Common Sense Media Review
By Marc Saltzman
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Kids mimic fighting on Kinect; filled with fantasy violence.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 11+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Play
Videos and Photos
Power Rangers Super Samurai
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's It About?
In Namco Bandai's POWER RANGERS SUPER SAMURAI for Xbox 360, you get to morph into one of the teenage superheroes -- be it the Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, Pink or Gold Ranger -- and then use the hands-free Kinect for Xbox 360 device on top of (or below) the TV screen to defend the world from Moogers, Nighlok, and other monsters from the Super Samurai series. Kids master the ancient Kanji symbols that control the elements (Fire, Water, Forest, Earth, Sky, and Light) and move their arms and legs to perform deadly punches and kicks and wield virtual swords, throwing stars, and other weapons to fight through waves of enemies. You can also pilot one of the giant robots from the TV show, Megazord, to take down MegaMonsters from a first-person view.
Is It Any Good?
Power Rangers Super Samurai is a so-so video game. It'll likely only appeal to fans of the Power Rangers franchise. As with most Kinect games, like Just Dance Kids 2, this action-heavy fighting game is best played with a sibling or friend beside you. That is, you can team up with someone and fight the Nighlok at the same time and also enjoy co-op power-ups to increase damage temporarily (such as Mega Mode, Super Mega Mode, and Super Samurai Mode). Parents might also like the Training mode, which gives kids a fun martial arts workout session. Overall, the game isn't bad but it's not going to win any awards.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about whether the Kinect peripheral for Xbox 360 has been fully utilized by game developers. Has this hands-free accessory helped to push gaming into new and exciting directions? Does it add a lot to the experience? Or has it been an over-promised but under-delivered technology?
Did you play this game because you like the Power Rangers? Would it have been as much fun without these branded characters?
Game Details
- Platform : Xbox 360
- Subjects : Arts : choreography , rhythm , Language & Reading : following directions , Science : energy , motion
- Skills : Self-Direction : achieving goals , time management , work to achieve goals , Health & Fitness : exercise , gross motor skills , movement , Collaboration : teamwork
- Pricing structure :
- Available online? : Not available online
- Publisher : Namco Bandai
- Release date : December 18, 2012
- Genre : Action/Adventure
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Superheroes , Adventures , Robots
- ESRB rating :
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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