Godzilla: Monster of Monsters!

Godzilla: Monster of Monsters!
Also known as: Godzilla (JP) Developer: Compile Publisher: Toho Platform: NES Released in JP: December 9, 1988 Released in US: October 1989 Released in EU: 1991 This game has unused playable characters. This game has unused music. This game has a hidden sound test. This game has regional differences. This game has a prerelease article This game has a bugs page

Go go Godzilla! There goes...uhhh, Jupiter?

Sub-Page

Prerelease Info

Bugs

Unused Characters

In addition to Godzilla and Mothra, two other monsters were intended to be playable at one point, but were cut for unknown reasons.

Angilas

Anguirus (known as Angilas in-game) can be accessed by freezing RAM address $0127 at 03. Although he is mostly playable, he has no attack animations or special attack, is almost completely invulnerable to damage, and can cause the game to crash under certain circumstances. When fighting against enemy monsters, his sprite will be placed much higher on the screen than normal, which can make landing hits either very difficult or impossible (depending on the enemy).

Angilas' character sprites can only be seen in the Japanese version, as they were removed to make room for title screen graphics in the international versions. However, Angilas' board piece sprites are present in all versions of the game, and get loaded into memory whenever the board is on-screen.

Rodan

Rodan can be accessed by freezing RAM address $0127 at 02. Unfortunately, his programming is even less complete than Angilas': when attempting to play as him, levels will be "skipped" instantly, and fights against enemy monsters will crash the game.

Rodan's sprites and palettes do exist in the Japanese and international versions, though only the latter is properly loaded by the game when entering levels and enemy battles.

Sound Test

Enter the password S0UND (with a zero) for the game's hidden sound test.

To do: Verify and rip all unused themes and possible sound effects - There's plenty.

Unused Music

This song can be heard by freezing RAM address $CC at 16 and causing a music track change (entering a level, for example).

This song can be heard by entering X Y S on the password screen where it will play in the debug room.

Regional Differences

Copyright/Credit Screens

The Japanese version starts with a couple of copyright/credit screens, whereas the international versions put this information on the title screen instead. The extra screens can still be viewed in the US version by using the Game Genie code GAVYNOGK.

Title Screen

The title screen is different between the Japanese and international versions.

Japan	US	Europe

The title animation was also changed. In the Japanese version, Godzilla's eyes appear in the darkness, followed by the rest of his body, after which the title pops onto the screen. In the international versions, the "Godzilla" text appears in black on a dark red background, which fades into the actual title screen.

The Japanese version also uses unique music tracks for both the title and intro screens, which were changed to the themes used for Planet X and Mars (respectively) in other releases. Both of these songs were composed by Akira Ifukube, a composer for the Godzilla films, so they may have been removed due to licensing issues. The tracks can still be heard in the international versions' sound test as tracks 00 and 01.

Password Screen

Japan	International

The password screen of the Japanese version uses Compile's own lettering and makes the numbers red. Other versions use a different type and a uniform color.

Maps

All maps that have Hedorah do not make him visible from the start.

Jupiter

Japan	International

Two Mecha City spaces are added next to the base.

Saturn

Japan	International

One Mecha City space added next to Baragon.

Pluto

Japan	International

Baragon and Gigan are moved to the outer paths.

Neptune

Japan	International

The map is condensed to one screen, with the monsters moved into columns (Hedorah at the top-center), and Mecha-Godzilla upon the base. In the Japanese version, a single jungle space was also at the center, occupied by Moguera.

Gameplay

• On the map screen, Godzilla and Mothra were limited to moving only one and two spaces respectively in the Japanese version. This was doubled to two and four in the international versions.
• Godzilla's attacks were sped up significantly in the international versions.
• The international versions have a scoring system. This was not present in the Japanese version.
• In his first battle on Earth, Gezora has five bars of power and life in the Japanese version, but only four in the international versions.

Other

• Title cards were added to the beginning of each world for the international versions.
• Most of the boss monsters (excluding Varan and Gigan) had their names rendered differently between the Japanese and international versions.

Japan	International
Gezorah	Gezora
Mogela	Moguera
Hedrah	Hedorah
Varagon	Baragon
Mechagodzilla	Mecha-Godzilla
Kinggidrah	Ghidora