Platform: PlayStation 2, Xbox

Genre: Fighting

Number of Players: 1 -2 + online
Peripherals: Broadband Adaptor

He's been a star of the silver screen for 50 years and is internationally recognized by young and old alike. He's had his image adorn more merchandise than Hello Kitty, has been the focus of animated series, board games, comic books, and video games. He is none other than Godzilla, the mutated reptile that started as nothing more than a statement against war that became an icon, and now he's back, but not in film. In celebration of Godzilla's 50th anniversary, Atari has once again brought the green guy to your video game console, and once again, it's time to crumble.

Godzilla: Save the Earth deals with something about aliens that are trying to invade the Earth and essentially ruin life as we know it, a very common theme that has been a part of many Godzilla films, but just like those, the alien invasion is really isn't the important factor of the game. Face it, Godzilla doesn't need a story, and it's all about destruction. That's the main point here, and then some, especially with almost 20 different Godzilla monsters to select from.

Save the Earth is what the end result would be if you took the classic game Rampage and combined it with the street fighting elements of any three dimensional fighter like Soul Caliber, Tekken, and the list goes on and on from there. This is the perfect representation of what Arcade Mode represents. Select the monster you want to battle as, and then you're off to a number of locations like Monster Island, Seattle, Osaka, and just about anywhere else that you'd like to destroy. You have the classic battle moves, punches and kicks, and if that's not enough, you can pick up buildings, throw them, or even catch them, assuming your timing is correct. There's nothing like a little destruction to brighten anyone's day, though there was a little disappointment in places like Seattle where I couldn't find a Starbucks to destroy to save my life.

Arcade mode is a little more than just ravaging the city though. Okay, maybe it's not, but there are a few finer mechanics to pay attention to. You will constantly be under the gun so to speak as jet fighters and UFO's try and make your visit short. These are mere flies though, and the only thing you should even both with them for is a few bonus points at the end of the stage. There are health icons, but most importantly, there is the rage icon which will give you 120% more attack power and make your victory almost assured. There are also containers to G-Cells that will give you even more points (each stage has five of these) and even air raid icons that will bring the assistance of jet fighter patrols and even Battra.

Completing each stage will earn you points that can be spent later in the game. Not every monster is available for play, and you will have to buy different monsters sets to have access to some of the other heavies in the world of Godzilla. If you want to play as Mothra, you'll have to earn it. You also can unlock different areas for multi-player battles as well as artwork from the Godzilla Final Wars movie (allegedly the last in the series.) The available monsters cover just about every one that you could want. The classics are there, and aside from the aforementioned Mothra, you will find Rodan, Gigan, and even Anguirus at your disposal. The newer monsters are represented as well including Space Godzilla and Destroyah and even Ogra and other classic Godzilla foes have varied versions. Mechagodzilla for example has the classic version from the 80's as well as the new Millennium version, and of course Ghidorah and Mecha-Ghidorah are playable. The only question on my mind though is why include Jet Jaguar? The Ultraman reject is one of the most pathetic Godzilla creatures ever, and I would have been much happier to see some of the lesser-known foes such as Kamakilis (the preying mantis) and Kumonga (the spider that some know as Spiegra) included in the game.

Outside of randomly destroying just about anything, you will find a number of bonus stages that offer challenges to attempt to conquer. Many of these will be available after you have played through them in the regular arcade mode and you will find yourself doing such things as saving the city of UFO's, attempting to defeat three different stages of Ogra, and even beating down Jet Jaguar and his clone, something that I'm more than happy to do. For the destructive beast in all of us though, you can take great pleasure in simply destroying the city. For an even bigger challenge though, Survival Mode will put you in fight after fight until you finally lay in a gigantic heap in the city. If the computer combat grows stale though, you can try your luck online against other G-fanatics, always a plus for anyone who has taken their love of the lizard to the extreme.

What don't I like about the game? Well, there isn't anything, save for the absence of a few of my favorite Godzilla monsters, but aside from that, coming from the perspective of a huge Godzilla fan, Save the Earth is probably the best Godzilla game that has been made and should keep any fan more than happy. With any luck we will see a full roster of monsters in future games, but for now, Godzilla: Save the Earth is a perfect game for new and long time fans of the series and is a must have just for the sheer entertainment value.

-mike