When this game showed up in the nineties, I knew Power Rangers wouldn't escape the consoles. The Sega Mega Drive had a whole lineup of movie licenses, and these muscle-bound guys in costumes couldn't be missing.

It's a beat-em-up where you scroll through the screen punching everything that moves. The Power Rangers are five distinct characters with their own attacks and special moves. Each has their own pace — how fast they move, how far they reach, and how much energy their special move costs. Nothing complicated — punch, punch, special attack, move on.

Controls are straightforward — direction, attack, jump. Special moves trigger with button combinations. The graphics are solid, character animations hold up without major hiccups, and the backgrounds have that typical early-nineties look — earth tones and muted colors dominate. The music accompanies your playthrough without really grabbing you by the throat. It's not pretty sound, but it does the job.

This is how the game keeps you engaged for exactly as long as it lasts. It's not an indie craft with deep mechanics, nor is it challenging — you just pick one of five colored heroes and go play. There's no psychology, no surprises. The characters are different enough that they don't all feel the same, but similar enough that there's no reason to come back.

Today this game is mainly an archive piece — a curiosity, a memory of when practically every film and series that hit the screen got turned into a console game. It's not a bad game, but it's not one that'll grab you permanently either. If you want to play it, it'll be nostalgia, not entertainment. You can grab it in the browser now quick and easy — three quarters of an hour with your favorite rangers, then you'll want something else.