any rate, not even necessarily looking for "the game I remember", so much as "If I were to buy ONE Power Rangers game, which should it be?".

[MagusSmurf | 579]

I played all of these in like 2020 so I'm reasonably fresh on the subject.

SNES Power Rangers is a reasonably good 2-D beat-em-up. There is some minor platforming so this is probably the one you were thinking of. It's ridiculously easy especially once you know what you're doing but a fun thing to play through once or twice. http://snesrankings.com/games/250_226.html#236

SNES Power Rangers the Movie has a more classic beat-em-up perspective and is a little harder and maybe a little better overall than the first game. http://snesrankings.com/games/225_201.html#203

These games aren't really going to compete with Turtles in Time, Streets of Rage 2, Ninja Warriors, or the best of Capcom's stuff from the era but they're basically competent, decent, and fun. They were created by noted actually talented developer Natsume, so this makes sense! I'd say they're basically 6/10 games? Worth a try to those who enjoy the 16-bit era and shouldn't take too long to get through but if you're not a Power Rangers fan you might not be coming back for more.

Genesis Power Rangers the Movie is bad. They set up a basically decent fighting system but then ruin it by spamming the same two mook enemy types at you for the entire game and also repeat boss battles. It's not at all a long game even for the genre but still manages to feel a little monotonous, stale, and dumb. It's also really easy. I guess it seems to actually follow the Movie's plot if that matters to you but I haven't been involved with anything Power Rangers for over 20 years so I just did not care. 4/10 but you should be able to reach the credits in like an hour or less so if Power Rangers matters to your childhood you might as well give it a try.

They're not quite Power Rangers or beat-em-ups but there were also a couple Famicom Super Sentai platformers.

The Zyuranger game is based on the series that got chopped up into the original Power Rangers and is kind of terrible. 2/10

The Jetman game is based on the series before Zyuranger so you won't really recognize anyone or anything in it but it's also a Natsume game and is therefore of reasonable quality - but while it has some good things going for it, it's just about the shortest AND easiest reasonable quality scrolling action game on the console and even the secret harder modes don't quite remedy the issue for me. I felt it was a little insufficient even by NES standards - there's a fundamentally good-ish game here but not enough of it. Cranking up the difficulty also doesn't seem to affect the boss battles at all as far as I could tell and while they're sort of appropriate for the Super Sentai/Power Rangers license I just don't like having the boss battles take place in an entirely different engine than the rest of the game. I gave it 5/10 but that seems maybe a little harsh even to myself and I'd tell anyone remotely interested to give it a try anyways; it's like half an hour long.

Got no knowledge of the Game Boy game outside of what was in the AVGN episode but really doubt it's good. Seems like Natsume was the developer for a lot of the GBC/GBA games though so MAYBE they'd be reasonably good too? But those are based on later seasons (well, relatively later, this is still 15+ years old stuff) so dunno if those would be of interest and I've never played them.

[Tanooki | 5,079]

MMPR the movie on the Gameboy I wouldn't want to be kind about and I don't want to be nasty about either, it's a solid 4-5 range game, you could do worse, it's Gameboy, licensed shite was shoveled.  I ended up with it in a bundle earlier this year I think it was and tried to like it a couple times, and it just wasn't happening.  The stages are your run and punch no depth side scroller and the same couple of walking targets easily enough killed, and then the boss was fairly cheap to annoyance but not hard, just obnoxious.  I didn't take it very far as it's like you don't want to make it hurt, so wanting to self inflict yourself with a splinter wound kind of fits.

[NostalgicMachine | 314]

The first one on the SNES has an incredible OST.

I had the tournament fighter one for the Genesis.

[BortLicensePlate | 652]

Mighty morphin power rangers on snes is the best one. it was made by natsume and the music is really good. 
 

Pretty sure that’s the one you remember as well, it’s a beatem up with light platforming

[themisfit138 | 523]

Power Rangers the Movie for SNES is my choice. 
 

MMPR gameboy I played a lot as a kid. The main levels have enemies that just continually walk from one side of the screen to the other. The boss battles are typical. It is still a enjoyable game if you are a power rangers fan.

[Strikezone1 | 157]

Choujin Sentai Jetman on the NES is worth a mention. It's a famicom-only side-scroller action game that is based on the Japanese version of the Power Rangers show (they’re pretty much identical conceptually). You can play as any of the 5 colored rangers for the stages, and then the boss battles are a 1-on-1 fighting match with your power robot guy.

For North American releases you can’t go wrong with either of the beat’em ups on the SNES by Bandai (developed by Natsume). Both are pretty good.

Edited December 20, 2021 by Strikezone1
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[fox | 1,757]

Power Rangers Beats of Power is full on nostalgic beat em up goodness.

If we are talking any tokusatsu show, then Solbrain/Shatterhand is a top tier action platformer.

[WhyNotZoidberg | 590]

Old school? Mighty Morphin Power Rangers on SNES. It's basically a super easy version of Ninja Warriors. OR Mighty Morphing Power Rangers The Fighting Edition. (Thanks @Reed Rothchild for informing me this was a re-skin of a Gundam fighting game, which are mostly all awesome)

I remember not liking "The Movie" much. Is this the one where your attacks don't really combo? If my memory is right I thought that was dumb and made things more boring.

If you're into Fighting Games, Battle for the Grid is extremely solid. The controls are easy enough to master but the AI will still kick your ass if you don't actually git gud.

[Tanooki | 5,079]

MMPR is a reskin of a SNES gundam fighting game?  Gundam Wing?  If so, that game was stunningly good import fun in the day.

[fox | 1,757]

3 hours ago, WhyNotZoidberg said:

Old school? Mighty Morphin Power Rangers on SNES. It's basically a super easy version of Ninja Warriors. OR Mighty Morphing Power Rangers The Fighting Edition. (Thanks @Reed Rothchild for informing me this was a re-skin of a Gundam fighting game, which are mostly all awesome)

Different game, same engine.  Both are pretty good snes fighters.

Battle for the Grid is a solid fighter.  Just a bit unremarkable.