Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee Remastered review - a smashing good time

Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee is a game I passed on when I owned a GameCube and Xbox in the early 2000s, but I rediscovered it during lockdown in 2020 by playing it on the Dolphin emulator. It's a lot of fun, and it had a charm that you don't get in modern games - the random mess that makes no sense. But in 2026, it's the kind of game many need, which is why its recent remaster has been a great time to play.

I was surprised to learn earlier this year that a remaster of Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee was coming to modern systems and PC. It was an underrated game that you'd likely have heard of in the playground, but that'd be it. But it seems those same people are now in a position to bring games like this back, and I'm all for it.

Simply called Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee Remastered, it has updated graphics thanks to an Unreal Engine 5 upgrade, a better way to unlock characters and stages, and a Gallery Mode. I've been playing it on my Switch 2 for the last few weeks, and I've enjoyed it, though there are a few gripes I'd like to see fixed.

A Kaiju for all ages

The remaster hits you immediately once you start a match, mainly because of the Unreal Engine 5 graphics and the great artwork. Considering I was playing the original GameCube and Xbox versions alongside this remaster, it's a big improvement.

The controls are easy enough: two attacks, one block, and a couple of combos will make the monster taunt or grab an opponent. The right shoulder button lets you fire a special attack, depending on how full the power-up bar is. The control scheme worked, but it felt stiff at times, and I wondered whether some attacks registered my button presses.

Accessibility is sparse here - you can adjust the difficulty modes and enable indicators for where the monsters are, but you can't change the controls, nor tweak the user interface to help those with visual needs, such as enlarging the health bars.

You can choose a bunch of modes, with up to 12 Kaiju/monsters to choose from over time. Adventure Mode is your token Arcade Mode, where you face different enemies across eight levels until you face Mechagodzilla. The more times you complete it with different monsters, the more fighters and levels you'll unlock.

Other modes like Survival and Practice are self-explanatory, helping you to familiarise yourself with the other monsters, along with Destruction Mode, which lets you tear down as many buildings as possible within a time limit. But Versus Mode is a big highlight, where up to four local players can join in and fight one another, and it's perfect chaos. Co-op Mode is also great and delivers on its promise. There is an Online Mode, but I couldn't join during the review period.

A 'Director Mode' is also interesting, where you can freely move the camera to take photos. But I didn't realise the fight continues in this mode, which can be awkward if you're controlling a monster. Otherwise, I enjoyed it, and I got some great shots.

Turning it up to Minus Zero

Playing Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee Remastered on Switch 2 in both docked and handheld modes, I didn't notice any slowdown, which, for me, is the bare minimum for a game originally released in 2002. But compared to the GameCube and Xbox versions I played, the graphics are a clear step up. They help modernise the game thanks to the detail Unreal Engine 5 gives the monsters and the eight locations, plus the 4K resolution in docked mode.

Especially in the four-player Versus Mode battles, everything ran smoothly at 60 FPS, and playing Adventure Mode in handheld before and after TR30 in October was a great way to de-stress. My only gripe is how the monsters move. Of course, they're huge, they're slow, but they shouldn't control like that. I laughed when the monsters were thrown across the level, because they don't move. It reminded me of Poochie's death scene from The Simpsons.

It's a stiff 'lying down and taking it' pose that I feel could have worked better with quick growls and some movement, or even a new feature where they crush buildings after being thrown. Instead, they seemingly float past.

The way to unlock monsters and levels by selecting certain 'research points', as well as choosing certain monsters to do this, gives you plenty of variety, and each of these fighters is different enough. However, in the almost 25 years since the game's 2002 release, it would have been nice to have seen new monsters appear, such as the Godzilla from the amazing Minus Zero movie.

Overall

Developing new games today comes with mounting costs. Along with the awful layoffs many are experiencing in the gaming industry, it's likely we'll see more remasters of lesser-known games on modern platforms to keep to smaller budgets and keep more people in jobs doing what they love - and I'm here for it.

Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee Remastered is a fun game you can load up and play for 10 minutes, especially on the go if you own a Switch 2. Yes, some of the controls can feel stiff, and it would have been nice to see animations when monsters are thrown around, as well as new ones to play as, but it's still fun. There's no DLC or premium edition; it's a remaster that builds on the 2002 original in ways you didn't expect. Even if I couldn't try out Online Mode, it's still welcome to have it, since it was absent from the 2002 original.

For $24.99 / £24.99 on consoles and PC, it's a bargain for what you get - from the four-player Versus Mode to the smarter way you can unlock new Kaiju and locations. Its approach to replayability is almost a lost art in 2026, especially when you can buy unlockables right away in other games, cutting out the work and feeling of accomplishment.

In 2026, it's refreshing. If you've never watched a Godzilla movie, it doesn't matter. Treat yourself to Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee Remastered, bring some friends over, cause carnage across many levels, and enjoy it. That's what the game brings, and it mostly succeeds.

Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee Remastered is available from $24.99 / £24.99 on PS5, Xbox, Switch 2, and PC from November 3.

Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee Remastered was reviewed on Nintendo Switch 2, with a code sent by Plan of Attack.