GigaBash | |
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Developer(s) | Passion Republic Games |
Publisher(s) | Passion Republic Games |
Director(s) | Mel Law, Aiken Tow |
Producer(s) | Ng Aik Sern |
Writer(s) | Gerald Yong |
Engine | Unreal Engine 4 [1] |
Platform(s) | |
Release |
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Genre(s) | Brawler |
Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
GigaBash is a brawler game developed and published by Malaysian independent studio Passion Republic Games. It was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 on August 5, 2022. It was also released for Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S on August 4, 2023.
GigaBash is a brawler [2] in which the player assumes control of a kaiju and must battle each other in stages filled with destructible environments. [3] These monsters can perform light and a heavy attack, and unleash a unique special move. They can also dodge, perform an air dash, and hurl buildings and objects at their opponents. As the player deals damage to opponents, they will gain Giga-energy, enough of which will transform a kaiju into an "S-class" monster, which is significantly stronger and larger. During a match, a Giga-ball may emerge, which would allow any kaiju that acquires it to unleash an ultimate attack that deals devastating damage to other opponents. [4]
The game features both local and online multiplayer. [5] In battle mode, players can engage in free-for-all battle, or split into two teams and combat each other. While the game supports up to four players, solo players can also compete against characters controlled by artificial intelligence. The game also has four single-player campaigns which follow the stories of Gorogong, Pipijuras, Thundatross, and Woolley. [5] Furthermore, the game features "Mayhem mode", a party mode in which players can complete various minigames together. [6]
The game launched with ten original monsters, with four of them having story "chapters" that are focused on Gorogong's origins and ascent to power as supreme ruler of Tarabak Island, Pipijuras breaking free from human control to fulfill its mission to teleport Earth to its race, the rise of Thundatross and its young pilot, Yuuki Otoma, and Woolley's playful journey across the world, meeting others of his kind in the process. As of December 2024, the roster now also features DLC fighters, among them, six monsters from the Godzilla franchise, [7] [8] five characters from the Ultraman franchise (with the fifth fighter being assisted in battle by a sixth character), [9] [10] and two original fighters based on characters from the Super Sentai / Power Rangers franchise. [11]
GigaBash is the debut title for Malaysian independent game development studio Passion Republic Games. The monsters in the game were inspired by classic tokusatsu characters including Godzilla, the Dino Megazord, and Ultraman. Video games, such as games based on the WWE license, King of the Monsters , Rampage , Gundam Versus , War of the Monsters and Power Stone also influenced the team. Party games, such as Overcooked and Rocket League were also major sources of inspiration. The team also included a story mode, which serves as an "extension" to the core battle mode. This mode will explore the background of four different monsters and their origin. [14] The game's control scheme was designed to be accessible and simple, though the player's attack will be modified by other contextual factors, such as if the player is blocking, dashing or grabbing. Each playable character in the game went through multiple phases of design and development. Thundatross, the game's first publicly revealed character, was described as an "all-rounded" monster that resembles other classic kaiju. [15] The first teaser trailer for the game premiered on September 12, 2019. [16] The game was released on August 5, 2022, for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Windows. [17]
During the 2022 Tokyo Game Show, it was announced that Godzilla would join the roster as a guest character. [18] A teaser for Godzilla's appearance in the game was released on November 2, [19] along with three mystery fighters, [20] all of which were foreshadowed in trailers released on November 16, 23, and 30. The DLC was released on December 6, with the three other fighters revealed to be Gigan, Kiryu, and Destoroyah. [7] In a Japanese Indie World Showcase on April 19, 2023, the game's Nintendo Switch port was announced for August 4, 2023, and was made available for pre-order that same day.
On October 12, Ultraman was announced to join the roster as a guest character, with trailers teasing three other characters released in October 19, October 26, and November 2. The DLC, containing Alien Baltan, Ultraman Tiga, and Camearra, was released on November 8. However, due to regional restrictions and licensing agreements, the DLC is unavailable in Japan and China. [9]
A second batch of Godzilla DLC fighters, titled the Nemesis pack, was announced on April 25, 2024. [21] Similar to the first two DLCs, trailers were released on May 2 and 9 to foreshadow its guest fighters. The DLC was released on May 16, 2024, adding King Ghidorah and Hedorah to the roster. [8]
On August 27, 2024, the Mighty DLC Pack, which consists of original DLC characters inspired by the Super Sentai / Power Rangers franchise, was announced. [22] The two fighters, the invading space manticore Balzarr and the combining mecha R.O.J.A.K., were released on September 5. [11]
On October 20, 2024, during New York Comic-Con 2024, an Ultraman: Rising collaboration DLC was announced. Unlike previous DLCs, it introduces only a single character to the roster, the film's titular character (though he is also assisted in battle by the juvenile kaiju Emi). [23] Released on November 28, it is available in Japan unlike the first Ultraman DLC pack, but still not in China due to regional restrictions and licensing agreements. [10]
Aggregator | Score |
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Metacritic | PS5: 73/100 [24] |
Publication | Score |
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Destructoid | 7.5/10 [25] |
IGN | 7/10 [26] |
Push Square | 7/10 [27] |
Shacknews | 7/10 [28] |
GigaBash received "mixed or average" reviews upon release, according to review aggregator Metacritic. [24] Mitchell Saltzman of IGN gave the a game an 7/10 rating, praising the game's simple controls, character movesets and gimmick-filled stages; he concluded that these characteristics made more suited for casual local play than solo or even online play, modes he deemed "at least present and serviceable". [26]
Kaiju is a Japanese term that is commonly associated with media involving giant monsters. Its widespread contemporary use is credited to tokusatsu director Eiji Tsuburaya and filmmaker Ishirō Honda, who popularized the kaiju film genre by creating the Godzilla franchise and its spin-offs. The term can also refer to the monsters themselves, which are usually depicted attacking major cities and battling either the military or other creatures.
Anguirus is a fictional monster, or kaiju, which first appeared in Godzilla Raids Again (1955), the second film in the Godzilla franchise. Anguirus is the first monster to be shown engaging in combat with Godzilla in a film. Since then, the character has appeared conversely as an enemy and an ally of Godzilla in numerous films produced by Toho, including Destroy All Monsters (1968), Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972), Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973), Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974), and Godzilla: Final Wars (2004). He has also appeared in other media, including comic books and video games.
King Ghidorah is a fictional monster, or alien, or kaiju, which first appeared in Ishirō Honda's 1964 film Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster. The creature was initially created by Tomoyuki Tanaka, Eiji Tsuburaya, and Shinichi Sekizawa as an homage to the eight-headed mythological Japanese dragon Yamata no Orochi. Although the name of the character is officially trademarked by Toho as "King Ghidorah", the character was originally referred to as Ghidorah, Ghidrah, or Monster Zero in some English markets.
Tokusatsu is a Japanese term for live-action films or television programs that make heavy use of practical special effects. Credited to special effects director Eiji Tsuburaya, tokusatsu mainly refers to science fiction, war, fantasy, or horror media featuring such technology but is also occasionally dubbed a genre itself. Its contemporary use originated in the Japanese mass media around 1958 to explain special effects in an easy-to-understand manner and was popularized during the "first monster boom" (1966–1968). Prior to the monster boom, it was known in Japan as tokushu gijutsu or shortened tokugi.
Gigan is a kaiju from Toho's Godzilla franchise who first appeared in the 1972 film, Godzilla vs. Gigan. Gigan is a giant extraterrestrial space monster, resembling a species of reptile, who was turned into a cyborg by the alien race known as the Nebulans. Gigan sports a huge buzzsaw in its frontal abdominal region, large metallic hooks for hands, and a birdlike beak. Gigan is considered one of Godzilla's most brutal and violent opponents, and the first kaiju in the Toho sci-fi series to make him noticeably bleed. Complex listed the character as No. 2 on its "The 15 Most Badass Kaiju Monsters of All Time" list.
Hedorah, also known as the Smog Monster, is a fictional monster, or kaiju who first appeared in Toho's 1971 film Godzilla vs. Hedorah. Hedorah was named for Hedoro (へどろ), the Japanese word for sludge, slime, vomit or chemical ooze.
Mechagodzilla is a fictional mecha character that first appeared in the 1974 film Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla. In its debut appearance, Mechagodzilla is depicted as an extraterrestrial villain, a robot created by alien invaders to confront and destroy Godzilla. In subsequent iterations, Mechagodzilla is usually depicted as a man-made robotic weapon designed to defend Japan against Godzilla and other kaiju. In all incarnations, the character is portrayed as a robotic doppelgänger of Godzilla with a vast array of high-tech weaponry. Along with King Ghidorah, Mechagodzilla is commonly considered to be an archenemy of Godzilla.
Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee is a fighting game based on Toho's Godzilla franchise. It was developed by Pipeworks Software and published by Infogrames under the Atari brand for GameCube in 2002. A companion game developed by WayForward Technologies for Game Boy Advance, Godzilla: Domination!, was released in November of the same year. Destroy All Monsters Melee was later released for Xbox in 2003, featuring additional content and enhanced graphics.
The Ultra Series, also known as Ultraman, is a Japanese science fiction media franchise owned and produced by Tsuburaya Productions, which began with the television series Ultra Q in 1966 and became an international pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into many television shows, films, comic books, and other media publications, becoming one of the most prominent productions in the Japanese tokusatsu and kaiju genres and pioneering the Kyodai Hero subgenre. The Ultraman series is centered on a fictional alien race of superheroes who often combat kaiju or other aliens.
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Godzilla: Battle Legends, simply referred to as Godzilla in North America, is a fighting game based on the Godzilla film franchise, made for the Turbo Duo in 1993, developed by Alfa System and published in the United States by Hudson Soft.
Godzilla: Unleashed is a 3D fighting video game based on Toho's Godzilla franchise. It was developed by Pipeworks Software and published by Atari. The game was released in North America on November 20, 2007 for PlayStation 2; and on December 5 of the same year for the Wii. A Nintendo DS version, titled Godzilla Unleashed: Double Smash, was also released in North America on December 5, 2007.
As an enduring and iconic symbol of post-World War II cinematic history, the fictional giant monster Godzilla has been referenced and parodied numerous times in popular culture. Godzilla and other atomic monsters have appeared in a variety of mediums, including cartoons, film, literature, television, and video games.
Godzilla: Kaijū Daikessen is a 2D fighting video game released in 1994 for the Super Famicom. The game was developed by Alfa System and published by Toho. It was the second game based on Toho's Godzilla franchise to be released on Super Famicom, following 1993's Super Godzilla.
Kaijū-ō Godzilla is a 1993 action adventure game by Bandai for the Game Boy. It was released exclusively in Japan. The game is notable for featuring nearly every monster in the Godzilla franchise up until the time of its release.
Godzilla is a 2014 video game developed by Natsume Atari and published by Bandai Namco Games for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 based on the Japanese monster Godzilla franchise by Toho. It was first released on December 18, 2014, in Japan only for the PlayStation 3. It was released on July 14, 2015, in North America and on July 17, 2015, in Europe. The Western PlayStation 4 version is based on the upgraded Japanese release called Godzilla VS, released on July 14, 2015, containing more content such as additional monsters.