No movie monster has seen the success and staying power as Godzilla. Since its debut in 1954 by Ishiro Honda, made with modest and primitive methods, it has sprouted dozens of sequels, remakes and reboots over the years.
The monster was originally an allegory for Japan dealing with the aftermath of the nuclear bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the US in 1945. The film was made in the wake of a country lifting itself up after admitting defeat in the Second World War and suffering massive casualties from the atomic bomb.
To date, the nuclear-powered reptile has featured in 38 films between Hollywood and Japan. Japan’s latest, Godzilla Minus One, won an Oscar for its special effects last month.
The popularity of the character has also translated to video games, with the monster first appearing in games as early as 1983. There have been many Godzilla titles over the years, with varying degrees of quality and entertainment value.
As Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire released in theatres in the Middle East in time for Eid Al Fitr, here's a look at some of the best, as well as an entry for its unlikely friend King Kong.
Super Godzilla (1993)
In the early 1990s, there was a huge jump in the quality of video game graphics, far exceeding the simplicity of the '80s. Nintendo’s lead console at the time was the SNES, capable of producing games with a level of depth that wowed gamers.
The first Godzilla game to come out on the console was Super Godzilla in 1993, a battle game that allows control of the monster as he takes on others in the film’s universe. These include King Ghidorah, Mechagodzilla and Bagan.
The game is simple to control and focuses mostly on reaction time and strategy of when to use the monster’s abilities and superpowers.
Godzilla Generations (1998)
An often-forgotten console is Sega’s Dreamcast due to it being overshadowed by the PlayStation 2. It was Sega’s last venture into console production and shifted the company completely into video game production and design after the system failed to compete.
The console had some memorable games, however, and one of the best was Godzilla Generations. It features a lumbering Godzilla controlled by the player to achieve one objective – destroy the city.
Many have watched the Godzilla films and wondered what it would be like to lay waste to skyscrapers as if they were made of cardboard. This game makes it a reality.
Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee (2002)
Moving past the new millennium, gaming experienced another jump in quality as Nintendo’s GameCube and Microsoft’s Xbox were released. During the same time, fighting games became more popular.
Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee allows friends to pick their favourite monster to duke it out and see who comes out on top. It is not framed as most fighting games are, it gives players a perspective from above to see them destroy the cities they are in as well.
The game features different versions of Godzilla from over the decades, as well as different versions of his enemies, including Gigan, Megalon and Rodan.
Godzilla (2014)
Video game releases in the past 10 years have achieved a level of graphics fidelity and an entertainment factor many never imagined was possible. Video games are becoming more cinematic, and Godzilla has come along for the ride.
This 2014 release revives the need to destroy a city wantonly and without recourse, giving players an even bigger playground to run riot in. The level of destruction on the PlayStation 4 game can become quite chaotic, with everything from helicopters to submarines trying to take the big monster down.
Every level is also accented with battle against another monster, building in difficulty with every encounter.
King Kong (2005)
While Godzilla has experienced an incredible amount of attention from filmmakers and video game designers over the years, his sometimes enemy/compatriot King Kong has not enjoyed a fraction of the adoration.
The latest King Kong video game experience came last year with Skull Island: Rise of Kong, but the less said about that game the better. It scored dismally for being a buggy mess of an unfinished game.
In 2005, King Kong experienced a cultural moment with the release of Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson’s adaptation. The film starred Jack Black, Adrian Brody and Naomi Watts. As was the case in the 2000s, the film received a video game adaptation as well, a first-person adventure game that follows the events of the film.
While it might seem at first that players will only be able to control the human main character of the game, there are levels that allow players to control Kong as he takes on large birds and spiders on Skull Island.
MATCH INFO
What: India v Afghanistan, first Test
When: Starts Thursday
Where: M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengalaru
Scoreline
Bournemouth 2
Wilson 70', Ibe 74'
Arsenal 1
Bellerin 52'
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
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Hydrogen: Market potential
Hydrogen has an estimated $11 trillion market potential, according to Bank of America Securities and is expected to generate $2.5tn in direct revenues and $11tn of indirect infrastructure by 2050 as its production increases six-fold.
"We believe we are reaching the point of harnessing the element that comprises 90 per cent of the universe, effectively and economically,” the bank said in a recent report.
Falling costs of renewable energy and electrolysers used in green hydrogen production is one of the main catalysts for the increasingly bullish sentiment over the element.
The cost of electrolysers used in green hydrogen production has halved over the last five years and will fall to 60 to 90 per cent by the end of the decade, acceding to Haim Israel, equity strategist at Merrill Lynch. A global focus on decarbonisation and sustainability is also a big driver in its development.
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
Key products and UAE prices
iPhone XS
With a 5.8-inch screen, it will be an advance version of the iPhone X. It will be dual sim and comes with better battery life, a faster processor and better camera. A new gold colour will be available.
Price: Dh4,229
iPhone XS Max
It is expected to be a grander version of the iPhone X with a 6.5-inch screen; an inch bigger than the screen of the iPhone 8 Plus.
Price: Dh4,649
iPhone XR
A low-cost version of the iPhone X with a 6.1-inch screen, it is expected to attract mass attention. According to industry experts, it is likely to have aluminium edges instead of stainless steel.
Price: Dh3,179
Apple Watch Series 4
More comprehensive health device with edge-to-edge displays that are more than 30 per cent bigger than displays on current models.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
more from Janine di Giovanni
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
ADCC AFC Women’s Champions League Group A fixtures
October 3: v Wuhan Jiangda Women’s FC
October 6: v Hyundai Steel Red Angels Women’s FC
October 9: v Sabah FA
The 100 Best Novels in Translation
Boyd Tonkin, Galileo Press
Moral education needed in a 'rapidly changing world'
Moral education lessons for young people is needed in a rapidly changing world, the head of the programme said.
Alanood Al Kaabi, head of programmes at the Education Affairs Office of the Crown Price Court - Abu Dhabi, said: "The Crown Price Court is fully behind this initiative and have already seen the curriculum succeed in empowering young people and providing them with the necessary tools to succeed in building the future of the nation at all levels.
"Moral education touches on every aspect and subject that children engage in.
"It is not just limited to science or maths but it is involved in all subjects and it is helping children to adapt to integral moral practises.
"The moral education programme has been designed to develop children holistically in a world being rapidly transformed by technology and globalisation."
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
