[Preview] Godzilla: Unleashed

Joseph Luster November 1, 2007

Publisher: Atari
Developer: Pipeworks Software
System: Wii / Playstation 2
Available: PS2: Nov. 13 – Wii: Dec. 5
Rating: E 10+

If you happened to dig into any of the previous Godzilla titles of the past generation, like 2002’s multi-platform Destroy All Monsters Melee for instance, then you’ve probably been bursting at the seams to continue reenacting your favorite colossal monster battles ever since. In retrospect, it’s kind of amazing that a deluge of games based on the King of the Monsters started hailing down upon us like so much lizard breath, without the burning necessity of some freshly released franchise film to back up its existence. Nope, these were just pure Godzilla games birthed for the sake of destruction.

That’s not to say that we couldn’t have used some killer Final Wars tie-in games, with a digital Don Frye leading a charge against a slew of selectable kaiju, but Atari’s titles are close enough. In fact, the Godzilla fighting games are about as close as you’re likely to get to some sort of giant monster orgy; an unleashing of beasts that rivals the most stacked of the green guy’s flicks.

It’s important to keep the fighting classification in mind, too, because these are all about straight-up brawling. Imagine a new take on Rampage with a focus on lumbering grudge matches and you’ve got the idea. Buildings crumble and tumble under the mass of your monsters, and if the stage isn’t leveled by the end of the match, you’re not fighting hard enough. The latest in the series, Godzilla Unleashed, will be continuing this wave of destruction early this holiday season and, while you can expect some familiar mayhem on the Playstation 2, this time it has the potentially interesting addition of motion controls exclusive to the Wii version.

Throw out your attack like you just went all kaiju-size yourself and you’ve got the idea. The Wii version of Unleashed might just be the one to get if you fancy yourself a beast of epic proportions. The monster list, as always, seems pretty all-inclusive (23 have been confirmed at this time), from Biollante to Jet Jaguar, as well as some original kaiju created by Pipeworks that garnered mixed reactions from fans. To be honest with you, Jet Jaguar alone sold me on the second Gamecube game, so I fear for my weakness when it comes to massive monster duels.

Perhaps a saner, less kaiju-crazed man would be more level-headed about playing with fictional monsters like a kid hopped up on chocolate cereal, but you can expect a full, city-crushing review of this title from Otaku USA once we’ve had our proper fill of bashing and smashing. For now, get a taste for the monster lineup and check out the game’s trailer here: https://www.atari.com/godzilla/