Introduction

Let's Play “Power Rangers: Mega Battle”

Mega Battle is a traditional side-scrolling beat 'em up released in January of 2017. It was developed by folks who traditionally go un-credited in all the games they create: Bamtang. For some reason, this time their name does actually appear on the work, so that's good for them and their publicity I would imagine.

What's the game like?

It's.. weird, but not really in an interesting way. It shares some similarities with modern side-scrolling beat 'em ups like Sacred Citadel and Double Dragon Neon, but lacks the polish and nuanced design. There are a lot of mechanics at play, but so many of them feel unnecessary, verging on afterthoughts that have hardly any bearing on player strategy. It's also not nearly difficult or arcadey enough to mimic more classic titles in the genre, so what we end up with is something that doesn't feel like it belongs anywhere.

So do you hate it?

Not at all. Mega Battle may not be a lot of things, but it tries to be a few. I have a small amount of admiration for any beat 'em up that tries to include upgrades and level progression. While this ends up being one of the game's largest downfalls, it's still a cute idea. Unlocking more interesting moves would be a highlight if any of them affected the gameplay like the developer's seemed to think they would. And when we get into upgrades with some actual utility -like health and defense increases- the whole thing falls completely apart.

I also want to give Bamtang credit for trying to incorporate pieces of the license into the design. The end result of requiring two separate energy bars is a little weird, but not as weird as playing a Power Rangers game without a blaster or saber would be. Aside from those few mechanics though, there's very little about the gameplay that reflects the license. Boring QTE Megazord battles notwithstanding.

Do you have a reaction image you could use to convey your feelings about the game?




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