Publisher: Atari, www.atari.com
Ages: seven and up.
Parental Advisory: Violent action
Earth, as we know it, may never be the same again. While Atari's Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee is only slightly better than average, it's a blast to play. What makes this game stand out are the cheesy and unintentionally hilarious monsters that are based on those from classic Japanese movies. This monster-on-monster fighting game faithfully recreates the look and feel of the old film stars and challenges you to punch, kick, stomp, throw and more in breakable city arenas.
Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee is a one-to-four-player fighting game that lets you battle as a monster against other monsters. The game offers four play styles: versus mode, pitting between one and four players against each other in a battle royale; destruction mode, a timed challenge to see which player destroys more of a city in a given amount of time; survival mode, which pits a player against monster after monster with the score based on the number of enemies defeated before losing a match; and melee mode, a two-to-four player multi-player slugfest.
The game features more than 10 licensed monsters that include such notables as Godzilla 90's, Mechagodzilla, Megalon, Destoroyah, King Ghidorah, Mothera and more. Each is equipped with basic fighting moves such as kicks, punches, sweeps, jumps, projectile attacks and blocks, and each has a cheesy battle cry, pose, and special moves.
Unlike games such as Super Smash Brothers that serve fast and furious fighting action, Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee offers slow-moving action that mimics the movements of the lumbering monsters found in the films. This is, after all, Godzilla and his colleagues. The monsters in the game stumble around like those in the movies, just as if they were men in clumsy rubber suits stomping around miniature city sets.
The game features 10 real-world arenas that include San Francisco, London, Seattle, Tokyo, Monster Island, and others, and each is fully 3D and interactive. You can pick up and throw buildings and landmarks such as Big Ben, toss enemies into fuel tank farms and stomp on baseball stadiums. Each city includes details such as working traffic lights, blinking neon signs and moving cars, buses and tanker trucks. The human military attacks each monster with tanks, helicopters, hover jets and laser cannons.
The graphics are first rate and the game does a great job of conveying the personalities of the monsters. The violence is bloodless-the monsters fight until their lifelines are reduced to nothing and are simply "knocked out." In all,
Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee is an entertaining fight game that serves comical mayhem. Four players can have a blast battling in this monster arena.
1/6/2003 - Daytrum Editorial Staff
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