There have been many surprising video game reveals in the month of June, including several that people truly didn’t expect until they were unveiled. One such title was Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind. This game is a side-scrolling beat ’em up title that features the original Power Rangers going up against the unholy alliance of Rita Repulsa and her future counterpart, Robo Rita. For those who felt that Robo Rita seems a bit familiar, she was the villain in the Netflix special “Once and Always,” which featured many of the original Power Rangers cast coming together for one last fight against their foe.
So, is there a true connection between the games and the Netflix special? Apparently, yes! Digital Eclipse content editor Dan Amrich noted to Time Extension that the movie felt like something they could jump on in terms of how the plot went, all the while bringing things back to where it all began:
“Once and Always felt like a love letter to fans, something that allowed the 30th anniversary’s nostalgia while also acknowledging that fans who grew up with the franchise have never really left. We enjoyed that special and since it was the most recent major Power Rangers event, we thought that’d be a great place to start. Then we just started dreaming the way other fans do — ‘Oh, Robo-Rita made a time portal! Well, what if she actually succeeded with her plan? Knowing all the ways she’d been defeated over the years, what would Robo-Rita do if she could go back in time and share all those spoilers with her younger self?’ It gave us a great excuse to play with both modern and classic elements from the franchise.”
That’s indeed what happens with Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind. The game features the original five Power Rangers going back through various levels in Angel Grove and beyond to stop two Rita’s plans. The twist is that while there are many familiar villains and callbacks to the original series, some of them have been “remixed” to give something fresh for players. Undoubtedly, the team at Digital Eclipse had fun making those remixed levels and seeing just how far they could push things while still holding true to the original seasons.
If nothing else, fans can take heart in that this isn’t a cash grab of a title but, instead, is another tribute to one of the best series ever produced and one that is still affecting people today.
