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Godzilla Destroy All Monsters Melee
When the King of the Monsters invaded our GameCube
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PRESS START
An Introduction To Today’s Game
After playing Rampage last week, I called an audible and switched up my game schedule for the newsletter. I usually have the next month already planned but really felt the urge to control the OG that inspired Rampage.
As I said in the last issue, I love Kaiju films. Especially when it’s a person in a suit. Yeah, CGI looks better and makes it more believable. But there’s a certain charm in a guy wearing a 100 pound suit, who can barely breathe in it, stomping on detailed miniatures of famous cities. The music, the bad acting, the fights. I love it.
The GameCube library had its share of hidden gems and obvious duds, but Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee occupied stranger territory. This was Pipeworks Software's love letter to kaiju fans, wrapped in a fighting game that felt less like Tekken and more like controlling a skyscraper with feet.
Released in October 2002, it promised something simple yet satisfying: pick your favorite radioactive monster, level a major city, and defeat your challenger. The game delivered on that premise with surprising dedication, even if the journey involved wrestling with controls that made your chosen beast feel like it was trudging through molasses.
For Godzilla enthusiasts tired of disappointing adaptations, this felt like vindication.
The lineup is small, but it features some iconic powerhouses. Sadly you just need to unlock them all.
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BEHIND THE PIXELS
Let’s Dive Into The Game
Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee is a 3D arena fighting game where players control giant monsters battling across fully destructible cityscapes. Think Power Stone meets Sunday afternoon creature features, minus the rubber suits.
The premise involves the alien Vortaak taking control of Earth's kaiju, forcing one liberated monster to fight through their mind-controlled peers across locations like Tokyo, London, and San Francisco.
The story in Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee draws heavy inspiration from the Showa era of Godzilla films, the campier, kid-friendly phase where the King of the Monsters often danced, drop-kicked, and even flew through the air by using his heat breath. It channels that playful, over-the-top energy rather than the darker, more serious tone of later eras and the first film.
Gigan getting blasted.
The roster includes eleven playable characters initially, featuring two versions of Godzilla (90s and 2000), plus franchise staples like King Ghidorah, Rodan, Destoroyah, and Mechagodzilla.
Each monster sports unique stats balancing attack power, defense, speed, and weapon capabilities. Combat centers on punches, kicks, tail swipes, beam weapons, and grabbing environmental objects. Yes, you can hurl Big Ben at Megalon. Yes, it's exactly as satisfying as it sounds.
The roster felt small when going back to it, but thankfully the sequels expanded upon this. But you’re getting some iconic kaiju here so you’ll still enjoy the selection.
One day, Ghidorah will beat Godzilla again. Maybe.
The destructible environments remain the game's standout feature. Buildings crumble realistically when monsters collide with them, creating satisfying physics-based carnage. Power-ups appear throughout battles, offering health restoration, energy recharges, and the ability to summon Mothra for aerial attacks.
The military occasionally joins fights, firing uselessly at whichever monster has caused more destruction. Hedorah appears randomly to slow energy regeneration, adding chaotic variables to matches.
Adventure mode serves as the single-player campaign, requiring players to defeat successive monsters while unlocking new characters. This mode earned notorious reputation for difficulty spikes, with later opponents possessing seemingly unfair advantages.
It can get brutal and frustrating but stick with it and you’ll eventually bring them down. Multiplayer modes proved more popular, supporting four-player simultaneous battles in Melee mode, Destruction mode (competing to demolish cities fastest), and Team Battle variations.
Any game that has Anguirus, instantly goes up in score in my book.
The controls feel deliberately weighty, emphasizing the monsters' massive scale. Movement lacks precision, beam attacks require energy management, and combos demand specific button combinations that never quite feel natural.
This design choice aimed for authenticity over accessibility, with mixed results. Personally, I love how slow the monsters move. It’s more accurate to the films and it wouldn't feel right if Godzilla was doing backflips like Ryu and Ken.
Graphics showcase decent monster models with environmental detail, though stages appear repetitive despite landmark variations. Sound design pulls directly from Toho films, featuring authentic roars and music cues that delight fans while meaning little to newcomers. The Vortaak leader's campy voice acting provides intentional B-movie charm, complete with villainous asides breaking the fourth wall.
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WHERE TO PLAY
The original copy or emulation will be your best bet for tracking this down.
Original Copies of the Game (All prices in USD)
Loose: $30
Complete: $42
New/Sealed: $280
GAME INFORMATION
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Cover Art
 US Cover |  PAL Cover |
RETRO NEWS
Here’s a quick roundup of the latest retro gaming news we’ve dug up.
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The fashion label teams up with Capcom for apparel celebrating Street Fighter II’s legacy.
Read more at Retro NewsAYA NEO Next 2 Promises Premium Power in Handheld Gaming
The upcoming Windows-based device pushes performance boundaries for players seeking true PC gaming on the go.
Read more at Time ExtensionMy Arcade’s Atari Gamestation Go Shrinks Retro Fun to Pocket Size
Wired reviews the compact device that brings classic Atari gaming anywhere with modern convenience.
Read more at Wired
PREVIOUS POLL RESULTS
Who are you picking?
George - 37.50%
Lizzie - 50.00%
Ralph - 12.50%
Lizzie, the Godzilla clone, takes this one. Happy to see Ralph get some love though.
Reader comments from the poll:
(George) “Man! Rampage is a classic among classics! Would always give this a go in arcades. Glad you covered this one” - Ben
(George) “King Kong Clone” all the way!” - Shen
(Lizzie) “I loved Godzilla as a kid so Lizzie was the natural pick for me.”
GAME OVER
Why You Should Play This
Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee works best when approached as a party game rather than serious fighter. The clunky controls and simplistic combat mechanics prevent competitive depth, but couch multiplayer sessions still generate genuine fun watching friends hurl skyscrapers at each other. Solo players face frustrating Adventure mode challenges just to unlock the full roster, which feels punishing for those without local multiplayer options.
The game hasn't aged gracefully by modern standards, its camera struggles and dated graphics more apparent than ever. However, those seeking nostalgic four-player GameCube sessions could do worse. Finding reasonably priced complete copies runs around forty to fifty dollars currently, positioning it as a moderate investment for collectors.
The game spawned two sequels, Save the Earth and Unleashed, building on this foundation with expanded rosters and refined mechanics. This original remains playable only on GameCube or Xbox hardware, no digital re-releases exist, making preservation increasingly important for this slice of early 2000s kaiju gaming history.
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