Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee

"RUN! It's Godzilla! (But due to international copyright laws, it's not...)"

Godzilla has remained one of the most feared and badass monsters to date. He's fought countless enemies, starred in many a' film, but does this behemoth of a dinosaur have what it takes to be a #1 video game star? Well, we're going to have to see. In this beat-em-up for current-gen consoles, the King of Monsters is pitted up against his old infamous arch-nemeses, such as his metal counter-part Mecha-Godzilla, Gigan, Rodan, King King Ghidorah and more.

All Beat-em-ups follow the same pattern; two characters are placed in a fighting arena where they must duke it out mano-to-mano, usually against the clock and with a slowly increasing SPECIAL ATTACK bar. Well, Destroy All Monsters: Melee continues this formula, but it has its own spin on it. As you know, the combatants are monsters, but the fighting arenas aren't just small wrestling rings but whole cities! Just close your eyes and imagine two bad-boy monsters grappling each other in the street and throwing each other into the sides of buildings...neat. The Special Attacks that the monsters can use come in the form of radioactive powers, such as that famous atomic breath of fire coming out of Godzilla's mouth. The normal combat side of the game is on the other hand a bit dull, as mundane punches and kicks are your basic forms of attack, with very poor 3 string combos making up the rest. Well, not all of the attacks are in fisticuffs, but you are free to grab whatever you see around you in the city, pluck it from its foundations and wallop it right around the enemy's face! Get in.

It's the stronger version out of all of the console releases with improved graphics, but it doesn't use the XBox to its full potential, sadly. It makes great use of lighting effects to illuminate the scenes, but many objects are a tad bit too blockish and square.

The multiplayer mode is pretty fun, allowing for players to pick a monster and battling out with up to 4 people. You are also free to zip onto XBox Live at any time and download one of the latest of new fighting cities and arenas, as well as new character skins and monsters. It's a nice little feature I think, as playing as the same monster again and again can begin to grate.

Overall, Destroy All Monsters is an excellent novelty fighter which is a break from the norm, but it does need to touch up on its combat moves here and there. It is well worth the cheap price and can be found in bargain bins pretty much everywhere, so be sure to pick it up. Sci-fi nerds will love it.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 10/27/05