Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind Review (PS5) – Okay Morphin Power Rangers

I’ve been loving the resurgence of side-scrolling beat ’em ups recently. With the incredible Streets of Rage 4 and the nostalgia-fueled TMNT: Turtles in Time firmly in my favourites, it’s exciting to see the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers take their turn in the spotlight with Rita’s Rewind.

The Power Rangers weren’t a big part of my childhood—I was just getting on the wrong side of teenage by the time it hit this shores. But playing this game as a newcomer to the franchise added a unique buzz to the experience. Neon-coloured ninjas? Giant robots? What’s not to like? It’s an easy sell for a four-player co-op side-scroller fan like me.

The story follows the infamous Rita Repulsa teaming up with her past self, Robo Rita, in a time-travelling plot to wreak havoc on Angel Grove. For a beat-’em-up, the narrative isn’t bad—certainly a step above the classic “save the kidnapped girl” trope.

Visually, the game is a treat. Its pixel art shines with vibrant 90s-style charm, and the slick 2D action evokes retro arcade glory days and the Mode 7-esque sprite scaling tricking works wonders. The CRT filter amplifies the nostalgia, though it can occasionally be overdone, making some on-screen text hard to read. Adding variety, the game includes Space Harrier-inspired levels where you morph into animal forms, dodging obstacles and chasing enemies.

While refreshing in concept, these stages feel cluttered and awkward to control, with their dual-movement mechanics seeming unintuitive at times. Adding to the already bumper mix of gameplay styles are the Mighty Lord levels. This is where all the Rangers combine to form a giant robot. On paper this should have been immense, instead, it boils down to a floaty first-person-type level where you have to punch your foe a few times to power up the mighty sword, dealing a finishing blow. These are the worst sections in the game. Horrible to play.

As for the core gameplay—brawling through Angel Grove—it feels solid but falls short of greatness. While modern touches like a dodge button are welcome, the combat lacks punch (pun intended). Hits often feel unsatisfying, and attack accuracy can also feel inconsistent. Although characters boast a decent range of moves, it mostly boils down to button-mashing and hoping for the best.

Then there’s the power gauge. Filling it should lead to awe-inspiring, butt-kicking morph sequences, right? Nope. Instead, you get generic tornado or lightning attacks that feel underwhelming and fail to honour the franchise’s potential. It’s reminiscent of TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge, where special moves similarly missed the mark.

You can start by choosing from five of the original Rangers: Red, Blue, Pink, Yellow, and Black. Upon completing the main campaign, the Green Ranger becomes available as an unlockable character, adding to the replayability. Each Ranger features a unique move set and their own animal form for the side-scrolling sequences.

The game includes a generous number of levels, structured into five main episodes, each divided into multiple stages. These levels vary in length and difficulty, incorporating Zord battles and chase sequences. Depending on the selected difficulty, the entire campaign can be completed in 2–3 hours.

To keep things fresh, players can also unlock arcade-style mini-games through an in-game recreation of the iconic Juice Bar. This hub is filled with collectibles, trinkets, and nostalgic blasts, offering more reasons to dive back into the action. If you’re a fan that is.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind is a fun but flawed entry in the recent wave of side-scrolling beat ’em ups. While it brilliantly captures the nostalgia of the ’90s with vibrant pixel art and retro-inspired gameplay, it struggles to reach the heights of genre classics.

The game’s core strengths lie in its frantic co-op gameplay and replayability. Fans of the Power Rangers will enjoy playing as the original five Rangers, and the mix of brawling and morphing into animal forms adds variety, but some elements—like Space Harrier-style levels—feel clunky and poorly executed.

The combat, while accessible, lacks impact, with unsatisfying hits and basic mechanics that rely heavily on button-mashing. The Special moves are a massive letdown and feel disappointingly underwhelming, failing to deliver the epic moments expected from the franchise.

Overall, Rita’s Rewind is an enjoyable throwback that Power Rangers fans will appreciate, but its frustrating flaws prevent it from becoming a standout in the beat ’em up revival.

Mighty Morphing Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind is available now for PlayStation 5 (review platform), Xbox One, Xbox X|S, Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam

Developers: Digital Eclipse

Publisher: Digital Eclipse

Disclaimer: In order to complete this review, we were provided with a promotional copy of the game. For our full review policy, please go here.

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