Screechin' and slammin', slammin' and screechin'

Taking into account only the actual multiplayer gameplay, Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee is possibly the single best four-player fighting game I have ever played. It is more involving than either of the Powerstone titles, more substantial than the Cross Fever mode in Marvel Vs. Capcom, and more satisfying than the Super Smash Bros. games. When you are in the heat of action, burrowing underground as Megalon, zooming through the air as Rodan, or spewing a stream of pure annihilation as one of the Godzillas, you are pulled in hard, and thoughts of trophy collecting and tagging in fall to the side.

The multiplayer is accessible to casual game players, but the move lists are deep enough, and strategy is important enough, that a wily veteran will almost always win the day. Unless, that is, the other three players gang up on him and make his life miserable.

The checks and balances are strong, even though some creatures may initially seem out of step with the rest of the roster. There are beasts that fly, beasts that can attack with a wide beam all the way across the screen, beasts that can shoot paralyzing missiles - but there is always a counter-advantage to be had, always a way to avoid being cheaped-out.

But is the game all about multiplayer? Not quite. There is a story mode that mirrors the plot of the 1969 Destroy All Monsters movie. In a nutshell: alien goofballs descend on Earth and enslave the minds of all the denizens of Monster Island save one. Assuming the role of that lone Great Green Hope, your goal is to smash your way through a line of contenders on your way to the final showdown on the mother ship. All the encounters are one-on-one battles, though Mothra and various armed forces do get involved and may even affect the outcome of the match. The Survival Mode adds some variety to the single-player proceedings, as does Destruction Mode, but it all boils down to the same thing with slightly different twists.

Monster Island Welcoming Committee

Only three monsters are initially selectable - Godzilla 90s, Megalon, and Anguirus., each with its own strengths. Godzilla has an edge in thrashing from a distance, with a very effective beam attack; Anguirus has strong melee skills and a hard, spiny shell that can inflict damage on any enemy that hits it; while Megalon has a burrow attack (think homicidal Bugs Bunny) that the computer just loves to repeatedly unleash when your health bar is low (aw, come on - you don't think Megalon would do that in a "real" fight?). Using a monster to beat the game on any difficulty level will unlock another monster the first time you do it, until ten monsters are revealed. An eleventh monster, the villain from Godzilla 2000, then becomes unlockable.

The rest of the roster is comprised of the pterodactyl Rodan; the hook-handed Gigan; three-headed King Ghidorah and his cyborg counterpart, Mecha King Ghidorah; the bulky laser-horn-weilding Destroyah; Orga, who is a combination of Godzilla and an alien ship; and Godzilla 2000 and Mecha Godzilla, who usually serves as the boss. Mothra (guess which member of the animal kingdom he is patterned after) can be summoned via a power-up. The smog monster, Hedorah, can be seen fouling up some stages as well, and getting caught in his cloud slows down the rate at which your monster's special attack energy is restored.

Each creature has strikes accessed through the control pad and the A, B, and X buttons. Many of these can be chained together to good effect. Z releases a long-rage attack when held and usually a second projectile attack when tapped. The C-stick can be used to aim beam/breath attacks. Pressing A and B simultaneously makes a grab for the opponent. Once hoisted aloft, an enemy can be carried around and dispatched in one of three ways, depending on which button is pressed as a follow-up. L runs, R jumps, Y blocks.

Pressing both triggers at the same time enables a special attack, like Megalon's underground tunneling or Gigan's teleport. A and Y together activate a creature's Rage Mode once the corresponding power-up has been obtained. Many of the combatants see an increase in strength while in Rage Mode, and all of them gain an additional Rage Attack, usable once every time its Rage Mode is in effect.

For those who care about more than just the destruction . . .

If, for some reason, the thought of chucking five-story buildings at giant beetles isn't enough to make you blaze a fiery trail to your local video game store, allow me to go into some of the technical aspects of the game.

The monster graphics are very good, but the buildings are not terribly high-res. Considering how big the fighters are and how many buildings are in some levels, that may be understandable. Surprisingly, the game supports progressive scan, so if you have a beast of a television, you may have more impressive results.

The sound is loud and authentic. Every roar and crunch reverberates with authority. The music is blah, but you won't care much, I bet.

The AI is tough, but not Mortal-Kombat-cheap. It's not a game you can play in a laid-back state of mind, even on the easiest difficulty. To make it even more challenging, there are only three continues in reserve. Some may whine about all that, but I see it as a strength. For those who want an easier time, there are cheats for extra continues and invincibility, but you didn't hear that from me, all right?

Creature comforts

Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee is not your typical Godzilla release. This one not only uses the license well, it stands as a respectable gameplay experience, particularly in groups of three or four. If you are a fan of the characters, take my score up to an A, but even if you hate the movies, this is a perfect guilty pleasure.

· · · Nick