Godzilla Unleashed Review

Godzilla Unleashed came out back in 2007. The game was pretty big because it was the first time Godzilla appeared in anything since the bombastic Final Wars three years earlier. Unleashed is the third game in Atari's series, the first being the classic Destroy All Monsters Melee, then the improved and awesome Save the Earth, and of course this game There are two main versions, like with the other games. There's the Wii version, and the PS2 version. I'm going to be honest and even a little harsh....the PS2 version sucks. If that version was the only one that existed, it would be fine, but there's a far superior gamed called Godzilla: Save the Earth out there. The PS2 version felt like a rushed thing. It was never meant to be on the system, it was just meant for the Wii. The PS2 version's gameplay is slow, and I mean slow. It's like they didn't finish touching up the gameplay. (Throws are broken!) The graphics are grainy, unless it was meant to give the monsters a more gritty look, they all looked like they needed some brightness. And while the Wii version gets all the new monsters, do you know what PS2 owners are left with? Battra. Now that wouldn't be such a bad thing, in fact it'd be pretty awesome, if not for the fact he's nothing other than a Mothra clone. Same moveset, it's almost like the PS2 version is trolling the fans. The Wii version is the real deal. So many great monsters we thought we would never see in a game like this, (who remembers Varan?) and the graphics are the best in any Godzilla game. Whether it's a good game or not is a different story.

This game is basically a fan service. Varan, Godzilla 1954, only G fans could really appreciate this game. For the first time in console games, this one actually has a story. Yes, the previous two games had 'stories,' but this one is cutscene based, even if it's just comic book panels with no animation. Save the Earth is still the definitive Godzilla game, thanks to its balanced fighting style and perfect controls. Unleashed on the other hand is more of a Godzilla fan's dream. However, there's one thing holding the game back: the controls. The Wii remote is used here. Not to bash the system or anything, but their controls for fighting games never work. (Try playing Naruto Clash of the Ninja Revolution 3 with the Wii remote, seriously try it.) When you first play the game, you are not going to understand what the heck you're doing. It takes some weeks to understand and actually like the controls a bit. Whereas the attacks and combos were pretty balanced in the previous games, here it isn't, there's a lot more spamming involved. There's the normal attack and the strong attack. Only thing is that there's no point in even doing a normal attack, since a strong attack can just break through it. Both players will constantly use the strong attack. And if you thought Destoroyah was overpowered in the previous games, wait until you see him here. Unlike in the others, he has unlimited use of his horned katana, making him the character no one wants to play against. The arenas are different. You'll have to play the game to see it for yourself, but each has its own thing going. Tokyo is flooded, Seattle is a volcanic wasteland, etc. It definitely gives the battles a unique atmosphere every time. 'Rage,' isn't here, instead it's this Critical Mass. It's pretty cool, it really makes the battles all the more frantic as you see your opponent turning all fiery and giant right before your eyes.

Story mode is pretty fun the first couple of times, but imagine having to do it over ten times. That's the case sadly. In order to buy monsters in the store, you have to get money. Not only that, some monsters you have to find in story mode. Trust me, after hearing Admiral Gyozen's gruff voice for the eighth time, you might just die a little inside. Also, the monsters are way too expensive. Probably the intention was to add replay value, but it ends up being nothing short of annoying. The player is left thinking "Is it really worth it? Maybe I should just put in a cheat code unlocking everything." The game's soundtrack is a high-point. Destroy All Monsters Melee had some of the most bland music I have ever heard in a video game. Save the Earth had some nice tunes, but nothing special. Unleashed broke the chain and included some great music done by Heavy Melody Music. Every monster has their own unique theme, from Mecha King Ghidorah's in-your-face one to Gigan's more soft, stealthy one.

Unleashed boasts an impressive 26 characters. We have a bunch of new monsters, which was the main selling point. Finally, we get Titanosaurus. His attacks and the way he fights matches his movie counterpart well. (Though it's ironic that his beam attack is a supersonic roar, considering that supersonic sounds are his weakness in the film.) Biollante was a HUGE selling point. I mean, just the fact that you can play as her is awesome. Varan, a monster that only Godzilla fans know, makes a return after many years absence from his previous game appearance. Though I'm not sure you'll want to play as him, he could very well be the weakest character in the game. If you're using him and your opponent is Destoroyah, you're toast. Godzilla 1954 was a odd but welcome character. Gigan gets his Final Wars look, which is pretty cool to play as. They made Godzilla 90's look way too much like 54. To the unsuspecting eye, it's easy to confuse the two. This game is also known for having two original monsters, Krystalak and Obsidius. They're pretty cool, but if you're going to have new characters, you better give them backstory. Sadly story mode doesn't do that, making these characters feel like a waste. For that, you could have put two other monsters from Godzilla lore instead (Still waiting for Hedorah...)

Overall, Godzilla Unleashed isn't a 'great' game, Save the Earth is still the Godzilla game. However, fans of the franchise will still definitely want to pick it up. (You get to play as Biollante!) This isn't a hardcore or balanced fighting game like Save the Earth, but it's fun once you understand the controls. Just stay far, far away from the PS2 version.

7/10

Godzilla vs. Biollante Review

I hope you've all had a great Thanksgiving. Usually on these big holidays, I watch a film. I was in a Godzilla mood, (then again, I always am) so I wanted to check out one I haven't seen in awhile. With the recent rumors that the rose monster would battle the big G in the upcoming reboot, I had this incentive to check out this film. (That, and it's been over twelve years since I've last watched it, lost the VHS awhile back.) It was one of the few Godzilla films I've only seen once, and was very small when I first popped it into the VCR. So without further ado, onto my Godzilla Thanksgiving special review.

Wow, I literally remembered almost nothing about this film while watching it, which made it a fresh experience. The Heisei era is known for going back to the original 1954 film's route of having a very serious tone and none of the light-hearted fun of the late Showa era. (Save for Terror of Mechagodzilla, that was a pretty serious one.) A lot of fans have a fondness for Godzilla vs. Biollante, which one of the reasons is that to this day, it still doesn't have an official DVD release. (C'mon Media Blasters, if you're gonna do Godzilla vs. Megalon, you should also do The Return of Godzilla and this film.) Anyways, I wanted to see just exactly why a lot of the fans appreciate this entry so much, and I got my answer.....well, I'm still trying to figure why it's regarded as one of the best.

The story follows the Japanese's governemt plan of creating a bacteria that could destroy Godzilla. However, one scientist decides to combine Godzilla's cells with that of a rose. The rose grows into a giant monster dubbed "Biollante," which is said to be exactly like Godzilla. Not only that, but she has the human spirit of a girl. Even though they are blood-related, when Godzilla and Biollante meet, there will be no happy family reunions.

A rather unique concept, you'll see a monster with a giant rose for head in this film. The problem was that the first half of the film was very interesting, yes, but in the second half, the plot kinda vanished for a bit. The early scene with Biollante's tentacles was intense and well-done. And just when you're getting a bit tired of the human characters, Godzilla shows up and makes his way to Biollante. After a very interesting confrontation resulting in Biollante's "death," the film takes a bit of a dull turn. See, the concept of Biollante was what made this film supremely interesting and different when compared to the rest. Once she was defeated in the first battle, she wasn't mentioned until toward the final act. What we have to do is endure the human subplot of Americans, (they never really look good in these films, do they?) attempting to steal the Godzilla cells. When Godzilla appears, he battles the Super X II, which was quite dull, being nothing more than back and forth beams. Don't misunderstand me though, it'still a pretty solid entry with a very interesting concept.

The Heisei era gave the human characters more of a focus, with deeper plots for them. The people we got here were pretty well-acted and well-scripted. There were some obvious and cringe-worthy dialogue, ("I think I've made a mistake") but was a very solid effort. The problem is that they get a bit too much screen time when we want to see the monsters. This was fan-favorite Miki's first appearance, not a bad performance at all. The problem is that they introduced a bit too many characters to give equally solid performances.

Godzilla himself looked pretty good, there are some amazing closeups in his face. Biollante's design is truly a unique one, the most unique since Gigan at the time. However, one flaw was that Erica, the girl whose spirit is in Biollante, isn't explained very well. It was never said exactly how her spirit went into Biollante's, it didn't make much sense. The final battle, while short, was definitely very well-done. Every move the monsters made was felt, truly epic. The scene where Godzilla stands in front of Biollante's evolved form was truly awe-inspiring. I also liked the scenes with Biollante somehow walking toward Godzilla, gave off a creepy feel.

One of the things that killed this film was the awful soundtrack. My goodness, a lot of these songs belong in some cheesy 70's flick. The sad part is, this film has a very serious tone, and these cheesy themes remove the tension in some scenes. (Especially in the first chase scene with the stairs, where this Scooby Doo-like theme plays.) The soundtrack is definitely one of the worst in the franchise. Biollante's theme might have been the only good theme, (aside from Akira Ifukube's Godzilla theme of course) giving off an eerie feel.

Overall, I think Godzilla vs. Biollante is a bit overrated. Too little monster sequences, too little Biollante, some poorly developed human side-plots, and an awful soundtrack. It had a dull atmosphere at times. (Apparently TOHO realized this, cause in the next film, Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah, became more fun and followed the Showa route of craziness.) Still, this film has some solid acting, a cool monster in the form of Biollante, and the final battle is supremely epic, especially when Biollante attempts to eat Godzilla's head. (Which Orga would attempt ten years later.)

7/10.