It was, in a way, an expression of the post-war era. Born of the deep scars left on the Japanese collective imaginary after the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This raw energy and authenticity garnered it a large following abroad, making it into one of the greatest pop icons the world has ever seen. Godzilla is everywhere. And of course, that includes video games. If you’re a fan of the radioactive monster itching to raze some cities as your favorite Kaiju, you’ll love these titles.
10. Godzilla: Unleashed (2007)
Platforms: Wii, PS2, PSP, Nintendo DS The first item on our list was developed by Pipeworks Software, who had an impeccable track record of making delightful games with the Godzilla license. With beautiful visuals, cinematic fights, and even a couple of exclusive Kaiju to bolster its already vast array of massive monsters, it seems to have everything it needs to please fans… except for the awful motion controls. The Wii asked developers to base their games around the motion controls or ignore them completely. Pipeworks Software seems to have put them in as an afterthought, and the result is atrocious.
9. Godzilla: Monster of Monsters (1989)
Platforms: NES The first Godzilla game to become famous worldwide was Monster of Monsters, a side-scrolling adventure for the NES(the original Nintendo console) that put you in control of the beloved Kaiju. It featured 8 worlds, each culminating in an epic fight against franchise classics like Gigan and King Ghidorah. Gameplay was a bit repetitive, but it’s a retro game so it’s fair. And the sprites were terrific, plus it featured some really obscure Kaiju for the movie buffs to talk about.
8. Super Godzilla (1994)
Platforms: SNES Super Godzilla was the improved version of 1989’s Monster of Monsters, taking the famous reptile beast to the next generation. The gameplay remains mostly unaltered. But there’s more of a story here, and the level of detail on the sprites was enhanced thanks to the new hardware’s power. The game’s soundtrack might be its most significant improvement, as the higher audio quality allowed composers to bring some of the franchise’s signature tunes to improve its ambiance.
7. Godzilla Daikaiju Battle Royale
Platforms: PC The seventh spot on our ranking goes to a fan-made flash game by developer Alex Merdich. This unofficial Kaiju fighting game features a massive roster of Kaiju, but what makes the project stand out is how much love the developer poured into it. It’s evident in the little details, like the vast array of skins for every character and using sound bites from the original films in just the right places. Finding a year on this has been tough, but this article can date the game’s earlier versions back to 2004(and it may even be older than that!)
6. Godzilla: Domination! (2002)
Platforms: Game Boy Advance Good licensed games were always a surprise before the medium started being taken seriously by the entertainment industry. This goes double for handheld devices like the GBA. Godzilla: Domination! succeeded in bringing a quality monster battling experience to the small screen. It features appealing and colorful graphics along with the same city-razing monster-smashing gameplay seen on its GC counterpart, Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee. The best thing about this game is the fantastic soundtrack, composed by Jake Kaufman, better known for his work on Shovel Knight and the Shantae series.
5. Godzilla Generations: Maximum Impact (1999)
Platforms: Dreamcast Despite the original Godzilla Generations released a couple of years prior being absolute garbage, its sequel on the Sega Dreamcast was a massive improvement and a bonafide good game. This is partly thanks to its on-rails gameplay, which lets developers focus on crafting engaging levels and polish the controls. Visuals were also on-point for the time. Showing off some of the most iconic Kaiju designs from the franchise. Especially for the Dreamcast. The solid soundtrack and inclusion of exclusive Kaiju like Super Mecha Godzilla are just the icing on the cake. Note this one was released just in Japan(I believe) so you’ll have to find a translated version, find a ROM, or learn Japanese.
4. Godzilla: Kaiju Daikessen (1994)
Platforms: SNES Another great Godzilla game with a sizable roster (for the time) was Kaiju Daikessen for the Super Famicom – the Japanese version of the SNES. The title roughly translates to Monster War, and it features iconic Kaiju from the franchise duking it out in an old-school 2D brawler style similar to that of Street Fighter. Not only was the soundtrack exciting and the controls tight, but the sprites used for each colossal monster were terrific. All in all, it was an excellent game that even non-fans could appreciate. Regrettably, the game never received a Western release. The fact that it became so well-known among Western Godzilla fans is a testament to just how good it was. And you might be able to find some translated ROMs out there if you look hard enough.
3. Godzilla (2014)
Platforms: PS3, PS4 Developed by Natsume, the latest installment in the Godzilla franchise is a hot debate topic among gamers. It does a lot of things right. But some say it does even more things terribly wrong. The disagreements stem from the fact that developers entirely forgot to put any effort into building a competent fighting game. The controls are sluggish, the gameplay is very repetitive, and there’s no balance whatsoever among the Kaiju. On the other hand, the visuals are stunning, with every fight having a cinematic appeal never before seen in the series. Even the camera placements are often reminiscent of the classic films, and it’s evident that the game was made by people who knew the franchise inside-out. For hardcore fans of the series, that’s more than enough.
2. Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee (2002)
Platforms: GameCube, Game Boy Advance, Xbox Developed by Pipeworks Software, Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee was the first great 3D game starring the oversized lizard. It’s a competent Kaiju brawler, the likes of which hadn’t been seen since Kaiju Daikessen on the Super Famicom. But also it really captures the feeling of being a Kaiju for whom cities are just mildly annoying obstacles on the way to victory. The graphics were also really flashy and appealing at the time. Couple that with tight controls and a great soundtrack, and this game an absolute must-play for any fan of the series.
1. Godzilla: Save the Earth (2004)
Platforms: PS2, Xbox Not losing momentum, Pipeworks Software followed up with a fantastic sequel that kept the tight controls and engaging battle system mostly untouched… other than making it a tad slower given massive weight of our scaly friend. In essence, it’s the same game as Destroy All Monsters Melee. But with new cutscenes, updated graphics, and even more Kaiju to choose from when enjoying the multiplayer. Possibly the best additions to this game were the extra mini-games, like playing basketball with buildings and other debris, which captures a bit of the campy charm of the original films.
