Namco Bandai to build Power Rangers games

Power Rangers will return to video games following a deal between Namco Bandai and licence holder Saban Brands.

The publisher will develop games based on the Power Rangers: Samurai series, which launches on Nickelodeon in the coming weeks.

The Samurai series marks a ‘rebirth’ for Power Rangers, after the franchises’ popularity waned under Disney.

Last year Disney sold the rights to the series to Saban Brands for $43m. Saban Brands – run by Haim Saban – were the original owners of Power Rangers between 1993 to 2001.

The deal was announced as part of Namco Bandai’s Ignite event in San Francisco. No actual titles or platforms were announced, although Namco Bandai’s US VP Carlson Choi said the games would be multi-platform.

20 Episodes make up the first series of Power Rangers: Samurai, with a further 40 episodes in production. All episodes will be displayed on Nickelodeon’s various channels, while the kids network will also re-run the previous Power Rangers episodes – of which there are some 750 shows – at some point this year.

Nickelodeon has already been hyping up the series up as part of a major marketing push, which is back by Saban Brands.Saban announced at the event that Samurai has to appeal to a ‘whole new digital audience.’

Bandai have already released toys based on the Power Rangers: Samurai brand.