Godzilla!

The Good
Godzilla has returned and it will take Japan's combined armed, naval, and air forces to defend Tokyo. Played out via an overhead "aerial" representation of Japan and its waters (a 5x5 grid), it is up to the player to determine the strength of Japan's resistance versus the probable loss of life—in other words, what will it take to drop the bomb?

Using a turn-based system, Godzilla moves through the map like a king on a chessboard. He randomly Rampages, which acts as a free attack, but (more commonly) the player orders an attack and the turn ends with a message about the effectiveness of the attack and resultant casualties caused by Godzilla.

Each turn the player can decide on what attack to use and the attack strength if applicable. When Godzilla is in the water, the player can order naval units in the same square to attack. On land the player can issue air attacks or land attacks (and order the number of units to be deployed). Also, the player can always order missiles attacks or choose to drop the atomic bomb regardless of where Godzilla is (kind of).

There are several strategic options available: the player can choose to move land or sea units to adjacent squares to meet Godzilla with a heavier resistance or to bulk up weak squares. The player can also determine whether or not to use the atomic bomb. The atomic bomb is the most effective weapon and also causes the most collateral damage, wiping out allied forces and civilians in all adjacent squares—creating a dead zone. Is it worth it? Up to you.

The game ends with Godzilla's defeat or an overwhelming number of casualties—in the tens of millions. The length of the game usually depends on the player's level of aggression, which can work both ways.

Graphically, Godzilla is functional but it does have nice sound effects for each attack and music for the winning and losing finales.

The Bad
While it is understood that you are defending Tokyo, Godzilla makes no concerted effort to get there. Sometimes he meanders inland, other times he plays at sea. In other words, what's his motivation? Okay, that's nit-picky for a 1983 game.

Here's my one big complaint: where's the damage indicator? Some attacks severely damage Godzilla, some cause grave damage, some cause little damage, etc. While these are descriptive, it's left up to the player to determine Godzilla's overall condition. At least Godzilla could have changed color according to his level of damage. Oh well.

The Bottom Line
Cool in 1983 and still diverting in 2004. It would be nice to see a modern update of this game.