iant monsters are fighting, and as in those classic movies, the city is getting hammered. The hapless inhabitants are running and, more often than not, getting squished. The buildings are falling, and trucks exist basically to get chucked at another monster (they make great big explosions). Woe to anyone on a cruise ship in the middle of the harbor—it's not going to end well for them.
After a wonderfully clever movie intro (Fallout fans will recognize that same mid-century American kitsch here), players are off to the drive-in to pick a fiend. All the classic monsters are available: Togera (a Godzilla type), Preytor (a giant insect), Congar (a cousin of King Kong), Robo-47 (a laser-beamed, atomic-era robot), Agamo (a stone creature with a flaming head), Ultra V (a slick, Transformer-style modern robot), Magmo (a lava monster) or Kineticlops (a one-eyed electrically powered baddie). Later, players can use saved battle points to unlock additional characters (including a dragon) and more maps.
Monsters can either battle directly with any number of enemies on the board, or be used as a weapon to take apart the town. Knocking down buildings reveals hidden secrets, including a "cloaking" powerup that makes the monster invisible. A typical combination attack will involve lurking on the top of a building—radio tower in hand—to spear Congar, drop down beside him and pound on him with a combination of smashing, grappling and shooting attacks.
This is both a single- and a two-player game. Battle points accrue in the serial "adventure" mode (involving increasingly difficult boss fights) and "endurance" mode (which is exactly what it sounds like). After a long day of fighting and point-collecting, players can treat their monsters to a fresh new outfit (most of which seem to involve some kind of silver plating).
A breath of fiery fresh air
With a ho-hum name, War of the Monsters sounds like another B-level game. It isn't. This is the game for anyone who falls into one or more of the following camps: fans of fighting games, fans of 1950s Japanese monster movies, anyone who gets enthusiastic at the mention of the name Harryhausen and those who like dragons, robots and really big preying mantis/wasplike creatures. In other words, it has something for everyone.
With a range of characters, Monsters continues to offer players ways to enhance their game even after learning the basic fighting maneuvers. Certain maps are far more difficult than others, providing fewer powerups and more possibility of winding up a crushed little bug. Some of the creatures are incredibly light and easy to keep aloft, so playing them requires adapting moves to a bird's-eye view. Heavy, earthbound types (like those made from stone and lava) are slow-moving but deliver an incredible punch when cornering their prey.
The enthusiasm the design team had for Monsters' subject material is obvious throughout. During the load time between battles (which is pretty quick, by the way), Monsters flashes a vintage movie poster for the scene about to take place, complete with fold marks. Clearly, these people did their research, and probably counted their lucky blessings that they got to sit through another viewing of Ghidrah, the Three-Headed Monster while getting paid for it.
I know a game is good when I close my eyes and am still collecting life, health, energy—all the while scanning for a fuel truck to use for a good blast-'em-up beating.
— Jennifer
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