User Reviews

By that I mean you play as monsters who beat each other up against the backdrop of trashing cities. A novel idea, but I am assuming that King of the Monsters is a game that is probably best enjoyed in the arcade. After playing the Sega Genesis version I can definitely see the appeal but it's just not that appealing to come back to it again and again.

There IS loads of fun to be had in smashing the place up and doing LOADS of damage to world but I know it's going to be even better in an arcade and the Genesis controls can be a bit sluggish sometimes, which isn't good when you rely on quick reflexes.

Graphics C Sound C Gameplay B Lasting Appeal C

King Of The Monsters is a neat game from SNK. Basically, the only plot of the game is that in the near future of 1996, monsters have risen, and after a while, the monster decide to fight each other to see who is the strongest of them all. Six of the monsters now duke it out in major cities in Japan to see who is the King Of The Monsters.

So, basically you choose one of the six monsters (four if you are playing the Super NES or Genesis port), some of which are inspired by actual movie monsters (Geon is clearly inspired by Godzilla, while Astro Guy is inspired by the Ultraman franchise) and you must fight the other five monsters (as well as a color swap clone of the monster you're playing as) in twelve stages (meaning you have to beat the entire roster twice to beat the game). Each monster has its own special moves and attributes, and other than the opponent, you also have to contend with tanks, fighter jets, and other vehicles sent to stop you and your opponent from destroying the city. Thankfully, these vehicles can be destroyed easily, and some can even be picked up and thrown at the opponent. Also, there are power-up orbs that are dropped after certain successful grapple attacks, which when enough are collected, will level up your monster, not only changing its color palette, but also increasing the damage it can do with its normal attacks and special power.

If there are a few things I have to complain about, it's that the game does get harder as you go (something all arcade games do to keep the quarters coming), and the fact that there is no non-playable monster created to be the final boss (instead, it's a rematch against the clone of the monster you're playing as). But King of the Monsters is still a good game to try out.