Godzilla Great Monster Battle Game

9.30.2021

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After 37 years, I finally got the Bandai Popy Electronics Game Godzilla Great Monster Battle (Bandai ポピー仕事業部ゴジラ決戦大怪獣, Computer no. 0309012) released in 1983.¹ I had never seen it available for sale in Japan nor online. I gave up on it until several months ago when I spotted it on Buyee Japan. But it was damaged and listed as junk. Then, another appear that had not been opened nor used. Although it was expensive, I had to have it. I first saw this Godzilla game in 1984 on the back of the “Monster Catalogue in 3D” (ファンタスティックコレクション No 38 3D怪獣全集) I purchased from the toy shop Rocketships & Accessories. The game was item no. 18 on the full-page back cover Bandai advertisement. It retailed for 4500 yen.

In the late 70s and early 80s, handheld electronic games were popular in Japan and in the U.S. I played the Mattel electronic football, basketball and baseball games with my neighborhood and school friends. They were common Christmas gifts. But a Godzilla game was inconceivable. So when I saw it, I really wanted it. It was not available at Rocketships & Accessories, which did a remarkable job bringing in Japanese imports. Owning the game was just a prayer and dream for many years until now. Back then, I was immediately attracted to the game because of the Godzilla 1975 printed on its face. The packaging design is typical of its times. I love the black-and-white posterized Godzilla and King Ghidorah images juxtaposed with the colorful game logo on the box.

bandai-electronic-godzilla-game-box-front

The front reads: Bandai Popy Electronics Game ANIMEST Godzilla Kessen Daikaiju (ポピー仕事業部ゴジラ決戦大怪獣)

bandai-electronic-godzilla-game-box-back

The back of the box reads: “Space super monster King Ghidorah appears in the city! Godzilla, the King of the Monsters attacks. With the support of Mothra and Radon, repel King Ghidorah with radiant flames”「宇宙超怪獣キングギドラが都市に出現！むかえうつ怪獣王ゴジラ。モスラとラドンの応援をうけ、放射火炎でキングギドラを撃退してください。」

The Bandai ad and box show a blue plastic game case. However, the actually case is blue featuring Godzilla and King Ghidorah on either side. The Japanese game title is transliterated to “Kessen Daikaiju.”

This electronic Godzilla game was a single player game with a single LCD screen requiring a watch battery (2 x LR44 or SR44) for operation. Popy Electronics made several handheld games released in Japan with the Animest logo on them and their boxes. Bandai bought Popy and added their logo.² There was another game released called “Godzilla vs MechaGodzilla Table War.” Later, Bandai released the Godzilla Computer War board game in 1984.

King Ghidorah is set in the center of Tokyo on fire with Godzilla below and Rodan and Mothra handing from a broken Tokyo Tower on the left and the right, respectively. Wikipedia provides this definition for these type of electronic games: Electronic games (電子ゲーム, denshi games) may refer to computer games in general, but among them, small portable game machines with built-in software controlled by built-in large-scale integrated circuit (LSI) chips. It is played by pressing the operation buttons while looking at the liquid crystal screen (LCD), and is also called an electronic LSI game or an LSI game. In some products, games that are smaller than LSI games are called LCD games, but those that do not usually have an LCD screen are not included in the category of LCD games.

During those years, we had an abundance of Godzilla games, both board and electronic. We were living during a Godzilla toy and collectible boom. Though the Japanese games were not available to me then, I’m sure happy to collect them now.

Resources
1 An Unauthorized Guide to Godzilla Collectibles by Sean Linkenback, Schiffer Publishing Ltd, 1991, p. 33.
2 Popy Electronics Handheld Games | Godzilla Game

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