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JANUARY 17, 2008
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Monster Gamers need
love too
Thrilled by Cloverfield's giant
monster mayhem? Before you
flee the city, try saving (or
destroying) it with these
gargantuan video games.
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By Ben Silverman/yahoo games
In the upcoming J.J. Abrams creature feature Cloverfield, something big, bad,
and angry is turning Manhattan into a concrete pancake. There's probably more
to it than that, but the moment we figured out it was a monster movie, we
stopped caring about the specifics and sent our intern off to reserve a spot in
line.(He's doing fine, thanks to our cozy Star Wars: Episode 1 pup tent.)
Big monsters don't just belong on the big screen, though. Some of the world's
most imposing beasts can be found in video games. Here are ten of the most
monstrous titles to ever smash a controller.
Rampage
Most gamers consider Midway's Rampage the prototypical giant monster video
game. First released as a coin-op back in 1986, its premise was simple:
demolish buildings, devour humans and sock other monsters in the nose as
you mindlessly destroy cities like any upstanding giant monster should. The
original version featured three monsters - George the gorilla, Lizzie the lizard
and Ralph the wolf - though later iterations would add even more characters.
The formula hasn't changed much in roughly twenty years, but it still deserves a
spot in any monster fan's collection.
Godzilla
The world famous, Tokyo-stomping thunder lizard has been responsible for
more power outages than fifty years worth of winter storms, not to mention
increasing the collective cardio of Japan by making its denizens sprint for the
hills every couple of months. His first game dates back to the Commodore 64
in 1983; with the release of Godzilla: Unleashed on the Wii, PS2 and DS this
year, that makes it a 25 year reign. Sometimes you play as him and sometimes
you play against him, but no matter how many times he gets shot, punched or
body slammed back into the ocean, the green machine keeps right on coming.
Shadow of the Colossus
Dark, artsy and unique, Shadow of the Colossus was all about locating
wondrous stone behemoths and wiping them out in an effort to save a dying
girl. Morally ambiguous and flat-out gorgeous, the game starred some of the
largest creatures ever seen in a video game, each of which you had to scale,
step by excruciating step, just to find its weak spot and poke at it with your trusty
sword. Sound simple? Did we mention the colossi were trying to squash you
the whole time? Exhilarating and under appreciated, it remains one of the best
games from the last generation
Monster Hunter
You have to admire this Capcom franchise for getting right to the point: there
are giant monsters running rampant all across the land, and it's your job to
make like Ted Nugent and take them down. The best way to do so, apparently,
is by ganging up on them with friends -- the Monster Hunter games are
renowned for their robust online modes. Though it has only enjoyed moderate
success in the U.S., it's one of the best-selling franchises in Japan, which
makes sense when you consider how many giant monsters routinely terrorize
their countryside.
Peter Jackson's King Kong
The film might not be big news anymore, but playing as the digital version of
the titular ape is still more fun than a barrel of you-know-whats. Swing from
treetop to treetop, clobber dinos and trample those puny humans in an effort to
keep your prized sacrificial Barbie doll from falling into the hands of those
pesky do-gooders. The epic V-Rex battles are worth the price of admission
alone, although we also recommend this if you own an Xbox 360 and need
some easy Achievement points.
War of the Monsters
This pretty PS2 homage to old-school monster movies came courtesy of
Incognito, the folks behind Twisted Metal Black and the PS3 hit Warhawk. Set in
the 1950's, it featured ten radioactive beasts culled from every corner of sci-fi
lore. Whether you chose to take down the opposition as a giant ape, overgrown
praying mantis, towering dinosaur or massive super robot, the idea was the
same: smash, smash, and smash some more. A small but vocal fanbase is
clamoring for a sequel. So are we.
SimCity
You've set up a smart city grid, a bastion of hope and industry, the greatest city
the world has ever known...only to watch it turn into a giant monster romper
room. Indeed, Will Wright's inspired city-planning game had its fair share of
disaster situations, but none were as memorable as the soul-crushing
moment a pixilated monster ruined your flawless interstate by trampling across
the map. Worst of all, there was really no way to avoid it other than tearing your
city apart before it had a chance to wreck it. Remember: save early, save often!
God of War
Technically, Kratos' epic journey from heaven to hell and back again isn't
focused on giant monsters so much as bloodthirsty, chain-whipping revenge.
But steeped in Greek mythology as it is, God of War features some of the
biggest and baddest beasts ever turned into ones and zeroes. Battles from the
first game include the massive Hydra and even more massive God of War,
Ares, while the sequel pits you against the long-limbed Kraken and the
impossibly huge Colossus of Rhodes. Who knows what enormous horrors lie
waiting in future installments?
King of the Monsters
Long before computer-generated monsters dominated the film industry,
athletic guys wearing cheesy rubber ape suits would parade around
miniaturized cityscapes, sacrificing their bodies to create the illusion that an
octopus the size of a skyscraper was stomping across Japan. It sounds stupid,
but it worked like a charm. The same goes for SNK's giant monster wrestling
game, which turned cities into virtual rings and its monstrous competitors into
oversized grapplers, complete with flying elbows, suplexes and submissions.
Initially appearing on the NeoGeo, it body slammed its way to the SNES and
Genesis before eventually being pinned into obscurity.
Primal Rage
In the mid-90's, you couldn't walk through an arcade without bumping into at
least a dozen 2D fighting games. Only one, however, had the moxie to feature a
cast of five brutal dinosaurs and two magical apes. From this ridiculously cool
premise sprung a mediocre brawler with outstanding graphics and a distinct
resemblance to the far more famous Mortal Kombat. While that game would go
on to become a legend, Primal Rage would go the way of the dinos and die out
in a matter of minutes.
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