Godzilla: Destroy All Monster Melee Remastered | Review

This copy of Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee Remastered was provided by Pipeworks Software and Atari.

It’s a great time to be a fan of the GameCube’s library. We’re now two decades removed from the sixth generation of consoles, and many of their classics are getting a second life through remakes and remasters. The latest game to receive this honor is Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee, a 3D arena brawler starring Toho’s stable of kaiju that hit the GameCube way back in 2002 (and was ported to the original Xbox a year later). I’m very familiar with the original game; it was a staple of my college dorm, even supplanting that other Melee game for a little while as our go-to brawler! It is, however, a twenty year old title, and since 3D kaiju fighters have been facing extinction in the intervening years (with Gigabash being a rare notable exception), I was worried that it might show its age. So, is Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Remastered a fossil best left in the past, or is it still king of the monster brawlers? Let’s leave our GameCubes behind, bust out our shiny new Switch 2s, and find out.

Image: Source Gaming

Presentation and Extras

Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee Remastered is a slicker package than the original, but a lot of that comes down to how bare bones that title was. It’s still very clearly built off of the older title, and the core content, like the stages and characters, remains the same… with some slight exceptions. The first is that 90’s Mechagodzilla (which was a human built hero mech) was replaced with the more thematically appropriate 70’s Mechagodzilla as the final boss of adventure mode. The second is that Remastered includes the Xbox only bonus character, Kiryu, as part of its twelve-monster roster. It also includes eight different arenas, including major cities and “Monster Island,” a location fans of the Big G will definitely be familiar with.

The menus are fun, boasting artwork of the various characters in a new, comic inspired art style. While cutscenes are few and far between, the ones we do have are cute and look passable. Unfortunately, that’s how I would describe the graphics overall. The visuals do look much better than the original, and the art style works for a giant kaiju fighter, but there’s nothing here that “wows.” Thankfully, the monsters all look good and are well-animated; fans will have no issue recognizing their favorites. Several fun nods to the suitmation used in the creation of classic Godzilla films made me smile; watching, for example, his drop kick or the way he shakes his hurt hand after hitting the spiny shell of fellow monster Anguirus elevates the package. The soundtrack lovingly includes Akira Ifukabe’s iconic Godzilla theme and a wealth of tunes appropriate for brawling. Likewise, several familiar monster beam sounds and roars are also present. The audio for special items, beams, and other flashy attacks get the job done but, just like the graphics in general, are nothing to write home about.

Gameplay and Gamemodes

Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee was a pretty bare bones experience that leaned heavily on its multiplayer. This remaster doesn’t stray too far from that ethos, but it does add a few extras. The multiplayer vs “custom” mode returns, as well as destruction mode and classic adventure. Destruction mode moves the focus away from the standard monster vs. monster fights and instead asks players to destroy as much of a given city as possible in a fixed time frame. This can be done as part of custom mode, where you compete with other monsters, or as its own standalone mode. It’s a fun diversion to engage in once or twice, though it’s regrettably about as rich as the “coin mode” in Smash Bros.; hardcore fans will quickly forget about it. Still, it is a decent way to raise your character’s level if you just need a tiny bit more in single player mode, but more on that later.

At its core, the fighting mechanics in Godzilla: Destroy All Monster Melee are simple to pick up. However, it offers a good amount of variety due to the cast of kaiju. After all, it’s meant to be a fun party fighter where you play as giant monsters and smash up cityscapes, so while there are combos you won’t find the hyper-technical combos of traditional fighters. Destroy All Monsters Melee embraces classic arcade style chaos! Each monster has a button for a heavy, light, and fierce attack that can be combined with directional inputs or strung together for various effects. You can also duck, block, jump, and, most importantly, use your special attacks. Usually, these are beam weapons, but every titan boasts some unique qualities. Both robot Godzillas can let loose a barrage of missiles, Gigan can teleport around the map, and Megalon can burrow underground and then grab opponents for decent damage, for example. Like most party fighters, some of them are far more effective in team battles than a one on one fight. Nevertheless, the combat is perfectly serviceable, whether you are tossing massive buildings across the arena at Ghidorah, unleashing Godzilla’s iconic atomic breath, or calling in for Mothra’s air support to throw off an enemy’s momentum (yes, Mothra is tragically just an item). Ultimately, the fighting hits a fun sweet spot between accessible arcade chaos and smart tactical movement.

Image: Source Gaming

The classic single player mode returns mostly untouched, but with one significant difference. An arcade style one vs. one monster “tournament,” it remains the same for each character. You’ll fight the same monsters in each round every time you play, but the monsters you duel change based on who you are playing as. The story is as bare bones as it gets: aliens are controlling all the other kaiju, you fight said kaiju, then you impress the aliens enough that they pit you against their ultimate weapon, Mechagodzilla. Extremely brief CGI cutscenes at the beginning and end feature one of the aliens giving some appropriately cheesy dialogue. The way this, and all single player content, differs from the original game is that you now level up your characters. This is done in single player modes, such as adventure and destruction, but not in VS modes. I’m mixed on this addition. On one hand, it adds additional replay value, and leveling up unlocks new single player modes. On the other hand, leveling up is a slow process and some monsters feel underpowered as a result. For instance, I first fought Mechagodzilla as a Level 3 Godzilla, and it was a frustratingly difficult match—my overall health was so low that I kept dying to environmental damage. While the levels or your opponents scale on each attempt, it does end up feeling easier as you level up due to factors such as this.

And, again, leveling in general felt like a chore. Making matters worse, the extra modes the process yields weren’t exciting. The first of them, Adventure Gauntlet, unlocks at Level 4 and has you fight several two on one battles in black and white, harking back to the first two Godzilla films. That’s fine, but two on one fights are not quite as fun if you end up being pummeled by the second monster whenever you try to grab the first or use your special ability. Additionally, the experience gained isn’t enough of a boost to make it worth it. I also found it very difficult to play this mode in handheld mode due to the zoomed out camera and color palette. This combination made it very difficult to keep track of where I was during gameplay, which greatly diminished the fun factor. At Level 7, the Adventure Challenge opens. It’s a bit better as it mixes up different game modes, like monster battle and city destruction, but I can’t see myself coming back to it much. Reaching Level 7 as any one character takes a decent amount of play time; I’m not sure how many people will bother with it.

Remastered starts with four monsters and four stages accessible, and the grind to unlock the rest can grow tedious. As you play, you can accomplish different “research” items by selecting them and grinding out experience. The nice thing about this is that research points can be gained in both single and multiplayer mode. Specific “rumors” also need to be uncovered to unlock a few monsters. This can be as simple as unlocking certain stages or getting a certain monster to a specific level. It’s nice theming, but not super engaging. The one aspect of this game I was not, unfortunately, able to experience pre-launch was the online play. I’ll make sure to update this article once I do, as it’s an anticipated addition to this version of Destroy All Monsters Melee. Who doesn’t want to commit property damage with their buddies on this grandiose a scale?

Image: Source Gaming

Verdict

Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee is simple and feels its age at times, but it really shines when you’re playing with friends. At $39.99, Remastered provides plenty of value for my fellow kaiju aficionados, but it might not be for everyone. Ultimately, if you’re looking for an expansive single player campaign or a technical fighter, you’re likely safe skipping this one… but if you want a game where giant kaiju treat entire city skylines like their personal wrestling ring, well, you’re in for a monster of a good time.