Godzilla has managed to remain relevant for 65 years, and not even Matthew Broderick could destroy the giant walking nuke. It’s stomped to a run of more than 30 feature films in that time. Naturally, a giant monster destroying things and battling other giant monsters is well suited to video games, so Godzilla has had quite a few of those to its name too, and with Godzilla: King of the Monsters arriving in cinemas soon, we thought it would be a fine time to list some of the best Godzilla games ever made.
Much like the films, there’s good, bad, and pretty ugly ones over the years (2014’s Godzilla game was certainly all three). The best Godzilla games captured the spirit of the radioactive behemoth to some degree, even if they weren’t exactly ‘great’ games.
So here you go, seven of the best Godzilla games, without a Godzooky in sight.
City Shrouded in Shadow (2017) PS4 -Japan Only
Granzella, created of the extremely undervalued Disaster Report series, survival horror, but against natural disaster rather than monsters or ghosts. Here it took that formula to the next level with City Shrouded in Shadow.
Rather than playing as the monsters, you play as human characters. You must try to escape the carnage caused by the many legendary monsters trashing the place. Godzilla’s roster of behemoths is bolstered by characters from other prominent series including Ultraman and Neon Genesis Evangelion.
To play as a human witnessing the destruction Godzilla is causing firsthand is a fairly unique twist among the Godzilla games made over the years. While the game is a tad clunky, it works well at replicating the peril of escaping city-smashing giants.
Sadly, the game has yet to see the light of day outside Japan. So importing and winging it on the Japanese text is currently your best and only option.
Godzilla: Monster of Monsters (1988) NES, Famicom
Monster of Monsters is debatably the first genuinely good Godzilla game, and while it hasn’t aged too well in gameplay terms, it does still look the business for an 8-bit title.
A 2D side-scroller, Monster of Monsters allowed players to control Godzilla and Mothra as they team up to fight back against alien invaders who have roped a bunch of other Toho monsters into fighting on their behalf, (a surprisingly) common theme in the Godzilla film series. The hub resembles a chess board, which Godzilla and Mothra must clear by finishing their attached levels and defeating the monsters on them.
Godzilla’s name may be on the marquee, but this game featured monsters from a whole host of Japanese sci-fi films, including The Mysterians, Frankenstein Conquers the World, and Space Amoeba.
Godzilla (2014) PS3, PS4
Given this is the newest on this list of the best Godzilla games, surely it’s the ultimate Godzilla game? Alas, it’s a disaster. It looks a generation behind visually speaking, and doesn’t balance the rather treacly combat with fair threats. But importantly, it often feels like a celebration of the franchise and surprisingly true to the battles of the Toho films. You can trash cities and fight monsters as not only Godzilla in several of his designs, but also Rodan, Battra, King Ghidorah, Gian, Mothra, and more.
It also features online multiplayer, which is honestly an absolute hoot.
If you can find it cheap, there’s some joy to it. Unfortunately for those in need of that catharsis, you can’t kick the shit out of Roland Emmerich’s Godzilla.
Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee (2002) Gamecube, Xbox
Arguably, Pipeworks Software made the best Godzilla games. Destroy All Monsters Melee is often cited as the proof alongside the follow-up Save the Earth.
This was a brawler-style game where you fight other monsters in order to release them from the control of evil alien race the Vortaak. They have enslaved the kaiju in order to take control of Earth. Eleven classic monsters from the Godzilla series were playable including the first-ever monster rival to Godzilla, Anguirus, and Godzilla 2000‘s Orga.
Godzilla: Save the Earth (2004) PS2, Xbox
The follow-up to Destroy All Monsters Melee takes place a couple of years after the events of that game. It builds on all it did right with new modes, and mechanics. It also adds Mothra, Jet Jaguar, and Battra to the roster.
It’s not a huge leap from Destroy All Monsters Melee. It does smooth many of its rougher edges.
Super Godzilla (1993) SNES
As with the 2014 Godzilla game, Super Godzilla had plenty for the hardcore. As a game, it’s a bit less enthralling. You simply aim a dot around a rather basic map, while animated images of Godzilla appear above that reflect your actions. Mercifully when it came to fighting other monsters you get a 2D fighter template.
For the time, the game captured the sound design of the movies. That was pretty much unprecedented at that point. The story is utterly bonkers too. Aliens give powers to monsters and Godzilla having to go on a quest to become strong enough to best the threat of Mecha-King Ghidorah and later, Bagan.
Godzilla: The Series (1999) Gameboy Color
If one good thing came out of 1998’s infamous Godzilla movie, then it was the animated series that followed it. It brought back the redesigned King of the Monsters and let him fight other Kaiju in a largely unrelated plot to the film. It just makes sense really. There’s a licensed video game of course, because it was still the 90s. While basic, this side-scrolling fighter lets you wallop monster and machine alike as Godzilla in portable form.
What do you think are the best Godzilla games? Let us know in the comments!
