In the realm of Kaiju fandom, there is a lot of stigma and critical assumptions you have to combat. People write off the films because they have appeared on various Riff shows like Mystery Science Theater 3000 and the assumptions transcend mediums as the same issues come up in terms of video games. The game we are discussing today has been widely and unfairly written off due to its inclusion in an episode of The Angry Video Game Nerd. Godzilla 2: War of the Monsters is an extremely fun Turn-Based Strategy game with a lot to it and it should not be written off.
First and foremost if you’re going to get this game either via emulation or you manage to track down the original NES cartridge, you will need to track down the game’s manual. There is no tutorial for the game and as is common in the realm of classic video games they throw you in without any instruction. This is the biggest criticism to be levied at the game and it is clear that many of the online reviewers did not take the time to track the manual down. A PDF is readily available online; it really introduces you to the core concepts of the game and without it you will miss out on the core strategies that make the game winnable.
The game works as such: You play as the military and you have to defeat the invading monsters. When you begin the game you are given twelve different scenarios in which to choose and you can play them in any order you see fit. Each scenario offers a vastly different map, monsters, and oftentimes new game concepts. For example, using the radar cars main ability you can find and befriend Mothra on certain maps. Each monster has their own powers and stats, as the military, your job is to exploit those stats with the weapons you have available. This ends up with having a guerilla warfare style of play. You are constantly creating lines of defense, you attack, take a lot of damage, then you pull back your first line to send them to heal, and send in the second wave. It creates this feeling of being a General of the Japanese Self Defense Force. You are in a mad rush to stop the kaiju from decimating the city, while also trying to keep your military forces strong enough to eventually stop the titans. In the later scenarios, you will get to bring out the super-weapons which really make the game a blast. Taking on Ghidorah (spelled Ghidora) with the Super X2 is a blast, especially when your forces are decimated and this is your last chance to save the planet.
There are six Kaiju in the game and it is a very odd collection. Godzilla, Baragon, Rodan, Hedorah, King Ghidorah, and Mothra. Hedorah and Baragon are welcome inclusions. In terms of popularity, you would normally see Anguirus in place of Baragon and a more recognizable kaiju villain like Gigan or Megalon. However, the appearance of Baragon highlights how much this game feels like Destroy all Monsters. The UFO that appears as a late-game enemy is clearly based off of the Kilaak spaceship from DAM and as the human military, you are given access to the Moonlight SY-3 which is from DAM as well. For my knowledge, this is the only time either spaceship has appeared within a video game.
The game is not perfect. The soundtrack is catchy for the first five minutes, however, it derails into the repetitive mighty quick. The game seemingly knows this as there is an option to completely shut off the soundtrack in the main menu. An option which in other games takes a while to locate. My recommendation would be to throw on some classic Ifukube and just ignore the in-game soundtrack. The other downside of the game is the roulette system. Whenever you initiate the battle sequence you have to participate in a roulette system which will either buff you or the enemy monster. This throws a level of complete chance into the battles which can occasionally be frustrating. There is no available background information on the game itself as no one seems to know who the publisher was.
This is a great game to check out if you’re a fan of modern games like Into the Breach or early X-Com games. Godzilla 2: War of the Monsters is more complex than either of those and the complexity can be off-putting. However, it is not overly difficult once you get your head around the ins and outs of the system. This is a game worth giving another look at if you’ve brushed it off in the past and are looking for a fun way to spend an afternoon.