Power Rangers S.P.D. is a 2D side-scrolling Beat 'em Up for the Game Boy Advance developed by Natsume and published by THQ in 2005. It is based on the counterpart season from the Power Rangers franchise.
The game is largely based on the first third of the game, featuring the members of Space Patrol Delta's B-Squad, led by Anubis "Doggie" Cruger, protecting Earth from Emperor Gruumm and the Troobians.
Like Natsume's previous entry, each level has you play as a specific Ranger fighting off armies of Krybots using your powers. However, unlike previous titles, the group's individual powers are used in the game, giving new ways to solve puzzles and defeat enemies. The game also has several levels dedicated to racing using the Delta Runner Zords.
This would be the final game by both Natsume and THQ. The license from here on out would be given to different developers and publishers.
Tropes:
- 11th-Hour Ranger: You don't get to play as Shadow Ranger until the final two missions in the game.
- The Ace: Shadow Ranger is able to double jump, wall jump, and combat roll, which only the male and female Rangers can do respectively. He can also take out Krybots far faster than the other Rangers can.
- Adaptation Name Change: Aside from Gruumm and General Benaag, all of the bosses weirdly got new names. Praxis becomes Salimoht, Bugglesworth becomes Detagor, and Sinuku becomes Scimatu. Giganis is also only ever referred to by his human disguise name, which was changed from Dru to Drew.
- Adapted Out: As this is based on the first third of the series, Piggy, the Omega Ranger, Kat and her Ranger form, Boom, and Nova Ranger are missing for the allies. For the Zords, the Omega Max, Delta Max, Delta Command, and SWAT Megazords are also missing. The Rangers' SWAT Modes, and Red's Battilizer, also don't make an appearance. For the villains, Omni, Broodwing and the A-Squad Rangers are absent. Mora is referred to in Level 5, but is never seen.
- Ambidextrous Sprite: The Rangers' black sleeve is always on the Rangers' far away arm, regardless of which direction they are facing.
- And the Adventure Continues: The final boss is General Benaag. Emperor Gruumm is still out there, but Kruger says that SPD will stand by if he ever attacks again.
- Ascended Extra: Praxis, Bugglesworth, Sinuku, Giganis, and General Benaag are the bosses of the game.
- Assassination Attempt: Drew attempts to off Cruger at the start of Level 7, but fails. He goes on the run and the rest of the level consists of the Rangers chasing him down.
- Background Boss:
- Rhinix usually stays in the background and launches missiles at you, only jumping into attacking range once you dodge all his attacks.
- Ringbah and Scimatu will launch missiles from their mecha in Missions 4-4 and 6-4, respectively.
- Breaking Old Trends: The Rangers' special attacks utilize their unique abilities to either increase attack power or maneuver through the level, whereas previous games just had them as either screen nukes or enhanced attacks.
- The Cameo: Gruumm appears in the opening cutscene. While most of the bad guys reference him as the game goes on, he's never seen after the intro.
- Canon Foreigner: One of the very, very few Power Rangers games to avert this completely. All of the bosses come from the show, and all three varieties of Krybot are the ones actually used in the source material.
- Close-Range Combatant: All of the Rangers and the Delta Squad Megazord are this. Despite all of them having ranged weaponry, they are only ever used for the Finishing Move, never during gameplay.
- Crosshair Aware: Drew's ground boss fight sometimes has him jump off-screen and attempt to take you out, with a crosshair flying around the screen.
- A Day in the Limelight:
- Somewhat. Since the game roughly follows the show's plot, you start out playing as the Blue Ranger, since Jack and Z, who will become the Red and Yellow Rangers, haven't joined SPD yet in the show.
- Level 3-1 has you take control of RIC as he explores the city looking for humans turned into slime.
- Demoted to Extra: Delta Runner 2 (Blue Ranger's Zord) is the only one not playable. It only appears in a cutscene at the start of Level 7.
- Digitized Sprites: As per usual, the gameplay sprites are based on 3D models while the cutscenes use screenshots or promotional art.
- Double Jump: Only the Blue, Green, and Shadow Rangers can do this.
- End of an Era: This is the final game Natsume developed and THQ published, both of whom were working on Power Rangers games since Lightspeed Rescue.
- Eternal Engine: Level 1 takes place in a factory, where Krybots are attacking.
- Finishing Move: When you defeat the boss, you'll get a Judgement Scan scene, followed by the Red Ranger firing his combined Delta Blaster, the whole team using the Canine Cannon, or Shadow Ranger using his Containment Strike. The scene closes with the Red or Shadow Ranger's zoomed-in head as the monster explodes behind him. The Megazord fights end with the Delta Squad Megazord using its Delta Blaster to finish off the monster, followed by the Megazord taking the Red Ranger's place on the end screen.
- Flunky Boss: A few levels have the boss as a Blue or Orange Krybot, who constantly summons other Krybots to gang up on you.
- Forced Transformation: Rhinix is forcibly turning humans into slime in order to use them as an energy source.
- "Get Back Here!" Boss: Level 7 focuses on SPD chasing down Drew after he attempts to kill Cruger. More specifically, Mission 7-3 has the Green Ranger searching a maze for Drew five times before the level ends.
- Gotta Kill 'Em All: A few missions require you to destroy every Krybot in the area.
- Ground Wave: The mini boss version of the Orange Krybots will use this if they get a chance.
- Incredible Shrinking Man: Level 5 concerns Detagor shrinking humans to use as dolls for Mora to play with. The Green Ranger rescues them in Mission 5-3.
- Intangibility: The Red Ranger's special attack allows him to do this, in order to pass through walls.
- King Mook: The Blue Krybots act as these, including being able to summon more Krybots. A few missions use these as the boss of the level rather than a monster.
- Living Doll Collector: Detagor's goal in Level 5 is to capture innocent civilians and shrink them down so Mora can play with them as dolls.
- The Lost Woods: Most of Level 5 takes place in Charter Forest.
- Mad Scientist Laboratory: Scimatu has one, and the Blue Ranger is called upon to explore it.
- Mana Meter: Each Ranger has a Special Meter that powers their unique abilities. It recharges on its own or by attacking enemies.
- Mini-Boss: Both Blue and Orange Krybots serve as these in some levels.
- Mythology Gag: Level 8-7 has you re-enact Shadow Ranger's 100-Krybot assault from the series. There's even a counter in the corner in the same font and color as the counter used in that episode.
- Overheating: When playing as Delta Runner 3, an Energy Meter drains every time you fire a shot. Fire too many at once and you'll sap the meter and have to wait for it to recharge.
- Palette Swap: The Rangers and Krybots, as usual.
- Password Save: Again, you enter in passwords to get back to the level you left off playing in.
- Plot Tailored to the Party: Each level is designed to use each specific Ranger's unique abilities.
- Port Town: Level 2-4 takes place in a shipping yard and has you jumping around a bunch of giant freight containers. You revisit this later on in Level 6.
- Power Fist: The Pink Ranger's special ability coats her arm in metal and unleashes a mighty punch, which can break down steel walls/doors.
- Pragmatic Adaptation: Since Kat isn't in the game, General Benaag kidnaps RIC instead.
- Ramp Jump: No ramps are involved, but the ground-based Delta Runners can jump freely in their racing sections.
- Self-Duplication: The Yellow Ranger's special attack allows her to make two clones of herself, which gives her added attack power.
- Sensor Character: Green Ranger has the ability to locate different objects or people using his special attack. It's mostly used in maze levels.
- Shout-Out: One of Salimoht's attacks is to throw big objects at you. One of them is a forklift.
- Shown Their Work: Each level roughly corresponds to one of the early episodes of the series and the Rangers' civilian powers are incorporated into each specific Rangers' moveset. The bosses also fight using their own mecha rather than growing big, which is what happened in the show.
- Some Kind of Force Field: Blue Ranger's special ability is to make a force field blocking projectile attacks, though he can only make it facing one direction.
- Superhero Speciation: Each of the Rangers' specials gives them different abilities.
- The Red Ranger can become intangible for a short time.
- The Blue Ranger can make a force field wall.
- The Green Ranger can track people's auras.
- The Yellow Ranger can make duplicates of herself.
- The Pink Ranger turns her arm into metal to break down walls and unleash a powerful punch.
- The Shadow Ranger unleashes a powerful sword slash.
- Super Mode: The Delta Squad Megazord has "Special Mode," which uses up the Special Meter. The Megazord glows rainbow colors and pulls out its sword. Be careful, as the enemy monsters also have access to Special Mode.
- Timed Mission:
- All of the racing missions have a time limit to get to the end goal. Your maximum time depends on your difficulty level, with Easy, Normal, and Hard having time limits of 3 minutes, 2 minutes, and 1:45 minutes respectively.
- Level 8-2 tasks the Green Ranger with finding 10 civilians inside a maze-like building. Like the racing levels, your time limit depends on the difficulty level: 6 minutes for Easy, 5 for Normal, 4 for Hard.
- Underground Level: Level 3 mostly takes place in a blue cave that Rhinix hides out in.
- Unexpected Gameplay Change: Every so often, you'll control the Delta Runners in something other than a brawler mode.
- Levels 2-1, 6-4, and 7-5 are basically a clone of Missile Command, as you protect buildings from incoming missiles using Delta Runner 3.
- Levels 3-1, 4-4, 5-1, and 6-5 has you race down the streets as RIC, Delta Runner 1, Delta Runner 4, or Delta Runner 5, avoiding various obstacles. The camera is behind you and looks similar to a Mode 7 racer.
- Levels 3-3, 4-2, 5-4, 7-3, and 8-2 has the Green Ranger navigate a maze to find 10 objects relating to the monster currently being faced, aside from 7-3, where he has to find the monster itself, who is hiding somewhere. He can use his special ability to point himself in the right direction.
- Unflinching Walk: There is no walk specifically, but each level ends with a zoomed-in shot of the Red Ranger or Delta Squad Megazord facing the camera as the Monster of the Week explodes behind him.
- The Unfought: Emperor Gruumm is still alive at the end of the game. In fact, his only appearance in the entire game is in the opening cutscene.
- Unnecessary Combat Roll: The Yellow, Pink, and Shadow Rangers can do this.
- Wall Jump: The Red and Shadow Rangers can do this.
