|
Remember those
days long ago (or maybe even yesterday for some of us, like me) when
you watched those really cheesy Godzilla movies and thought it was
the coolest thing ever? Ever wonder what it would be like if
someone made a decent game centered around it, not like those
horrible Dreamcast or NES attempts? Or do you just want to take
control of a huge monster and trash famous cities? Well, FINALLY
someone gets around to making a worthy Godzilla game. Enter
Godzilla - Destroy All Monsters Melee, an 1-4 player romp around
large cities where you get to crush, destroy, and breath blast your
way to domination.
Graphics Are So Good, It Removes the Authenticity
 I
am hard pressed to find a game that actually exceeds the visual
quality of the movie it is based on. The visuals are remarkably
well done, especially considering the game has a media license (as
we all know, those tend to stink). Anyway, the levels and monsters
are highly detailed. Godzilla uses some nice effects to give off a
scaly feel, and that guy with the claws (I can never remember any of
their names, 'cause I am bad with them) has a remarkable shine to
them, making them look almost like real metal. Effects are also
amazing, like breath beams, explosions, and falling building
debris. The levels are detailed, and you can even see cars driving
around on the street below and helicopters flying about firing
missiles at you. They are based on famous cities, and if you have
actually been to one, they are set up nearly to their real life
counterparts, especially landmarks. It is fun to toss a big guy
into the Tokyo Tower and watch it crumble into nothing.
Controls Excellent
Godzilla: DAMM is
a relatively simple fighter. But, from that simplicity comes some
really complex fighting styles. There are a few basic attacks. A
for punch, B for kick, Z for your special attacks, tap being a more
powerful attack while hold is a lengthy yet not as strong attack.
If you hit A and B together, you can pick up your opponent, and can
use X, A, or B to do different types of throws. What I like about
the control scheme is how you feel like you are moving a large
monster, but don't get stuck with the sluggish feel of a bad WWE
game. Controls are responsive and fluid, giving you full range of
motion of your chosen monster without having to deal with lag or
overly slow movement. It is also detailed in a way like Super Smash
Brothers. Each direction and button corresponds to a different
attack. You can head-butt, stomp on their foot, kick, punch, or run
into your opponent and ram them. Also, attacking a grounded
opponent is a vital part of the game, especially when you knock him
to the ground and take the opportunity to use your powerful, yet too
slow for a moving enemy, Z-tap special move.
Great Gameplay Elements
Godzilla has some
really creative gameplay elements within. For example, if you like
to toss your opponent into buildings, the stupid humans below think
that monster is causing the damage and actually fire on it. Also, a
UFO flies around and drops power-ups. My favorite is the Mothra Air
Support. By grabbing this, Mothra flies around and zaps your
opponent now and again, giving you a bit of needed help. Finally,
there is the Rage power-up. While this one, on the surface, seems
to just boost your attack power, you are able to hit A-X to perform
a shockwave stomp that topples buildings and sends the other monster
flying. The levels are totally interactive as I found myself
throwing oil tankers and buildings at an unsuspecting monster, who
found themselves on the receiving end of a ton of bricks,
literally. There is also an energy bar as to avoid fights being
nothing more than bouts of fire and beams. Another good move was
the balance of health and damage. Fights don't last 30 seconds like
in most games, but can run 10-15 full minutes. These guys are 40
foot behemoths, and it really feels like that as you simply stand up
after being tossed through a towering skyscraper.
Small Levels
One thing I don't
like is the really artificial level boundaries. Around each level
is a green barrier. While this is explained as an alien created
arena since the green walls can harm you, this limits the fighting
arena to a relatively small area. Not too small, really, but I
don't like the feel of such an artificial level restraint. Had they
been made large enough that no amount of walking would get me to the
end, as I would more likely be smoking monster meat, I would have
been totally satisfied with the design. There is nothing like large
scale destruction, and you have a hard time doing that when the only
destruction is limited to a perfectly square field.
Sounds Sparse Yet Decent
Fighting levels
don't have music in them, and this sort of improves the game in a
way. I would have had a hard time fighting with hard rock in the
background. Effect sounds are well done as well as monster cries,
which are ripped directly from the films. Building crumbles and
explosions are also nice, as well as the rumble from your big, mean
monster stomping around the place. Voice acting, as cheesy as it
is, actually fits well into the Godzilla world and only adds to the
authenticity of the game. There could have been more sounds, but
what can you do?
Single Play Good...For A While
The single player
mode is absolutely essential to the game. Without it, you can
pretty much kiss goodbye to playing with any more than the starting
three monsters. The Adventure mode is fun and somewhat
challenging. It starts with a really funny, cheesy homage to the
Godzilla movies featuring aliens with canned "I'm going to take over
the world" speeches with some funny one-liners included. The AI is
balanced at the beginning, giving you a worthy challenge, but later
on, the AI becomes a cheap shot master, making even good players
have a hard time. Especially when you go up against Mecha-Godzilla,
who seems to have a near endless energy supply. Single player mode
wears off quickly, though fortunately after you manage to get all
the monsters in your possession.
Multiplayer Mode
Two player
multiplayer mode is an absolute blast. Getting together with a
friend to duke it out in Tokyo, causing havoc, and having a good
time is what it is all about. Unfortunately, getting 3 or 4
monsters into the arena becomes difficult. Godzilla is mostly a
"left-right" fighter in a 3D environment. So, this causes a problem
with camera angles. Two monsters going at it is great as you can
see in full detail every attack and taunt clearly, but when you get
3 or 4 out there, the camera is limited to an overhead view to get
them all on the screen at once. This not only makes it hard to make
out attacks, it also confuses the player as to where his creature is
and makes controlling your monster hard as you are never quite sure
which way to move the stick.
Bottom Line
Godzilla is a
wonderful renter, and if you just love two-on-two fighting, great
for purchase. But, for the lone players out there, this game wears
off thin fast. Nice visuals and some innovative combat ideas make
this a wonderful title. Rent for you loners, buy for you
fighter-lovers, either way, you should have a really good time.
|
