There are plenty of guilty pleasures that can be found in watching the plethora of Godzilla movies that make up typical late night fare, but none compare to the joy of putting yourself in the rubber suit to thrash equally cumbersome foes and crush miniature buildings.

While there have been tons of other monster fighter games in the past, Godzilla: Destroy all Monsters Melee is the only one that truly captures all of the fun of the classically bad Japanese movies. The game really doesn't have a plot, at least not one that one-ups the movies the game is based on. Instead you'll find yourself pounding down giant monster after giant monster in a raucous rumble that turns cities like London and Tokyo into barely recognizable rubble heaps.

The game offers adequate controls, though the awkward and sometimes turtle-like movements of the creatures may leave something to be desired for those used to playing fast paced and dexterous fighters in the Capcom vein. Godzilla offers five modes of play including a multiplayer, split-screen slug fest that lets you knock around three of your pals on a single console with one of ten monsters. The monster pickins are pretty slim when you start the game, with only the 90’s version of Godzilla, Anguirus, Megalon and Gigan to thrash with, so you might want to fight your way through the adventure mode of the game a few times to unlock some of the other critters. Unfortunately, the adventure mode, which pits you against a string of monsters until you get to the boss-baddie, which is always Mecha Godzilla, requires more patience than talent. I was able to whip through the mode a half dozen times in an hour or so with a handful of different monsters. The true staying power of Godzilla will likely be found in its party-optional melee mode that allows you to pick on friends. There are other modes, like the two-player versus, the survival mode and the destruction mode, which is all about stepping on stuff and crushing buildings, but Godzilla is meant to be a group game. With its lackluster modes and nearly non-existent plot, Godzilla would truly be a radioactive dog if it weren't for the powerful draw of being able to play THE Godzilla.

This is probably the only game I've every played where the license was not only the best aspect of the game, but made it worth buying and keeping. Watching the beautifully rendered Godzilla lurch around the screen at your every command is a wonderful experience and the game plays as if the staff were all huge fans of all-night Godzilla-thons. Don't buy this game to play alone. Don't buy this game for substantive game play. Buy it because you love everything Godzilla and be the Donkey-Whale.