“Gamers love Godzilla ­ the gigantic size, range of attacks and interesting gameplay elements enabled by superpowered creatures,” said Jean-Philippe Agati, senior vice president and general manager of Infogrames’ Los Angeles studio. “Working closely with Toho Co., Ltd. and Sony Pictures Consumer Products has allowed us to create a one-of-a-kind gaming experience for GameCube owners, while staying true to the movies for rabid Godzilla fans. With the power of Nintendo’s next-generation console, we’ve created detailed worlds and accurate creatures that do justice to this classic franchise.”

Based on the hit movies created by Toho Co., Ltd., Godzilla(R): Destroy All Monsters Melee is a one-to-four-player fighting game of epic scope that pits gamers as their favorite giant monster against other escapees from Monster Island in titan-to-titan combat. In addition to the single-player story mode, the game includes four play styles: Versus mode, pitting between one and four players against each other in an epic battle royal; Destruction mode, a timed challenge to see which player can destroy more of a city in a given amount of time; Survival mode, the ultimate test of a player’s skill, pitting him against monster after monster with the score based on the number of enemies defeated before losing a match; and Practice Mode, where players can increase their skills and find precious power-ups located within each city.

To provide the monsters with ample fighting room, combat will be located in 10 massive real-world and fantasy locations, including San Francisco, Seattle, Tokyo and the notorious Monster Island. Godzilla(R): Destroy All Monsters Melee will also feature additional hidden, unlockable areas. Each city has been created with amazing attention to detail, including working traffic lights, blinking neon signs and moving cars, buses and tanker trucks. Buildings are fully destructible and once on the ground, pieces of the smashed concrete can be used as projectile weapons.

More than 14 monsters, each carefully modeled from the record-setting movie franchise, appear in the game. Designers are keeping the game authentic by including fan favorites like Godzilla 2000 and Godzilla 1990, Mecha-Godzilla, King Ghidora and Mothera.

Each character will be equipped with basic fighting maneuvers like kicks, punches, jumps, projectile attacks and blocks. For more hardcore fighting fans, Godzilla(R): Destroy All Monsters Melee includes a robust combo system and special attacks that are unique to each creature’s abilities from the original movies. Power-ups are dropped into the arena by alien ships and hidden within city buildings, providing health and other enhanced abilities.

While the game focuses on arcade fighting, there is also an additional strategic element involving the humans populating the cities. As each monster moves through a city, causing destruction along the way, the human military will attack with tanks, helicopters, hover jets and laser cannons, launching attacks at the monster that is guilty of the most damage. Players can leverage this element to their favor by forcing or throwing opponents into nearby buildings, thus leading the military to attack and wound their enemy.

Under development by Pipeworks Studios, based in Portland, Oregon, Godzilla(R): Destroy All Monsters Melee will make its debut in the Fall of 2002.