I never got the appeal of the Power Rangers license. By the time the license became popular, I was already a little too old to enjoy the extremely cheesy action, lame storyline, and underwhelming fight sequences. Nevertheless, I can understand why the kids enjoy it…primarily for the very same reasons why I always hated it. Given the fact that the GBA is a platform with a lot of pre-teen owners, a Power Rangers game based on the latest rendition of the series was destined to happen.

As you’d expect, Power Rangers Time Force is as straightforward as they come. Naturally you’re in control of the Power Rangers, each of which look identical except for their color. They do have different attributes however (some can jump higher than others do for instance). When one dies, you’ll select another to control and continue the game with him/her. When you run out of Rangers, you get to either continue with a new set (if you’ve got a continue) or the game’s over. There are a total of seven levels in all to fight through, each set in a different time period and location.

Fighting is as basic as can be. Just walk up to an opponent, pound the "A" button, and continue to do so until the opponent dies. Along the way, collect a few different types of items that award continues, special powers, etc. This type of gameplay is OK in most games (although not inventive or challenging in the least bit), but this is the Power Rangers we’re talking about. Why can’t I flip, somersault, and do all the other cool moves they can do on the show? Punch punch slash punch drop-kick gets old quick.

Surprisingly, the graphics are actually pretty good. Each level has a distinctive feel that perfectly matches the time period it takes place in. The are multiple layers of scrolling in the background, as well as some in front of your character to create a decent 3D effect. Additionally, everything is animated well enough, with smooth transitions between actions and even some extra bits of animation (like tossing a sword from one hand to another) thrown in for good measure. The sound effects are merely average, but the music itself is top-notch in quality. As annoying as the tune itself is, the Time Force theme song sounds excellent.

All of this equals a pretty average experience, but what brings this title down into mediocrity is the fact that it’s simply too short. I literally beat it in about an hour, and that was when I was trying to kill every enemy on each level. A number of enemies can be avoided altogether, making the game even shorter. I can't imagine it being more difficult for the kiddies either, since it's a very basic game.  Once you’ve beaten it, there’s little reason to go back and do it all over again.

Not only that, but it also lacks a lot of little things like story transitions between each level. You finish one area and suddenly you’re plopped down into the next with no explanation at all. It’s obvious that you’re following whatever time-hopping villain you’re chasing at the time, but there are no cutscenes at all to explain how you got there. You’re in Ancient Rome because they said so, and you’ll just have to deal with it. And after you beat each boss, you’re treated to one still screen (which is exactly the same for every boss) and that’s it. It’s clear that they didn’t put a lot of development time into this one.