Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid (NSW, PS4, XB1, PC) Review

We approach the end of the month with a new review. It's for a fighting game that's evolved greatly since its launch last year. It's Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid, and here is the SuperPhillip Central review.

Surprisingly awesome. Dare I say... "Morphinominal?"

The Power Rangers utterly consumed my childhood up until the fifth grade. I immersed myself in the show, intently watching every episode aired (and having a crying fit when I missed an episode), standing in line for opening night of the Power Rangers movie, getting the myriad action figures and associated toys bought for me, playing the video games, wearing the Red Ranger costume for Halloween in second grade and the White Ranger costume in fourth grade, and just ate up anything I could regarding the Rangers.

Since then, I've grown detached from the Rangers, as new teams and faces turned me off of the show, but I couldn't help but be pulled back in by a Power Rangers fighting game that plays like a combination of Marvel vs. Capcom with its tag-based fighting system and Dragon Ball FighterZ with its huge depth buried underneath its inviting and accessible controls. That fighting game is Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid, and this budget priced fighter is one solid surprise as a fan of both fighting games and Saban's Super Sentai-based property.

Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid is a three-versus-three tag-based brawler that pits various Power Rangers characters from a variety of series in fast-paced, hectic battles. The game features a four button fighting system, used for light attacks, medium-strength attacks, heavy attacks, and special attacks. The latter is particularly nice because instead of complex, convoluted button combinations to pull off special attacks, you press the special attack button and then a direction on the D-Pad or analog stick to perform that attack. This gives some nice accessibility to the game, perfect for more casual players to enjoy Battle for the Grid while still offering enough depth for more experienced and competitive fighting game fans to partake in as well.

When Rangers take one another on, you can bet that the sparks will fly!

This mentioned "depth" comes from the systems involved in Battle for the Grid, consisting of things like smart blocking and subsequent push blocks (where you literally push an opponent who's heavily on the offensive back while you're in mid-block to give yourself from breathing room), the game's premier tag mechanics, and a perfectly themed mechanic in the context of the Power Rangers which serves as a means to come back from a deficit in battle.

This comeback mechanic involves calling for some overhead assistance, whether it's the Megazord, Dragonzord, Mega Goldar, or the recently released S.P.D. Zord. When you're on the losing end of battle, you can summon a Zord to unleash attacks from above in intervals temporarily to try to turn the tides of battle to your team's favor. While summoning a Zord or Mega Goldar may seem cheap, it's quite easy to dodge and wait out, simply by blocking and running out the clock on the opponent's summoning time. This results in a comeback mechanic that's fair and balanced rather than a mechanic that players will want to be on the losing end of a match just so they can use it to get a cheap win. There are no cheap wins with this mechanic, thankfully.

In all honesty, the sparks will fly in every battle, regardless of who's fighting!

As stated, Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid features a 3-on-3 tag system, and this is where the game really shines gameplay-wise. You can call in an assist or two to bring one or both of your teammates into battle to unleash an attack, not only to mess up your opponent, but also to make it so you can continue combos to great effect. You can create some killer combos by chaining together moves, throws, and assists, and learning your team's strengths and weaknesses can contribute to that. Just be careful, though, because teammates called into assist can easily be attacked, making it so you need to show caution and call in some help at the right moments in battle. Assist characters called in can also be switched between as the active fighter while the characters in reserve have a portion of the health bars restored as they wait in reserve.

Udonna from Power Rangers: Mystic Force puts the freeze on Mastodon Sentry's zoning game.

The initial roster of Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid was a bit on the small size, totaling less than ten characters at launch. However, in a manner that Rita Repulsa would be proud of, nWay managed to "make that roster grow" by almost double the original amount since the game's release. It needs to be said, though, that if you want the full roster of 18 characters, six must be purchased either individually or via the two separately-sold season passes.

A Season Pass One addition, Lord Zedd makes a monkey out of Goldar.

The roster runs the gamut of Power Rangers heroes and villains that have a selection of each of the genre's traditional roles. You have Jason and Tommy serving as the Ryu and Ken of Battle for the Grid, the Ranger Slayer and Mastodon Sentry as characters that are great at keeping opponents away with long-ranged attacks, and you have big brutes in the form of Goldar and Dragon Armor Trini who are slow, yes, but can unleash devastating attacks to make up for it. There is a great deal of variety in play styles in Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid, and despite the small roster, I feel it's the definition of quality over quantity on display.

The roster wasn't the only thing bare-bones at launch with there being a paltry amount of modes to play through, as well as a basic and bland presentation. Since the game's release, a Story Mode has been added, allowing players to go through an interactive retelling of the Shattered Grid event that occurred in Boom Studios' Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers comic. It's a short affair, with about two or three hours of fights interspersed with text-based dialogue and the occasional fully voiced still-frame cutscene, but it's a welcome addition to the game. Alongside the Story Mode's voice acting, characters in the game are now voiced as well, and additional stages are now included from the original release's handful.

Story Mode has wonderfully drawn visuals from comic book artist Dan Mora.

Online play has also improved since launch, offering cross-play between the Nintendo Switch and Xbox One, offering a larger community where even at odd times of night, I didn't have to wait too terribly long to find a match in ranked play. Casual play offered more of a wait, however. It makes sense considering Battle for the Grid features various online seasons--exclusive to ranked play--where those who rank up and reach the top of the leaderboard earn exclusive banners for their profiles, on top of other banners earned offline through beating arcade and story mode, as well as playing and winning online as specific characters for a number of matches. The netcode overall was rather good with my time playing online, and I seldom had a disconnection between myself and the other player due to a faulty connection.

Jen Scotts of Power Rangers: Time Force delivers her special move in a dazzling display.

As a budget fighter, Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid is a product of its cost. While animations and the presentation do less than impress, it's somewhat acceptable to me due to how much the game sells for. It's also acceptable because the gameplay here is so fundamentally solid. There's plenty of depth for those who want it, while also being accessible enough so that those who aren't overly competitive with their fighters and just want a casual time of it can enjoy the game as well. nWay has done well with its initial effort in the fighting game genre, and with more continued work, I can see Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid become an even greater game. As is, the foundation is strong, but the content just isn't quite there yet for anyone beyond the most ardent Power Rangers and fighting game fan.

[SPC Says: B-]

Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite (PS4, XB1, PC) Review

Our final fighting game of Halloween is Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite, which also just so happens to be the final review of October for SuperPhillip Central. Stay tuned for the October 2017 Review Round-Up tomorrow, by the way! Here are my thoughts on the latest Marvel and Capcom fighting game crossover.

The fate of two worlds depends on you.

Of all of the fighting games that come out from Capcom, my favorite has to be the crossover ones between Capcom and other companies. I have a fondness for Tatsunoko vs. Capcom on the Wii, particularly. Now, a returning crossover sees a new game in its historic fighting game series, Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite. From lackluster demos to bad impressions from the media, is there any chance for Infinite to actually be good?

Compared to past Marvel vs. Capcom games, Infinite has a much slower pace to its fighting. This presents a more strategic flow to battle rather than the super fast and fluid fighting of the previous entries in the Marvel vs. Capcom series. However, a new system has been added to complement the slower style of combat in the form of the Infinity Stones, not-so-coincidentally a big part of the narrative in the most recent Marvel blockbuster films.

Infinite moves from a 3 on 3 battle system to a 2 on 2 system. While the lack of an extra character to choose from for your team is a disappointing one, what it overall amounts to is giving you an added amount of strategy in choosing an Infinity Stone to equip to your team that will play well with their combat styles. These Infinity Stones augment abilities, restore health to characters, and more. Choosing which one to use for the given battle can be a stark difference between victory and defeat, especially if you're playing against a skilled opponent.

After many cries and urges for his inclusion, Mega Man X is finally on a Marvel vs. Capcom roster.

The controls of Infinite are relatively beginner-friendly, as each face button is assigned to a weak and strong attack, either a punch or a kick depending on the particular button pressed. All fighters have the same button combinations for attacks, which is also something nice and accessible for newbies. After all, Marvel vs. Capcom hasn't really been a friendly game for beginners compared to other fighting game franchises on the market. However, with all moves using simple button combos that are similar across all fighters, there's less necessity to remember different button configurations and more emphasis put on concocting killer combos. Setting up your opponent for a multiple hit combo is simple enough in easier difficulties, but as the challenge ramps up, you really need to learn how opponents will be impacted from your attacks so you can continue your combo in the right direction. Otherwise, you'll open yourself up to be attacked yourself.

A great thing about Infinite is that while it's accessible to new players, there is a markedly deep game here for series veterans and those wanting more advanced tactics. The more involved combat tactics allow you to really get inside your mains and preferred fighters, coming up with pro-level strategies that a beginner could only dream of plotting out and performing.

Thankfully, if you're not a seasoned vet, Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite comes supplied with multiple modes to get into the fighting system before engaging in battles online, where no doubt most players' energy and time will be put in to. The most helpful of these modes is Training, where you learn the basics of battle and start out with simple button combos to use against an AI opponent. Each combo completed is a mission finished. You can learn the ins and outs of Infinite with some overview tutorials or do character-specific tutorials, teaching you the most pronounced and effective combos for that particular combatant. This is terrific for some deeper learning of and training with a fighter you might want to main. If you're a more casual player like myself, you might just want to check out the introductory set of tutorial missions for each character to get a taste of what's available, as these combos can get very complex with both the button combinations and specific timing windows required for them.

Our two combatants zero in on one another for what is sure to be one exciting fight.

What Street Fighter V lacked when it originally released was a Story Mode, and Capcom seemed to have learned a lesson on this itself by including a mode within Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite. Not much background is involved with the story to help players understand why folks in both Marvel and Capcom universes are together, but the story involves heroic forces made up of characters like Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Mega Man X, Chris Redfield, and more taking on a new villain, a merge of Marvel's Ultron and Mega Man X's Sigma with the super powerful Ultron Sigma. After suffering a defeat by Ultron Sigma's hands, the resistance regroups and comes up with a plan to acquire the Infinity Stones, the only means to overcome their joint foe.

The story itself isn't too engaging plot-wise, but what really saves it for me is all of the clever interactions and banter between both Marvel's heroes and Capcom's. Though the latter understandably doesn't have as much importance due to Marvel being a household name and Capcom... well, being Capcom. Still, when you get scenes involving Spider-Man, Resident Evil's Chris Redfield, Dead Rising's Frank West, and Final Fight's Mike Haggar exploring a subterranean area owned by the Umbrella Corporation, it's pretty cool to see. While the story won't last you long, maybe 3-4 hours for most players, it is worthwhile to play through once, but maybe not again.

One of the biggest qualms many longtime fans of the Marvel vs. Capcom series have with Infinite is its roster selection, and I'm of the opinion that the complete roster has both pros and cons. To get the negatives out of the way, there are few completely new additions to the roster, as most are simply brought back from the previous game. Furthermore, a completely notable absence is that of the X-Men due to Marvel and Fox battling out rights for the characters, hence their exclusion in Infinite. It's still pretty lame to have a Marvel fighter without the likes of Wolverine, Magneto, and more included even if the legal situation is present.

Thor's mighty hammer vs. the Hulk's powerful fist: Which will come out the victor?

However, on the positive side, past Marvel vs. Capcom games had a lot of fighters that played similarly to one another. With Infinite, this issue is no longer pronounced at all. Each fighter presents their own combat style and combo potential without feeling samey compared to other additions on the roster. While the limitations on the Marvel side are disappointing, Capcom added enough of their own characters to make up for it decently enough. Of course, I expect more people would rather have the likes of Deadpool and Storm rather than the likes of Mega Man X and Darkstalkers' Jedah. Still, DLC is coming for those who want it, but the sickening part of that is that the characters of this first season were ready before Infinite even came to market, so your mileage may vary on if you feel it's worth supporting such a business practice.

Moving on from roster-related disappointment to the disappointment seen in the visuals, Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite does not continue the series' trend of impressive graphics. The backgrounds, though highly detailed, don't offer much visual engagement to the player, and especially the character models are a severe dislike to me, particularly the faces. Capcom already received a lot of flak for their interpretation of Street Fighter's Chun-Li, which was later remedied, but at the same time, the other characters' faces and expressions are a bit jarring at best. These type of faces make you wonder what is exactly off with them, which isn't a judgment I expected to ever say coming off brilliant looking entries like Marvel vs. Capcom 2 and then later on 3 and its Ultimate version. Even the music is less than stellar, offering ruined electronic versions of classic character theme songs. Overall, one can surmise that the budget for Infinite was unfortunately mightily toned down for this sequel.

Dante and Rocket Raccoon go out guns blazing. Could it have ended any other way between these two?

Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite gets the most important piece of a fighting game right, the actual fighting. It's everything else that seems a bit sub-par. Sure, the Story Mode is fun to play through once merely for the interactions between Marvel and Capcom all-stars, but the budget put into that mode could have gone to make the whole of Infinite better, such as creating a more interesting roster. Still, the content is there for those who want it and online play runs as expected for those who will desire to be the very best, or just rage quit a lot. Whichever, right?

[SPC Says: B-]

SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs - Them's Fightin' Words Edition

With Street Fighter V releasing this week (tomorrow to be exact), it only makes sense to commemorate the occasion with an all fighting game edition of SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs. The best of the best when it comes to fighting game franchises (and a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle fighting game) are a part of this pugilistic paradise of an edition.

We kick (literally) things off with Street Fighter II Turbo: Hyper Fighting, which totally makes sense considering the game we're celebrating that's seeing release tomorrow. Then, we head to SEGA's Virtua Fighter 4 for some fisticuffs. Next up, Dead or Alive 3 makes a showy appearance. TMNT: Tournament Fighters shows up just to show off an awesome theme from its incredible soundtrack, and Mortal Kombat X ends this edition with a fatality of epic proportions.

After your fists and feet are all punched and kicked out, take a listen to the songs featured on the VGM Database for more VGM goodness.

v1076. Street Fighter II Turbo: Hyper Fighting (SNES) - Ryu Stage

Starting off with one of the most prolific fighting game franchises known to man (and woman), Street Fighter II Turbo released less than a year after its predecessor, adding various refinements and character balance to Street Fighter II. A young Yoko Shimomura provided many of the songs to the soundtrack. Ryu's stage recently received a Smash Bros. inclusion through DLC.

v1077. Virtua Fighter 4 (ARC, PS2) - Watch Out

Did you know that this next game led the charge in Japan for having online functionality in arcades? True story. Don't believe me? Look up the Wikipedia article I found that information in. Watch Out gets you pumped and primed for a fight with its electronic groove. On a side note, it's also a great driving song.

v1078. Dead or Alive 3 (XBX) - Eternity (Theme of Kasumi)

Kasumi is one of the more memorable faces in the Dead or Alive franchise. It helps that she's the primary protagonist throughout the five entry-long franchise. Dead or Alive 3 was a launch title for the OG Xbox back in 2001, a big get by Microsoft early on in the Xbox's life.

v1079. TMNT: Tournament Fighters (SNES) - Bonus Round

If you've ever wondered what it would be like to hear some synth rock guitar shredding on the Super Nintendo sound chip, here you go, with this excellent and hardcore bonus game theme that plays in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters. Three versions of the game released, the Genesis version, the Super NES version (which this song comes from), and an NES version. Between the three, the Super NES version is superior.

v1080. Mortal Kombat X (PS4, XONE, PC) - Main Menu

The most recent release on this week's edition of SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs, Mortal Kombat X entered an already macabre, violent, and satisfyingly morbid franchise into even more ultraviolent territory. The soundtrack features various foreboding themes, such as this one chosen by yours truly, heard as you select which of the game's numerous modes and options you'd like to partake in.