So I’m digging through boxes in my game room last weekend – you know how it is, looking for one thing and finding twelve other things you forgot you owned – when I spot this grey Genesis cartridge wedged behind some sports games I’ll probably never touch again. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Man, I hadn’t thought about that game in years, but seeing it there brought back this whole flood of memories from when I first discovered it around 2012 or so.
I mean, I was already deep into my retro gaming catch-up phase by then, working through all the 16-bit stuff I’d missed growing up poor in Wyoming. My daughter had been sending me lists of games to try, and honestly, when she mentioned the Power Rangers Genesis game I figured it was just another crappy licensed cash-grab. You know how those usually go – slap some recognizable characters on a generic beat-em-up and call it a day. But she insisted it was different, said I should give it a shot because it actually understood what made the show work.
Course, I’d barely watched Power Rangers back when it was new. I was already in my twenties by then, working construction, didn’t have time for kids’ shows about teenagers in spandex fighting rubber monsters. But my daughter loved it growing up, and she’d tried explaining the whole concept to me – how they’d transform from regular kids into these armored heroes, then combine their giant robots to fight massive enemies. Sounded pretty ridiculous, if I’m being honest.
But here’s the thing about approaching games without nostalgia – you judge them purely on whether they’re actually fun to play. And damn if this Power Rangers game wasn’t way better than it had any right to be. The morphing system was brilliant, really. You’d start each level as these regular teenagers throwing basic punches and kicks, nothing special. Then you hit the morph button and boom – full transformation sequence with that energy swirl effect and the “It’s morphin’ time!” voice sample. Your character would suit up and suddenly have better moves, longer reach, more damage. It wasn’t just cosmetic either, it changed how you approached combat.
What got me was how strategic it made everything. You couldn’t just morph immediately and stay powered up the whole time – there was this meter that drained, so you had to pick your moments. Fight the weaker enemies as a civilian, then morph when things got serious. It added this layer of resource management to what could’ve been mindless button-mashing. Made you think about timing and positioning in ways other beat-em-ups didn’t.
The Megazord sections blew my mind completely. Suddenly the whole perspective would shift and you’re controlling this giant robot, buildings becoming tiny obstacles beneath your feet. Enemy monsters would grow to match your size and you’d have these massive battles that felt like playing a completely different game. First time I activated the Megazord’s sword combo I just sat there grinning like an idiot. My buddy Dave was over helping me move some furniture and he walks in to find me making laser sound effects at the TV. Had to explain I was fighting a giant monster robot and somehow that made it seem even more ridiculous.
Each Ranger played differently too, which showed someone actually cared about the source material. Jason, the red guy, felt like your standard balanced fighter. But Billy – the blue one – had this more technical style that required better timing on his moves. Kimberly could do these acrobatic attacks that looked amazing but left you wide open if you screwed up the timing. I spent way too much time trying to master each character, replaying levels over and over, which normally would drive me nuts but the combat system was deep enough to stay interesting.
The graphics were solid for Genesis hardware. That distinctive YM2612 sound chip doing its best to recreate the show’s music and effects – had that metallic Genesis twang but somehow it fit the robotic theme perfectly. The morphing animations were smooth enough to feel genuinely cool rather than just a cheap palette swap. Sprites were chunky but expressive, you could see the personality in how each Ranger moved and fought.
But what really impressed me was how challenging it got without being unfair about it. This wasn’t one of those licensed games where you could just mash buttons and win. Enemy patterns were complex enough that you needed to learn proper timing, manage your morph meter strategically, actually think about positioning during the robot fights. Had friends over specifically to tackle the co-op mode, which was still pretty new for home beat-em-ups back then.
Two-player was where it really shone. Me and my buddy would develop these elaborate strategies – one person morphs early to handle the big enemies while the other stays civilian to clean up the smaller threats, then both transform for the boss rush. Felt genuinely collaborative instead of just two people button-mashing in the same general direction. We’d spend entire evenings working through levels, trying different character combinations.
The boss fights captured that episode structure perfectly too. Start fighting Rita’s monsters at human size using regular Ranger combat, then they’d grow massive and force you into Megazord mode for phase two. Each boss had unique patterns and weaknesses you had to figure out, felt like actual problem-solving rather than just memorizing attack sequences. When you finally landed that finishing move and the monster exploded… man, even as a grown adult it felt satisfying.
Looking back now – and I fired it up on my Everdrive recently since the original cart’s battery died – it holds up remarkably well. Combat still feels responsive, morphing system still adds that tactical depth, Megazord battles still make you want to cheer. My daughter visited last month and watched me play through a few levels, immediately started asking about the TV show. Ended up spending a whole weekend watching classic Power Rangers episodes on YouTube with her, which was… actually pretty entertaining, I’ll admit.
That’s what separates good licensed games from the garbage – when playing it makes you want to check out the source material instead of pretending it doesn’t exist. Most tie-in games feel like cheap advertisements that make you embarrassed you bought them. This one actually understood what made Power Rangers appealing and translated it into solid gameplay mechanics.
The whole experience taught me not to write off licensed games automatically. Yeah, most of them are cash-grabs, but occasionally someone cares enough to make something that works both as a game and as fan service. The Power Rangers Genesis game managed to be a legitimately good beat-em-up that happened to star teenagers in spandex, rather than a crappy game that happened to have the Power Rangers license slapped on it.
Still got that cartridge sitting on my shelf now. Might fire it up again this weekend, see if I can still remember how to pull off Billy’s combo moves. Amazing how a random afternoon of digging through old games can bring back memories of discovering something you never expected to enjoy.
Timothy discovered retro gaming at forty and never looked back. A construction foreman by day and collector by night, he writes from a fresh, nostalgia-free angle—exploring classic games with adult curiosity, honest takes, and zero childhood bias.
0 Comments