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Thanks to movies like Godzilla v Kong and Pacific Rim, developers are catching on to how much fun it is to get monsters and giants to fight each other in video game form. While there have been several Kaiju-themed games, this list is focused on the best available today.
8 Daikaiju Daikessen: Versus
Released: 2020 Developer: One Secret Pseudo Platform: PC
Released in 2020, Daikaiju: Daikessen: Versus is a free-to-play arcade-style fighting game. Daikaiju is a homage to Neo Geo’s King of the Monsters and is currently in early access. As a result, some balancing issues need addressing within its fighting system.
However, the combat requires some strategic thinking, and the battles between the monsters can be a lot of fun. King of Monsters remains one of the best Kaiju games of all time, and Daikaiju is a solid tribute for fans hoping for a sequel.
7 Godzilla: Save The Earth
Released: 2004 Developer: Pipeworks Software Platform: PS2 and Xbox
Godzilla: Save the Earth is a 3D beat-em-up featuring a recognizable cast of monsters from the Godzilla universe. There are different variations of Godzilla, Mothra, Jet Jaguar, and more. It’s a sequel to Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters and improves on it in the right way.
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The combat is faster, and the sense of scale is a perfect adaptation of the classic Godzilla movies with destructible environments and recognizable moves. There’s a lack of depth in its single-player, but as a couch co-op multiplayer game, it’s a lot of fun.
6 Earth Defense Force: Iron Rain
Released: 2017 Developer: Yukes Platform: PC and PS4
Earth Defense Force: Iron Rain is the first game in the series to be developed by Yukes. It adopted a more serious tone than its campy predecessors but maintained the monster B-movie aesthetic fans have grown to love. The series began with fighting hordes of giant alien bugs until the Kaiju got introduced as an enemy from Earth Defense 4.1.
Iron Rain features the largest Kaiju featured in the Earth Defense Force series, with the Raznid standing at 300 meters tall. Monster movie fans will get a kick out of the EDF series from Earth Defence Force 4.1 onwards. From there, the series started to include Kaiju and giant mechs in tribute to both the Godzilla and the Pacific Rim series. The games are great fun in single-player but hilarious in offline co-op multiplayer.
5 Rampage
Released: 1986 Developer: Midway Games Platform: Arcade, Amiga, Amstrad CF, Atari ST, Atari 2600, Atari 7800, Commodore 64, IBM PC, Lynx, NES, Sega Master System, and ZX Spectrum
Rampage is a side-scrolling beat-em-up featuring giant monsters and was a huge hit in arcades during the 1980s. The game’s sequels weren’t as well-received, but the original remains a favorite among Kaiju fans more than 30 years later.
It was adapted into a surprisingly fun big-budget Hollywood movie starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in 2018. On a visual level, Rampage has aged, but as a multiplayer game, it remains timeless.
4 Gigabash
Released: 2022 Developer: Passion Public Platform: PC, PS4, and PS5
The most recent title on this list is Gigabash. It’s an isometric action brawler with Kaiju and gameplay similar to Capcom’s Powerstone series. One can play Gigabash as a single-player game or multiplayer, but its strengths are the local versus modes.
Gigabash’s single-player campaigns feature four different playable Kaiju to choose from and serve as a tutorial of sorts into the gameplay mechanics. There is also online play, but the real fun is playing locally with friends and family in chaotic team battles.
3 King Of The Monsters
Released: 1991 Developer: SNK Platform: Neo Geo. Also released in the SNK Arcade Classics Vol. 1 bundle for the PSP, PS2, and Wii.
Developed by SNK, the studio behind the King of Fighters and Samurai Shodown series, King of Monsters is an entertaining fighting game featuring Kaiju. The characters take inspiration from Godzilla, King Kong, and Ultraman.
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The fighting system is easy to pick up, and the character designs are fantastic. The original game remains the best port of the arcade classic by featuring six monsters instead of three like its sequel.
2 War Of The Monsters
Released: 2003 Developer: Incognito Entertainment Platform: PS2 and is also available to download from the PS Store on the PS4 and PS5.
War of the Monsters is a Kaiju fighting game inspired by 1950s horror movies and Godzilla. The game’s story is also presented as a B-movie from the 50s, and while its story isn’t deep, it’s challenging, and War of the Monsters offers a good balance between single multiplayer carnage.
The 3D arenas are fully explorable and destructive. It also supports up to four players for local co-op. Couch co-op is the best way to experience War of the Monsters, with a surprisingly deep and fluid combat system.
1 Dawn Of The Monsters
Released: 2022 Developer: 13AM Games Platform: PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S
The second most recent entry on this list is arguably the best Kaiju game available today. Dawn of the Monsters is a 2.5D side-scrolling beat-em-up that supports up to four players. Think Streets of Rage with giant monsters that share a resemblance with the creatures from Godzilla and Ultraman.
The players are required to fight waves of monsters called the Nephilim. One can enjoy Dawn of the Monsters as a single-player or a multiplayer game. Visually, the game implements a cell-shaded manga comic book style that suits that taps into the classic Japanese monster movie feel.
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