A rare gem of a Power Rangers game to satisfy True Fans
Us, the first generation of Power Rangers fans to reach adulthood have seen lots of changes in the show over the years. We've seen them power up for more with Zeo, shift into Turbo (to many of the fans' dismay) and even fly higher than ever before into space. There is, however, still the longing for Lord Zedd, Thunder and Ninja Zords, and all the things that made season 2 and 3, the last of Mighy Morphin' so special to the old school fans. Enter Power Rangers the Fighting Edition, a game that I was nearly oblivious to for a number of years. Since the game was released near the end of the Super NES life-cycle, many fellow fans, I'm sure, feel the same. When I found out about it, and played a friend's, I had to own it.
I purchased my copy as cheaply as possible, right here on Ebay, just so long as it played well on my cherished SNES. Certainly, the game lived up to my expectations. The graphics were not photo realistic, but almost every detail in the zords were perfectly recaptured in an animated style. The moves were even accurate, and for the first time, you could play villains like Lord Zedd and Goldar, as well as unlock Ivan Ooze with a simple button combo. The sound is also very accurate, and includes midis that replicate the classic theme as well as a few of the classic fighting songs, such as, if memory serves, "We Need a Hero". There are only five arenas, but they are mostly all clever, and fan pleasing, featuring one with a dormant Serpentera (Lord Zedd's Zord) and another with Zordon.
The game does faulter in a few forgivable ways. The one player experience is fairly easy, and the AI is based on a recognizable pattern, making the game an hour or less in even hard mode, but this should only matter to gamers who don't already enjoy Power Rangers. There is also the absence of several characters that I would've loved to have played. First and foremost, Ninjor, who was a prominent warrior in Zord sized conflicts during the 3rd season. Also absent is Lord Zedd's Serpentera, which would've been a kick to pilot, and make more sense than Lord Zedd himself fighting Zords hand-to-hand. Last but not least are the Rangers themselves, this is however forgivable, since it should be noted that this game is a Zord/monster fighter ONLY. No rangers are available to play, not counting those inside the Rangers' Zords. Although a shame, these faults can't detract from such a great fan experience.
If you're new to Rangers, give this game a try, it may spark interest in what many of us original fans were raised on. If you're an older fan, like me, this game is essential to your classic Power Rangers library, and a hoot for you and your buddies who remembered the good old days, when Power Rangers were just that, Power Rangers.Read full review
