KING OF THE MONSTERS
Original Release: SNK, 1991, Arcade
Other Releases: SNES (1992), Genesis (1993), Wii (2008), PC/Linux/Mac/Xbox/PS4 (2017), Switch (2018), Android/iOS (2022)
A concept deeply rooted in Japanese popular culture (giant rubber monster brawling across cities) and ready-made for gaming is somehow squandered due primarily to lack of gameplay effort
King of the Monsters (Arcade, SNK, 1991)
Where to Buy: eBay
How to Emulate: Arcade Emulation Guide
Review by: C. M0use
Sometimes an awesome concept is sitting right there for the taking, but the execution fails. I guess SNK thought the premise alone would carry this one ... which, for a lot of people in early 1990s arcades it actually did, the game was definitely popular at the time. It's pretty much forgotten today though, aging poorly and never inspiring any sort of retro revival mania.
So the idea is simple, get all the Japanese kaiju/Toho type monsters (legally distinct of course) together and throw them in city arenas to brawl it up. You got your requisite knockoffs of Godzilla, Ultraman and King Kong plus weird sludge monster, rock monster and giant beetle. The monsters largely do wrestling moves to each other and can pick up buildings to throw, knock each other into power lines and do a handful of other background interactions of that sort.
Sounds like it should be great, right? Well, the only thing still enjoyable about it is the music due to cheese factor (Japanese butt rock and random Japanese programmers mumbling stuff in the monkey's theme in an attempt to sound like some native chant), and the sound effects which really were pretty well implemented. Unfortunately, the game plays like the kludgiest and basic of old arcade wrestling games. And while initially it seems like you have tons of stuff at your disposal, all you can really do is knock each other into a few of the bigger buildings or power lines, or pick up and chuck the occasional jet or tank at the foe. Otherwise it's just the same old stiff repetitive punching and random-ass grappling over and over again.
It's also quite cheap, as the game progresses the CPU simply auto-wins more and more grapples until it's eventually impossible to win no matter how fast you pound the button, the only way you'll ever do one is by picking them up from the ground right into it. So you're basically forced to spam an abusable move (like Monkey Butt Charge) to get through the game.
The second game actually came out a little better than this one, but is just as difficult and a little more limited in terms of multiplayer options.
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