Mean Machines Sega


Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie

Publisher: Sega
Machine: Sega Genesis

 
Published in Mean Machines Sega #40

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie

Trying to write something interesting and different about Power Rangers is like trying to tell Marcus that Quentin Tarantino is a prat, and Claire that Hamley the teddy isn't a real bear. It's impossible. The Lycra-clad, skin-tight outfits and rubber-costumed monsters fighting in someone's local park have sent the children of today crazy. The merchandising ploy to accompany this is an even greater farce, with all manner of lunchboxes and pyjamas now available to own. The next licence in the Christmas gift list is this scrolling Megadrive beat-'em-up.

Moving on a level from the dire Game Gear version, this game is a Streets Of Rage-style scrap, testing the Megadrive's capabilities to the limits. You can control any of the Rangers, and when the need arises the Megazord and Falconzord fight against other boss characters. Six stages make up the bulk of the game, with some other sub-levels thrown in.

All in all, this sideways-scrolling punchfest adds up to an awesome, joypad-shaking experience. Or something.

Thorpe Park Ranger

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie

Each Ranger has a set of button and D-pad moves that, when executed, give a (sort of) special move. These movements are exactly the same for every character, meaning that all the moves are the same. But they vary in look as some of the Rangers have swords and lances to 'spice' things up a bit.

Steve

I thought the Game Gear version of this was bad, but this...! This takes the biscuit, the jar and the cupboard. It's such a worthless title that it doesn't even warrant shelf space.

The graphics are bog-standard, Master System stuff, and are really dull. The Rangers have a couple of moves between them, and that's it. The levels lack any creativity, and are no fun to play. And to top it all off, there are two enemies to beat up apart from the boss characters and even then they keep coming back later in the game.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie

In short, I wouldn't wish this game on even my worst enemy. Stay away.

Marcus

Oh my giddy aunt, what do we have here? This handles like a donkey and looks like a throwback to the dark days of the first Street Fighter. There are few more cynical practices in the gaming world than trotting out second-rate product cloaked by a popular licence, and Power Rangers is a prime example.

This will inevitably be picked up by a load of Power Rangers' fans, regardless of review scores, but even they are going to have to be pretty fanatical to get anything out of it. Together with the similarly appalling Street Fighter: The Movie, it seems both the Saturn and the Megadrive are currently saddled with a pair of tie-in turkeys.

Verdict

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie

Graphics 44%
Lacks any imagination or innovation.

Animation 43%
Don't be silly.

Music 44%
OK if you're deaf.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie

Effects 40%
All the cries are the same, as are punch sounds.

Playability 41%
Non-existent. Even fans will find it rubbish.

Lastability 42%
Loads of continues + a couple of levels = None.

Overall 42%
This is not worthy of anyone's attention. Even fans will be severely disappointed.