The Power Rangers Battle for the Grid DLC packs showed up on Steam today. While the DLC’s don’t interest me yet, I did remember I have been eager and hopeful about the core game which is available on Xbox Gamepass, and I knew what I had to do, review the core game! It’s not accurate to sort Power Rangers into any category I decided.
This is because it’s a phenomenon in and of itself. As a millennial, I was raised on Zordon and Tommy. So, I knew I could check this out without extending my spirit too far. Thus, ladies and gentlemen, I present to you: The Power Rangers Battle for the Grid.
Ahem… IT’S MORPHIN’ TIME!
Whatever your cultural disposition, I suspect it’s probably not hard to be aware of the Power Rangers, with whatever your impression of them is. When I was initiated into this series, news specials were brooding over the violent themes of the show and its impression on children. I know it didn’t have that impression on me, although I guess there were stories of kids scissor-kicking teachers in the neck and summoning Zords. I don’t know. For me, it was a show that catered to the creative but easily entertained. It was so simple.
Teenagers morph into spandex outfits with dinosaur coins. Then start fighting a random themed kaiju or whatever you want to call the monsters. Rita would make the monster grow, you’d use the Zord, and win. 100% of the time, it works every time. Shake and bake.
If you’re already lost and need more information on what the heck Power Rangers are, you can definitely stop by for lore at the fabulous Ranger Fandom Wiki
Ah, Yes, I Remember
This game made me realize how special watching this show was as a kid. Not to go full-blown nostalgia too much, but when it came to the toys, this “Morpher” belt buckle thing they sold in the 90s that I begged for was one of the coolest things ever. I was a tiny disappointed when it didn’t literally turn me into a power ranger, but you were in your heart Tiny Dave Pizza. The masks you could get during Halloween were also haute couture.
My sister enjoyed playing power rangers too, so it wasn’t just a boy thing. Throw in too many kids though, and EVERYBODY wanted to be the red ranger. And then, when he was introduced in the TV show, they wanted to be the white ranger. I actually related more to Billy the blue ranger because he was a friggin’ nerd like me.
Bangarang, 2D Fighter
The shows didn’t fade out of existence by any means either. After the feature film starring that purple goop villain, the show started crossing over into all sorts of new themes. There were space rangers, jungle rangers, and all sorts of stuff. Apparently, the American TV show I watched in the 90s wasn’t even the origin of them, there were power rangers for eons practically in Japan, but I’ll level with you, I’m no otaku. It was all around the time I decided I need to grow up and away from these colorful heroes, but this game brought it all back. So let’s talk about it.
This is a 2D Fighter, although more like a 2D platform with 3D models. As if I need to explain that. But anyway, there are a variety of modes to select from. Online, versus, story, arcade, training… I tried the story mode first, which was pretty good for me because it had strong visual novel elements. If this game had been a pure visual novel, I probably would play it from start to finish. Maybe I will anyway. The CPU combat was not terribly difficult for a beginner though at least at first. I just kind of took it one move at a time.
Jason and Tommy, the red ranger and green ranger, were formidable foes in any regard, although Jason seemed to get super strength and focus a couple of rounds in. That didn’t eliminate me, but I’m not totally sure how I won. When Kimberly, the pink ranger, stepped in though, she kicked my butt! It was like a maelstrom of hurt from that pterodactyl bow.
Power Rangers Battle For the Grid “Aye-yi-yi-yi-yi!”
Personal revelation: I don’t know if Alpha 5 will ever be playable, but I think that would be hilarious. If you don’t recall, that’s the android in Zordon’s headquarters where the rangers go to morph and talk to Zordon. I’m not really even sure if he shows up in this game, but I don’t think so, which is kind of a shame, but not a total loss.
Additionally, I tried some other types of gameplays like Versus and Arcade. Button mashing is one thing, but trying to legitimately act like this high-quality game is going to put up with that is a laugh. I like this game quite a bit, it’s easy to get into. With a little practice, I might continue playing it, because let’s face it, this is extreme nostalgia-level content here. And it makes it easier to be patient during the learning curve.
I particularly enjoyed the representation of the character Goldar, one of Rita’s henchmen. I just always liked the way he looked. That was one cool thing about Power Rangers, you got to see all these gnarly monsters, but they weren’t too scary for kids.
That’s about it for Power Rangers Battle of the Grid. I can’t offer any tips on training or button combos, but if that’s your playstyle you can learn! I seriously suspect if I played this online I would get pwned by Bulk and Skull. So much solo content though, I don’t need to. It’s available on everything including Steam as well as Xbox Gamepass. I might check out the Switch version. If you’re looking for a game with lots of replay value, check it out!
Power Rangers Battle for the Grid: Final Thoughts
I did what I could. Try it yourself! It’s not bad.
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