Godzilla to stomp the Cube

[Dennis]

I know this is a few days old but I am soooo jazzed for this game. Here is a link to some good info and screen shots over on Gamers.com:

<a href="http://gamers.com/game/1118333/previews" target="_blank">Godzilla Preview</a>

[Tony Ryan]

Oh my god, Oh My God, Oh My God!!!!

I'm so glad I bought my Gamecube back.

[Michael Rabattino]

The game looks like pants.

Trust me, it won't do good.

[Dennis]

If Super Smash Brothers can be such a success then why not this?

[Michael Rabattino]

It just doesn't seem like it could work. It looks repetitive.

[Dennis]

Tony Ryan:
Oh my god, Oh My God, Oh My God!!!!

I'm so glad I bought my Gamecube back.Why'd you get rid of it in the first place?

[Tony Ryan]

Long story.

Mostly guilt is why though.

[BigRoundSailor]

3. In each of the cities, every single structure is fair game. I don't care about how it looks, I just want to smash buildings with a giant rubber suit. Remember Rampage?

[Dennis]

More Godzilla info from an interview I read on Gamepro:

With all the odd new genres invading console games these days, it's a little odd we haven't seen a "giant monsters laying waste to civilization as we know it" game in ages. Dreamcast importers may remember the ho-hum Godzilla Generations and its equally yawn-inducing sequel, but to find a good U.S.-released monster game, we have to way back to the days of King of the Monsters on the Neo Geo system.
Disaster-film fans have waited years for a newer game, and Infogrames has finally answered their prayers. Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee, a four-player fighter starring the nuclear-powered lizard and 13 of his closest friends, is coming to America this Christmas. We caught up with game producer Kirby Fong to see how the game's shaping up.

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GamePro: The most recent Godzilla game was Generations over on the Dreamcast, which didn't see release outside of Japan and, for that matter, wasn't very good. Have you been paying attention to previous ravaging-monster games (such as King of the Monsters) during development?

Kirby Fong: Yes, we briefly looked at previous Godzilla games. The developers (Pipeworks Software) and I just wanted to see specific things on them, like how they handled certain situations with Godzilla. We really didn't look at them as far as gameplay is concerned. We already had an idea of what we wanted this game to be. As for King of the Monsters, I loved that game when it originally came out on the Neo Geo.

G: How much input have you gotten from Toho for this project? Are you trying to stick to the taste of the Toho movies?

F: Toho has been very helpful in telling us what we can and cannot do. They've given us guidelines for each monster, which has saved us a lot of time. We are staying very true to the Toho style, but it's a video game, of course, and we've had to make some changes. That being said, the hardcore Toho Godzilla fanbase will certainly not be disappointed.

G: Would you guys call yourselves fans of the movies? Which Godzilla movie is your favorite?

F: I grew up a huge fan of Godzilla and I still enjoy a Godzilla flick every now and then. As for my favorite... I guess it would be Bambi Meets Godzilla (laughs). I like all the classic Godzilla movies; it's too difficult to pick a favorite.
G: Do you think Japanese people will like this game more than the 1998 movie?
F: Oh, for sure. I feel our game is more true to the original essence of Godzilla. We have the classic Godzilla that people have known for more than 50 years, along with 13 of his friends.

G: What is the single-player story mode like?
F: Single player mode is pretty straightforward. You select one monster and try to defend each city from other monsters. You'll learn that not only do you have to know the moves/combos of each monster, but how to fight in different areas of each city to be successful. You don't want to be standing around the natural gas or electrical plant when it explodes, for example. There will also be special hidden features and areas in certain cities that I can't disclose yet.

G: Will the game be like Super Smash Brothers Melee, most fun when played with three friends, or does it have a lot for lonely players to explore as well?
F: The Adventure Mode (single player mode) will have a lot for the single player to enjoy, but, of course, fighting games are almost always better with a friend. Adventure Mode is the only mode you can play to unlock additional characters and arenas.

G: Melee's press release mentions a "robust combo system," complete with special attacks for each monster. What kind of combo system are we talking here?
F: We're talking about a combo system that almost anyone can pick up and play. It starts with a simple three-button combo, but as you play you learn that there are more advanced combos you can do with different button presses and/or directional control. As for the special attacks, you'll just have to wait and see, but I can tell you each monster will have their own unique attack and they are already looking very cool.

G: How big are the battle arenas? Do you have a neat little rectangle of city you can tromp about in, King of the Monsters-style, or is it freer than that?
F: That's something we're still toying with. Right now we have pretty big cities and we're going to split each in two. We're trying to find the best size for the fighting, but like KOM, we have force fields around each city to limit where the monsters can go.

G: The Godzilla movies all feature very memorable music. Are you borrowing music from the movies, or are there original tracks composed for the game?
F: We're doing all original tracks that feel like the old classic Godzilla movies. We may have a few tracks from the movies, but that's a secret. Shhhhh!!

G: What sort of control scheme are you implementing? Is there any sort of targeting, for taking down pesky helicopters and other small enemies?
F: We have a head tracking system that allows the monsters to target each other when they're within a certain distance. This helps when a player wants to use their projectile weapons or to throw an object. There is no targeting on human vehicles or UFOs. The C-Stick [on the GameCube controller] allows the player to move their heads freely, so they can try to target them manually, but it won't be easy.

G: What is working on the GameCube like versus other systems? Will Godzilla get released for other formats in the future?
F: Currently we're only working on the GameCube version. Working on the system so far has been very painless. Pipeworks quickly learned the ins and outs of the GC and had something up and running in a month or less. Obviously each system has its strengths and weaknesses, but let's just say that Nintendo is very easy to work with.

[Hellblazer]

OH MY FUCKING GOD.

Okay, my pants just got tight. I need a GameCube and I need a GameCube NOW.