Bandai Reveals ‘Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Mega Battle’ Video Game For January 2017

With a new movie in the works, a television franchise that's heading into its 24th year, and a mountain of new critical thought about the original show --- ahem --- the Power Rangers franchise is experiencing the kind of renaissance that we haven't really sen since 1993. Now, the revival of teenagers with attitude and giant robot dinosaurs is headed to gaming consoles with the release of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Mega Battle.

Set to debut with a digital release on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in January of 2017, Mega Battle is an all-new side-scrolling beat-'em-up inspired by the first two seasons of the TV series, pitting the Power Rangers against the monstrous threats of both Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd.

In addition to promising that the game will "build upon the original series’ high-flying martial arts action and positive message of teamwork and honor," Bandai's official press release also listed a few features of the game:

SABAN’S MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS: MEGA BATTLE features levels that are reminiscent of classic episodes from the first two seasons of SABAN’S MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS TV show. The game enables players to select their Power Ranger of choice and level-up his or her abilities throughout the game as they fight grotesque enemies and bosses. Adept use of martial arts, weapons, and giant Megazord™ battles will play crucial roles in ensuring players’ victory against evil. SABAN’S MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS: MEGA BATTLE will also feature a robust local co-op multiplayer mode where players can combine their powers to execute special attacks and spectacular displays of martial arts power. By utilizing the game’s skill tree, players can use points to learn new moves and abilities.

With local co-op, a leveling system and color coded heroes, it looks like Mega Battle might essentially just be Castle Crashers with a MegaZord, a premise that's pretty enticing. While it's definitely inspired by the original designs, it's worth noting that Mega Battle's take on the Mighty Morphin era also involves a few updated designs, notably a Rita Repulsa with a new, more revealing costume, and a slight redesign of the MegaZord.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Mega Battle will be available for download on consoles in January of 2017.