The popular kaiju genre is in the news once again thanks to Godzilla: King of the Monsters, which promises to be the biggest, boldest, and most amazing Godzilla film yet (which is certainly saying something). Luckily, the kaiju genre hasn't been limited to movies and comic books - there are numerous kaiju video games out there, many of them of surprisingly high quality.
And some, of course, are...not so good. Luckily, we're here to tell you which kaiju video games are worth playing, and which are worth skipping entirely. These are ten popular kaiju video games, ranked from worst to best.
10 Godzilla
Godzilla was released in July 2015, about one year after the release of the 2014 movie reboot. However, it was not a tie-in, as it was based off a Japanese release called Godzilla VS. The game was tarnished upon release, and many critics agreed that it was a massive disappointment given the potential.
Critics complained about the lack of local co-op gameplay and criticized the ugly technical presentation in regards to graphics, design, and controls. Godzilla games have the potential to be fun, but instead we get rushed and outdated messes like this. Skip at all costs.
9 King Of The Monsters
King of the Monsters is an old fighting game reminiscent of Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat. Only, players control giant monsters instead of human (or humanoid) fighters. The characters consisted of Godzilla and King Kong ripoffs, along with a giant beetle, a golem, a superhero, and a monster made of toxic waste.
It wasn't very good back in the early 90s, and it's still not very good on modern consoles. Many of the characters play and control in the exact same way, and mindless fighting is only so fun for so long. King of the Monsters is fun in brief, five-minute increments, but nothing more.
8 Godzilla: Unleashed
Godzilla: Unleashed was a fighting game released for the DS, Wii, and PS2 (yes, the PS2) back in 2007. It contained over twenty kaiju and mechas, including Fire Rodan, the original Godzilla, and King Ghidorah. But despite the all-star lineup, Unleashed was fiercely criticized for its unresponsive controls, ugly graphics, and general feeling of incompleteness.
In short, you could just tell that not much thought, care, or money went into this title. Come on! This is Godzilla we're talking about here! Still, it sold relatively well, outselling other Godzilla titles like Destroy All Monsters Melee and Save the Earth, so we guess it was good enough for general audiences.
7 Aaargh!
Aaargh! is an old game which saw players controlling one of two monsters as they searched for Roc eggs throughout various cities. Once an egg was found, players were forced to battle another monster. While it was designed for Mastertronic's Arcadia Systems, it was eventually ported by EA to the Amiga, where it saw more commercial success.
The game received very mixed reviews, although most agreed that the game was a technical marvel for its time. While the gameplay was criticized, various aspects of its production, mainly the sound design and graphics, were lauded. Believe it or not, there was absolutely nothing like this at the time.
6 Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee
Destroy All Monsters Melee was a fighting game originally released for the GameCube before it was ported to the Xbox in 2003. The player could choose between eleven playable characters and could punch, kick, and even throw entire buildings at their opponent in the hopes of draining their health and defeating them.
Environmental obstacles, like the army, also attacked the players and forced them to alter their strategies. The game received average reviews, with most calling it a competent and fun brawler but nothing more. It was good enough for a rental and a weekend, at least.
5 Godzilla: Save The Earth
A sequel to Destroy All Monsters Melee, Save the Earth took what was good about its predecessor and improved upon it in every conceivable way. While the gameplay remained largely the same, it also introduced a few minor gameplay mechanics and the Xbox version allowed for online play through Xbox Live.
It still wasn't a great game by any means, but it provided the same old Godzilla experience we had grown to love while also improving upon it in subtle but appreciative ways. When it comes to Godzilla video games, Save the Earth is definitely in the upper tier.
4 Earth Defense Force 2025
Earth Defense Force 2025 is a great yet underappreciated video game from Sandlot. It concerns the titular EDF, a multinational military designed to protect Earth from invading alien forces.
As such, players control soldiers as they defend Earth from alien monsters like giant spiders and wasps. While the console versions received relatively lukewarm reviews, the PC version as well-received, with many praising its destructible environments, over-the-top set pieces, and sheer number of available weapons (more than 700). It's good, campy fun, and it never aspires to be anything more. And that's perfectly fine with us.
3 Peter Jackson's King Kong
Movie tie-ins have a history of being...well, bad. Very bad. Luckily, Peter Jackson's King Kong is one of the rare gems. Unlike most movie tie-ins, this game provided its own sense of excitement and intrigue, offering players many unique monsters and locations that were absent from the movie.
And even when it did veer into movie territory, the gameplay was fun and deep enough to keep us invested. The movie's cast was also exceptional, lending the game infectious energy. You can actually tell that some thought and money went into the game, which is more than we can say for most movie tie-ins. In fact, this may be one of the finest tie-in video games of all time.
2 War Of The Monsters
War of the Monsters is an all-time kaiju classic. It was released for the PS2 back in 2003, and it saw up to four players controlling various monsters as they duked it out in various city environments.
The game added various mechanics to spice up the typical fighting action, like the ability to free roam the city, use items like cars and radio antennae as weapons, and a stamina meter that needed to be monitored lest you found yourself unable to throw a punch. It was an absolute blast, and it contained what was, at the time, the best environmental destruction in gaming. Never before had a video game captured the necessary sense of scale and destruction quite like War of the Monsters.
1 Rampage
War of the Monsters may be a technical masterpiece, but no other kaiju video game even comes close to Rampage. Rampage is one of the OG kaiju games, yet it's still the best thanks to its iconic roster of characters, intuitive gameplay mechanics, and wonderful sense of destruction.
There was simply nothing like it back in 1986, and it remains one of the all-time video game greats, both within the fighting genre and in gaming as a whole. When it comes to kaiju, Rampage is as synonymous with gaming as Godzilla is to film.