I didn't grow up as a Power Rangers fan. My mom had certain shows that she didn't let us watch, and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers was a franchise that she had issues with. So my brother and I grew up watching other stuff during the Power Rangers heyday of the mid 1990s. To be honest, we were so hooked on Beast Wars in this era that we probably wouldn't have watched Power Rangers even if had been allowed. Needless to say, with Power Rangers being a missing element from my wonder years, I never had any nostalgia for the franchise. Now though, I've got my own kids, and my eldest is totally hooked on Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, so I've been watching it with him, playing with his toys with him, etc.
This past Christmas, I got my son an SNES along with Super Mario World and Super Mario All-Stars. He's also a huge fan of dinosaurs and the Jurassic Park franchise, so I got him Jurassic Park for the SNES too. He's been enjoying each of these games, but having trouble with them, and ultimately playing his SNES less as a result. Some of these retro games really are quite difficult, especially for a young child. I wanted to present some different game genres to him, and perhaps some games that might be easier for him. I was researching child-friendly SNES games and one of the titles listed was Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. So I trekked out to my local video game shop and found a surprisingly pristine copy of this game. It looked like it had never even been played before. I brought it home and surprised my son with it, and we promptly dove in. Spoiler: he loves the game.
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers released in 1994. If you look up this game, it will list the platforms as: SNES, Game Boy, Genesis, Sega CD and Game Gear. The fascinating tidbit about that though is that these are each completely different games. These are not ports, rather entirely bespoke games that only share a name. So, you'll notice that I've only tagged the SNES in this review, as it would be inaccurate to list the other platforms, as if you could get this same game on Genesis.
The SNES is chock full of incredible beat-em-ups, and I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Mighty Morphin Power Rangers fits right in with some of my favorites from the genre. Landing somewhere between a typical side-scrolling brawler and a legitimate platformer, this title strikes a really nice balance that keeps its already brief run-time feeling varied and action-packed. You have the full roster of original Power Rangers (pre-Tommy/Green Ranger) available to choose from, each with their own weapon and slightly distinct fighting style. I can't tell if any Rangers are faster or stronger than others, but I feel like I'm perceiving some differences between them. For instance, it feels like the Yellow Ranger can run faster, and I could've sworn the Black Ranger was vanquishing enemies faster than the Blue Ranger. If there are stats though, they don't make them known anywhere, so I'm guessing the characters all have the same speed and lethality. As an unfortunate note, this game does not feature two-player cooperative play, though it does look like the Power Rangers movie adaptation on SNES does feature co-op, if that's what you're seeking.
Each Ranger has their own weapon, like they do in the show. These weapons behave mostly the same, with some small exceptions. Like the Blue Ranger has a move where he can spin his Power Lance and rapidly hit enemies, though it does get him briefly stuck in that animation, which can be dangerous. And the Pink Ranger can use her bow as both a melee and a ranged weapon, which gives her a unique advantage over her teammates. Each Ranger also has access to a special ability, labeled "Bomb" on your HUD. This is a screen-wiping attack that channels the power of the Rangers' respective Zord to inflict massive damage. My personal favorite Ranger is the Black Ranger. Even if he's doing the same damage as everyone else, it felt awesome to swing his giant Power Axe around and cut through swaths of enemies. His special attack calls on the power of his Mastodon Zord to summon enormous boulders that fall from the sky and can wipe out every enemy on the screen or deal huge damage to whatever boss you might be facing. Speaking of Zords, the last two stages feature the Megazord in essentially fighting game style combat against two bosses. The final boss fight took me dozens of attempts until I finally got the attack timing and blocking nailed down.
Like I stated earlier in the review, this game is actually a blend of a beat-em-up and a platformer. Beyond the first stage, you're frequently having to navigate some basic, though occasionally challenging, platforming sequences and fighting waves of enemies to progress through the current level. I think this blend of genres actually does some real favors for Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. If it were strictly a beat-em-up with these mechanics, it would be fun, but probably get old after a little while; and the same could be said if it was merely a platformer. But, having basic brawler mechanics combined with rudimentary platforming elevates both and creates a genuinely unique experience that I found myself returning to over and over.
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers is unfortunately stranded on the SNES, so that limits your ability to play it in 2026, but if you're a retro gamer, a devotee of the brawler or action-platformer genres, or just a Power Rangers fan, I recommend checking this one out if you can. You can beat it in probably an hour or so, and even if you have to stop midway through playing it, the game gives you passwords to jump back to the stage you were on. This is a genuine underrated gem from the past that deserves to be revisited and properly appreciated, and it's a game that is perfectly suited for younger, inexperienced gamers to work on their understanding of video games and hone their skills.
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