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Godzilla Destroy All Monsters Melee
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Graphics & Sound:
Discarding the aesthetic guy-in-a-suit method of portraying huge monsters, Godzilla Destroy All Monsters Melee takes a more modern approach by using completely 3D models. And, given that the context is within a video game, this seems like the better idea of the two. Monsters and arenas are all 3D, colorful, and everything can be broken. Stomping around cities, real cities (and a couple of special levels), your monster can destroy buildings, vehicles, boats, and well, more buildings. Add to this the tons of cool special effects, and there is never any shortage of action happening on the screen at any one time. Sounds are faithfully replicated from the old movies, and the most recognizable effect is the ear splitting scream that Godzilla lets out when he unleashes his tonsil-mounted laser cannon. As there is no shortage of action, neither is there any shortage of sound effects. This doesn't necessarily mean they are all good, but at least that means there won't be any of those uncomfortable silences that everyone hates at parties. |
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Gameplay:
As the name implies, Godzilla Destroy All Monsters Melee is a fighting game, with a melee twist to it. As the story goes, an alien race is invading earth to enslave all of mankind. They are backing up their might by mind-controlling all of our monsters (I didn't know we had any either) to keep us in order. With ten different monsters to use, including everyone's favorite giant lizard Godzilla, you pick one and break free of the mind control and fight your way through the game, destroying cities and innocent people along the way, eventually to save the very people who have enslaved you on an isolated island. Godzilla takes a fighting game approach with the Adventure mode, the main mode of the game, where you must defeat your opponent in order to advance to the next level. The melee part comes in when you get into the Versus modes. As usual, you can go head to head with your friend or take on up to three other people in an all out Melee mode. This is a free for all with a time limit where the player with the best score at the end of the match wins. This mode is a nice alternative to the regular Versus mode and offers tons of action and replay value. For those of you who like to just break things, there is a Destruction mode that is similar to Melee, but the object is to destroy as much as possible in whatever city you are currently in. As you break things, you get points, and as before, the player with the best score at the end wins the match. |
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Difficulty:
Despite its button mashing capabilities, Godzilla Destroy All Monsters Melee actually takes some skill to play. Playing on medium is quite a task, and hard is almost impossible. Though the moves are basic, using them in conjunction with your environment can be tricky and requires some time to master.
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Game Mechanics:
As Godzilla Destroy All Monsters Melee is a fighting game, it contains fighting game elements such as moves, special moves, and yes, super moves. Each of the ten monsters, which includes such legends as Godzilla, Mechagodzilla, Rodan, and Gigan, have their own sets of basic punch and kick moves, as well as a special beam weapon for long range punishment. Secondary weapons such as buildings, vehicles, and other monsters, can be picked up and thrown for added effect. Though there are plenty of places to fight, and a good number of monsters to choose from, Godzilla doesn't quite hit the same benchmark that other games like War of the Monsters have reached. The controls are a little sluggish at times, and the level of detail could have been better. However, if you get a couple of friends together, or at least some Japanese cult monster movie fans, there won't be a shortage of fun for a long time. |
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-Snow Chainz, GameVortex Communications AKA Andrew Horwitz |
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