There weren't a ton of Godzilla video games throughout my childhood. Aside from the NES game, Godzilla: Monster of Monsters (that one is gonna have its day), there wasn't much else I remember. Then in the 2000's there were a handful of kaiju battler titles, the subject of this review Destroy All Monsters Melee, Godzilla Domination (for the Game Boy Advance, and co-produced by Wayforward), and Godzilla Save the Earth!. 

Both Save the Earth and Destroy All Monsters Melee were developed by Pipeworks Software. Released in 2002 and published by Atari, Melee gives me flashbacks to the SNK brawler/fighter King of the Monsters. Or for a more modern spin closer to home, it's Def Jam: Fight For New York, but with giant monsters.

Now I'll call myself out here, I'm not a big fan of arena fighters. they're neat for a quick thrill, but seldom have staying power with me, due to the lack of unique moves and the overly arcadey meta. My exception to this with Destroy All Monsters Melee is a little bit of bullshit, but simple; IT'S KAIJU DESTROYING A CITY TO DESTROY EACH OTHER. Just the fan in me keeps this game a little bit relevant, but once you've unlocked everything, it can teeter on repetitive.

The roster is cool, though. While I have a problem with three roster spots devoted to Godzilla variations (90's, 2000's, and Mecha), it's awesome seeing Megalon, Destoroyah, and Rodan throwing the blows. Hedorah makes a cameo as a stage hazard to slow your energy regeneration and to simply attack both combatants. And it's too bad Mothra isn't playable, but she also shows up to deliver air strikes. So just on optics and fan service, Destroy All Monsters whets that appetite.

Some issues with the gameplay is, outside of feeling a little monotonous, there...honestly isn't a great deal of brains that goes into playing it. You can win most matches by spamming the same series moves and throws, since the blocking and defense is suspect as hell. Along with some punches and kicks, most monsters have a projectile. The computer opponents can be incredibly cheap, especially King Ghidorah, who seems to get his Rage attack really quick. 

You could probably get some multiplayer mayhem out of this, but in my experiences, people found the 4-player mash a bit unfair and too overly hectic, due to the friendly fire. To its credit, there are a decent amount of modes in the game, so it does its best to add some variety to the experience.

This also might be a little bit of a minor complaint, while it rules the monsters make their distinct roars and battle cries, it's a touch disappointing that the music feels stock. I don't find it very memorable, and comes off more like standard ambiance than anything that heightens the experience.  

Overall, the graphics are pretty damn boss for the time period. I do like the plethora of destructible environments and the ability to hurl building debris at your opponent. It's very easy to pick up and play, so this is a user friendly game that could be enjoyed over some beers. Godzilla Destroy All Monsters Melee may fall short of replay value, due to its lack of depth; once you've destroyed all you can destroy and unlocked the whole roster, there's very little reason to revisit it. However, its straightforward approach could also be its greatest strength.