Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee
Think of the classic Japanese feature film Godzilla and gamers aren't likely to remember a spooky, nuclear-enlarged beast which wreaked havoc on Tokyo, but rather a man dressed in a rubber monster suit who clumsily destroyed a model city. Over the years countless Godzilla movie remakes and sequels have surfaced, going from black and white to color, and later from rubber suits to digital effects, but for the most part that "cheese factor" -- the element which has taught us to expect latex costumes and helicopters on wires -- has remained as much a part of the Godzilla franchise as hot dogs have a baseball game.
Now, publisher Infogrames has teamed with talented developer Pipeworks to deliver Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee for GameCube owners, a 3D brawler that triumphantly captures the universe of the Godzilla movies. It's a game that has enough detailed monsters and cities to warrant a long, hard look. And if enthusiasts factor in the title's extremely addictive and enjoyable multiplayer mode -- far better realized than its sometimes-unbalanced single-player offerings -- there is enough replay value in place here to fill even Godzilla's giant belly.
The Facts
° Fight as one of 11 monsters in eight different arenas
° Destroy all monsters with hand-to-hand, close range and special moves. ° Dominate with specialized projectile weapons
° Each monster has specific physical attributes to be used as an advantage or a weakness
° Level each city with real building destruction and physics
° Huge sense of scale puts you in control of a 180 ft., 80 ton beast
° Take on all four modes of play as any of the monsters: Adventure, Destruction, Survival, Melee and Versus
° Watch as the human army of each city fights off the monsters with advanced weaponry
° Four-player simultaneous fighting mayhem!
° Runs in progressive scan mode
° Supports Dolby Pro Logic II surround sound
° Requires four blocks of data on memory card for saves
Gameplay
Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee is a 3D fighter in the style of the classic Neo Geo arcade game King of the Monsters, but on a much grander scale. There is an intentional campy feel to the brawler that is complemented nicely by an obviously over-the-top throwback to the Godzilla movies. Aliens have invaded Earth and unleashed a gargantuan gang of genetically mutated monstrosities upon its inhabitants. The beasts, ferocious and unstoppable, have taken to several crowded cities across the planet without care of their occupants, and it's up to players -- as a monster of their choice -- to do battle with the rest and ultimately send the alien invasion away. It's hard to hold in a smile as some of the opening cut-scenes in Godzilla highlight over-baked aliens and their hammed voiceovers complete with eerie, 50s-styled background music. The story isn't deep or engaging -- and then again, what fighting background is? -- but it's enough to set up the action that follows in a colorful manner that adheres to the license.
There are five gameplay modes in Godzilla: Adventure (the basic single-player game); Destruction, (a mode in which players destroy the cities for points); Melee (a two-to-four-player battle in which monsters respawn; the fighter with the most points at the end wins); Survival, in which gamers use only one health to try and KO as many enemy brawlers as possible; and Team Battle, in which players are separated into teams to fight. Compared to a traditionalist's offering such as Capcom vs. SNK 2: EO, the modes are limited, but there is enough in place to doubly satisfy most gamers.
Godzilla, as a single-player experience, is a mix of good and bad. The title's 11 playable monsters, from Godzilla 90s and 2000 to Megalon, Anguirus, King Ghidorah, Gigan, Rodan, Mecha-King Ghidorah, Destroyah and Mechagodzilla, is commendable. Unfortunately, only a mere four of these titans are available to start -- the rest must be unlocked. Equally impressive is the number of cities to battle in, a selection that includes Tokyo, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles and England -- and who hasn't wanted to demolish one of these locales at one time or another? Gamers making their way through the single-player game will enjoy the wealth of moves available, the decidedly slow, but nonetheless very mobile characters, and will likewise find the controls very intuitive for this type of fighter. Indeed, there are more moves and monster styles available than gamers might suspect -- the brawling system is fairly deep, a fact that came as something of a surprise for us. Beyond all of this is the level of environmental interaction -- the way in which buildings shake and crumble in the wake of fights, an addition that is supremely well done. After extensive play, gamers will begin to notice the little details that go so far; for instance, the fact that throwing an enemy opponent into buildings will cause the human characters -- the flying helicopters and military patrol -- to go after it with their missiles and gunfire.
On the other hand, advancement through the levels seems to lack balance; some later fights seem unfairly difficult and the final encounter with Mechagodzilla is sometimes frustratingly overbearing, even when playing on Easy Mode. More time spent fine-tuning the difficulties would have made all the difference. For gamers who are up to the task, though, Pipeworks has provided reason enough to battle through Adventure Mode time and again, for different levels and characters are unlocked only by completing the challenge over and over with different monsters. Players be warned -- this is no easy task.
It's called Destroy All Monsters Melee, however, for a reason. It's Godzilla's multiplayer mode, whether it be destroying, teaming up or competing in a four-player kill-fest, which is its most addictive, entertaining element. The two-, three- and four-player battles are immensely fun in a very Super Smash Bros. Melee and King of the Monsters combined sort of way. Players may initially turn to button mashing in multiplayer competitions, and we won't lie -- this will work to some extent. But skilled gamers will be able to perform feats and puppeteer their monsters to new heights and level more damaging moves and combos at foes, and these will make all the difference. The balance in this respect is very well executed. The sheer deviousness possible in the multiplayer matches is something worth mentioning: gamers can double or even triple team an unsuspecting foe; throw buildings at one another; or attack an enemy as they are about to level a particularly damaging blow to another. These combined with the very satisfying differences in monster skills and abilities make for quite a multiplayer outing. We can hardly describe the level of pleasure one is rewarded by drilling through the ground as Megalon, springing up onto editor Fran Mirabella's Godzilla 2000, and pummeling the beast continuously until it can stand no longer. Or by hurling IGN overlord Peer Schneider's wimpy Anguirus across an entire city and watching as it crashes to the ground, knowing that when it does rise it will come face to face with a fiery discharge. For GameCube owners, Godzilla's multiplayer experience -- call it a guilty pleasure or don't -- is one of the best the console has to offer.
Graphics
Gamers who have religiously followed the industry will recognize developer Pipeworks as the house that created Microsoft's Xbox demo software for the unveiling of the console. With that, many would have thought the company would be deep into production with titles for "that other" system. But luckily it has at least stopped by the GameCube side to show off a bit. Its Godzilla fighter does quite a lot right from a visual standpoint, and it's clear that the studio is technically inclined, a fact that makes us all too happy (particularly since so many developers seem to be clueless when it comes to using the tools available to them nowadays).
Godzilla is outlined by solid presentation. From the slick, but simple menu work to the overdone, cheesy cut-scenes and devotion to the original look of the characters, the game has burned itself deep into the license, and had fun with it too. In-game worlds are large enough to impress and filled with detailed geometry, from the buildings themselves to the cars, helicopters, busses, trains and more that liven up the areas. Most of the geometrical additions are subject to destruction, which looks great. Buildings crumble while particles and transparent smoke overshadows the fallen structures. Each of the levels in the game -- different city themes -- looks significantly different and there are both day and night options. Especially when it's dark outside, gamers will see all of the beautiful real-time lighting effects in place as fire-blasts illuminate objects, buildings and the surrounding fighters.
The fighters themselves are the real graphic show, though. They are high-polygon creatures, with Mechagodzilla constructed using some 10,000 polygons, for instance. The difference is evident. The models closely resemble their (albeit goofy) movie counterparts with more rounded surfaces, and are fully brought to life with reflections and bump-mapping. Character animation is superb, as monsters slowly wobble about the levels and render powerful punches and kicks, or specialized throws, and it all looks as if it'd fit perfectly in place with the movies. What's more, though, is the comical nature some of the animations illuminate. For example, it's possible to burn an opponents foot, at which point the character will use one leg to hop around in pain, clutching hopelessly at his lower half. It's so well done that gamers are bound to laugh the first time they see it. Finally, the game supports progressive scan mode -- and from a third-party that it isn't Electronic Arts or Sega. Thank you, Pipeworks!
There are a couple graphic shortcomings in the game, though. The first is that everything runs at 30 frames and not 60, a detail that isn't so much a problem as it is an observation. The fact is that the action of Godzilla doesn't require a speedy 60 frames and because of that the fluidity difference is often barely noticed. There is some slowdown beyond this, which is also infrequent, but more troublesome. Beyond this complaint, though, the only other is that some of the textures could use an upping in clarity, or that some of the level sets tend to always be gray or brown, which can give the false impression of a lacking selection.
Everything said and done, a great entry -- not only for a first-time GCN developer, but for against any title running on the system in recent months.
Sound
"Roar!" Gamers are going to hear the rumbling of buildings, the crumbling of fallen cities, and the screeches of monsters so large that their voices echo through the big levels. It all sounds great. Firstly and thankfully, the game runs in Dolby Pro Logic II for receiver setups that support it -- something of a godsend for audiophiles, thank you very much. But even if it didn't the listening experience would be very well done. The selection of monster calls and screams resembles the movie entities, which is a plus, and then there are the numerous background noises; bangs, crashes, gunfire, laser blasts, and more. Everything is complemented brilliantly by cheesy overlays. For instance, when Godzilla wins a match, a human voice radios in: "Godzilla has won. I repeat: Godzilla has won." It's so campy that players can't help but smile, and it fits snugly into the universe. If there's to be a complaint, it's that the music fails to match the rest of the experience -- a bit boring, low-key, and hard to notice. Also, some of the sound effects become overused throughout battle after battle, but that is something that's hard to avoid in this type of game.
Presentation /me 8.0
Simple, but well done menus, humorous style, great use of license. Limited character lineup and stages.
Graphics /me 8.0
Pretty. Lots of geometry, detailed character models, bump-mapping, reflections, lighting effects and more. Runs at 30 frames -- sometimes slows down.
Sound /me 8.0
Funny and atmospheric. Lots of creature calls, big bangs and crumbles, humorous background noises. Some repetition. Uninspired music.
Gameplay /me 8.0
Solid. Fun. Tight control. Lots of moves. Deeper than readers might think. Unbalanced single-player mode. Excellent multiplayer offerings.
Lasting Appeal /me 9.0
The multiplayer mode alone will keep gamers coming back again and again.
OVERALL SCORE (not an average) /me 8.4 |
Wat gaat de tijd toch vlug hè.. 
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Perfect dark 
de enige reden waarvoor ik ooit een xbox zou kopen is conker...
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Ik zou er niet op wachten om Mario te kopen in ieder geval 
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