Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee

"Is the new G-game worth it?"

Introduction - “What system should I buy next?”, that was the question of the day. I already had a PS2, but I was in dire need of something new. I had always had Nintendo products, so that seemed like the way to go. Then, as if God had appeared out of Heaven, I saw Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee (G:DAMM for short). I know that XBOX has one coming out soon, but Nintendo had already won me over. I am a HUGE Godzilla fan, so needless to say I was in total bliss. Regardless of the reviews I had read for the game, G:DAMM was a sure-buy. Thus, I took my heart-earned cash and purchased Gamecube and G:DAMM.

Gameplay - If you have been following Godzilla’s gaming career, then you will find an assortment of titles of which to null your brain. The games themselves aren’t half bad, unless you picked up a few imports and couldn’t understand how to play the game (something a friend did; I had the liberty of trying to figure it out with him). The bottom line is that some of the Godzilla games weren’t terrible, but nothing very groundbreaking ever came of them.

G:DAMM is something that many people have wanted for such a long time. A Godzilla game with realistic graphics and a decent combat system, oh and make sure there is more than one Godzilla to stomp cities with. This game delivers all the above, if not more. The controls are very simple and universal for all characters. The controls respond very well. Fighting can be very tactical if you would like, or you could take the four-year-old approach and mash buttons. It is all the same, well maybe. The fact is that your kaiju (monster) responds as you issue commands.

Death-rays, oh how we love to unleash them on poor Tokyo. G:DAMM’s beasties offer atleast one projectile attack each, some may offer a little more. All look very cool, and each has a limited (or in Godzilla’s case, almost unlimited) range of attack. Some monster’s attacks take longer, others aren’t that powerful but can recharge quickly. As you would imagine, each monster has pros and cons. Some can fly, others are slow, some monsters are so offensively gifted that you wanna scream win you lose (MechaGodzilla). G:DAMM has an assortment of characters to choose from, and man they look impressive. The kaiju look, roar, and behave just as their on-screen counterpart. That is one of the best qualities of this game.

Another perk are the different modes of gameplay. The first is Adventure Mode (covered in the story section) and the most fun is Melee Mode. Melee allows you to choose from all the kaiju and fight in a one-on-one-on-one-on-one…well four people basically kick the crap out of one-another. The most interesting mode is Destruction, where you do exactly as it says - level cities with you large behemoth. There is also a simple Versus Mode.

G:DAMM does have its share of problems. In Melee Mode there is no option to choose computer AI. You cannot fight against the computer in this mode! That boggles the mind, eh?

(SPOILERS)
Story - If you have ever seen Destroy All Monsters (the movie), then you know the plot to this game. An alien race has taken over monsters and sent them to destroy all of Earth’s vast metropolises. Their goal: domination of our nice, little planet. You get to see a nice little video at the beginning of Adventure Mode, and then you begin your quest. Unfortunately, that scene will be the first of two in the entire game. There is no real development in the story after that part, which is disappointing. I know, the game is a fighting game and therefore it doesn’t need a wonderful story, but the effort put forth does little to intrigue the mind in the way of creativity. The story does, however, serve its main function - it sets up the motive for endless monster battles. ^_^

Graphics/Sound - The graphics, as mentioned earlier, are superb. The monsters look precisely as they would on-screen. Perhaps the best-looking monster is Anguirus. He looks incredible. The cities are well-done and in proportion to the monsters’ size. Overall, graphics receive a 10-out-of-10. The sound is excellent as well. Each kaiju has its own roar taken directly from the films. The sounds of city-stomping are enjoyable. The music, while not from the films, is fantastic. Sound gets a 9-out-of-10.

Play Time - This is what may or may not hurt this game, the replay factor. Fans of fighting games may not get tired of endlessly bashing each other in the ground, but others will. After all the secrets have been found, many people may not want to play this game often. There are tokens that you can find during combat (gallery items), but other than that this game offers little in the way of special features. Whatever the case, die-hard Godzilla fans will love this game.

Final Recommendation - If you love monsters and/or Godzilla, buy this game. It is a wonderful fighting title worth every penny. Atleast rent it, it promises to be fun. As for me, I shall resume my city-stomping with much, I say MUCH glee. Go Go Godzilla!

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 01/02/03, Updated 01/02/03