Long after the
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle craze had come and gone, a multi-colored group of
rangers appeared. They were mighty. They were super. And they were morphin’.
These crime-fighting heroes were given the esteemed title, “Power Rangers.”
Today the
beloved warriors live on in an updated TV series, as well as new video games.
Their hand-to-hand combat and laser stun weapon cater to gaming’s past, where 2D
shooters and beat-‘em-ups once ruled. As such, developers chose a mix of those
two genres for Power Rangers: Super Legends, a multi-platform action game. The
DS version is full of Streets of Rage nuances and (very sparingly) bits of
Contra. Those are two of most revered 16-bit classics, especially Contra. But
are nuances enough to bring out the best in another game?
Super Duper
Now under
player control, the Power Rangers have become equal-opportunity attackers. Sword
and punch combos, jump attacks, a laser gun that stops enemies in their tracks –
you knew this was coming. It must be the hallmark of Action Game Development
101.
What else?
Enemies – TONS of enemies – and numerous multi-tiered levels that are mostly
played on the bottom screen. The top screen is used to show what’s above. Five
minutes into the game, the baddies show their true colors. They aren’t going
away quietly. Many are able to block punches, and that’s what the sword is for.
Not only is it a nice way to show off the years of vigorous training needed to
prepare for a career in Power Ranger-ing, but this weapon also cuts through
armor.
Should you feel
the need to flawlessly strike an enemy every time, simply crouch while
attacking to execute a Mortal Kombat-style footsweep. The enemy is lifted into
the air and, with successive sweeps, can be juggled for a near infinite number
of hits. The combo total is shown in the top right corner of the bottom screen.
You won’t use the top screen much. Its display is limited since the majority of
the gameplay occurs on the bottom, making it seem as if it isn’t even there most
of the time.
Morph On
Chances are the
above-mentioned features don’t have what it takes to excite the average player.
And they probably shouldn’t – they are by all accounts generic and overdone. But
whether they’re appealing or not, something has to be said for their mechanical
implementation. The controls work great. The gameplay is a little slow, with a
frame rate that drops slightly when the action increases. Sword combos don’t
flow as smoothly or as quickly as you’d expect, but the other moves are really
solid. From jump attacks to laser shots (which can be fired diagonally like a
classic 2D shooter), Super Legends is a notch above the average licensed
property.
One thing it’s
not, however, is a repetition-free experience. Hoping to combat this flaw with a
trace of variety, Super Legends takes another leap into nostalgic gaming: space
shooters. Taking a cue from Ikaruga, which took its cues from Raiden and other
upward-scrolling shooters, Super Legends contains a mini-game of similar
proportions. You control a helicopter as it hovers across a battle-stricken
city. Like the on-foot combat portions, helicopter battles are played out on the
bottom screen, while enemies start out on the top and attempt to infiltrate your
space. Opposing aircrafts come in small and medium sizes; nothing too colossal
makes its presence known. And with several lives to spare per helicopter round
plus power-ups (upgrades to shoot more than one simultaneous blast in multiple
directions), there aren’t many chances to fall out of the sky.
Though they are
a fun diversion, these aerial battles are not enough to evade repetition. The
game does, however, have one more trick up its sleeves: Megazord battles. These
mech-like robots are controlled from a first-person perspective. You strafe in a
half-circle path by pushing left or right on the D-pad and attack by touching
the screen. Megazord’s laser beam fires from the location of your touch,
allowing players to drag the stylus and change positions without letting up.
There is a reason to be cautious though: if you fire too often, Megazord could
overheat. To cool down, stop firing until the overheating meter (located in the
center of the screen) drops to zero.
Not So
Powerful
Super Legends
does more than most, offering three significantly different styles of gameplay.
However, while each is fun for a short while, none of them feel complete. The
on-foot levels aren’t anything more than bland corridors where enemies appear.
Another group arrives as soon as the first is defeated.
After several
groups are wiped out, the game switches over to a helicopter battle, which
concludes with several text-based story sequences. The dialogue isn’t very good,
and the music and sound effects are terrible, somewhat damaging the feeling of
being inside the Power Rangers universe. Young kids (5 or 6) might not care
about the flaws, but they certainly aren’t going to want to read through the
mountain of text, despite the game’s urgency to do so. The box warns that you
can’t “fully” enjoy the game without reading.
As such, this
game is only right for players who are excited by the gameplay mechanics
described in this review. Despite the license, Super Legends wasn’t made for
every Power Rangers fan.
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Gameplay: 6.7
For its variety and
frequent nods to classic gaming, Power Rangers Super Legends is a good game.
It’s also a very repetitive one and is only recommended to those who want their
brawlers, space shooters, and mech games to be underdeveloped and combined into
one product.
Graphics: 6.0
The plain, 2D
effects are comparable to medium-grade SNES games. But this isn’t a port, it’s a
brand-new product, and therefore isn’t very impressive. What about the 3D
helicopter and Megazord stages? They’re average by today’s DS standards, and far
below average when compared with PSP.
Sound: 5.0
The usual kiddie
score and sound effects.
Difficulty: Easy
Calling all newbies.
This is the game for you.
Concept: 7.0
The Power Rangers
license, now spread across three styles of classic gaming.
Multiplayer: 6.0
More multi-card mini
battles. So what else is new?
Overall: 6.7
The Power Ranger
license is used better than most (except for the note on the box that tells
parents, “Basic reading ability is needed to fully enjoy this game” – that’s
never a good sign), but movie and TV properties should not be primary reason you
purchase a video game.
