Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid (Nintendo Switch) Review

Battle for the grid focused firmly on its combat from the outset, and it set out to make a competitive 3v3 fighter in the veins of the Marvel vs. Capcom series. Any three rangers or Ranger antagonists can be selected and switched out at will as the match progresses. Megazords throughout ranger history can also be called as an assist (usually in the form of a large foot) to level the playing field if one character has been KO'ed.

For all its initial shortcomings, the combat in battles has always been one of the main strengths since its initial release. Although Battle for the Grid is never going to be as highly regarded in the fighter elite community as something like Street Fighter or Smash Bros, there is a deep level of thought put into the combat system. Any beginner can pick up and play, however investing the time to learn every intricate detail can often lead to infinite juggling combos and a real sense of satisfaction when beating the snot out of Eric. (Eric sucks, that's not even a real T-Rex he's piloting.) Depth is the name of the game and it's well worth investing the effort with your favourite spandex superhero.

Speaking of heroes, with all of the updates and seasons passes that have been released over the last 18 months, it's more than likely one of the available roster is going to suit both nostalgic needs and fighting style preference. The ranger roster has increased from the initial ten fighters (a lot of which will be unfamiliar to casual viewers) to some iconic heroes and villains throughout all Ranger history. From MMPR to the recent underrated movie outing, with a stop off at Megaforce (ugh) on the way. Currently the character roster stands at 20 characters catering for the agiles, the all-rounders, and the tanks. At present the latest season 3 pass has so far added Shiba, the female Red Samurai Ranger, as well as the greatest character in Ranger history, RJ (Tassles on a Ranger suit, amazing). With original antagonist Scorpina to come, the roster looks like it's going to be satisfying and exciting for months to come.

Developers at nWay have also addressed the issue of single-player with a story mode based on the fantastic Boom! Studios comic book series. It weaves an epic tale of multiverses and Ranger armies, led by fallen Ranger Lord Drakkon. In reality, Tommy Oliver if in his dimension he never chose to leave the dark side of the Morphing Grid. Each battle is accompanied by some quick dialogue to flesh out the story and cutscenes, mirroring the fantastic artwork of the current comic run.

It's an epic adventure that will not only satisfy long time readers, but is also well worth the time for anyone who is curious to see just how bad things could have gotten if Jason didn't get that lucky shot throwing the Power Sword at the Sword of Darkness. The re-telling is done well and it might be the biggest draw of Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid, especially considering the Shattered Grid storyline has introduced some fantastic playable characters in Drakkon and devout follower Ranger Slayer.

All characters can be taken online in ranked and unranked matches, although initially there were some connection issues and dropped matches, lag etc. Recently playing has shown that these have all been addressed and very little issues occurred when playing at the time this review was completed, other than getting absolutely battered by Udonna.