When Monsters Attack!

In the upcoming J.J. Abrams creature feature Cloverfield, something big, bad, and angry is turning Manhattan into a concrete pancake. There's probably more to it than that, but the moment we figured out it was a monster movie, we stopped caring about the specifics and sent our intern off to reserve a spot in line.(He's doing fine, thanks to our cozy Star Wars: Episode 1 pup tent.)

Big monsters don't just belong on the big screen, though. Some of the world's most imposing beasts can be found in video games. Here are ten of the most monstrous titles to ever smash a controller.

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Rampage

Most gamers consider Midway's Rampage the prototypical giant monster video game. First released as a coin-op back in 1986, its premise was simple: demolish buildings, devour humans and sock other monsters in the nose as you mindlessly destroy cities like any upstanding giant monster should. The original version featured three monsters - George the gorilla, Lizzie the lizard and Ralph the wolf - though later iterations would add even more characters. The formula hasn't changed much in roughly twenty years, but it still deserves a spot in any monster fan's collection.

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Godzilla

The world famous, Tokyo-stomping thunder lizard has been responsible for more power outages than fifty years worth of winter storms, not to mention increasing the collective cardio of Japan by making its denizens sprint for the hills every couple of months. His first game dates back to the Commodore 64 in 1983; with the release of Godzilla: Unleashed on the Wii, PS2 and DS this year, that makes it a 25 year reign. Sometimes you play as him and sometimes you play against him, but no matter how many times he gets shot, punched or body slammed back into the ocean, the green machine keeps right on coming.

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Shadow of the Colossus

Dark, artsy and unique, Shadow of the Colossus was all about locating wondrous stone behemoths and wiping them out in an effort to save a dying girl. Morally ambiguous and flat-out gorgeous, the game starred some of the largest creatures ever seen in a video game, each of which you had to scale, step by excruciating step, just to find its weak spot and poke at it with your trusty sword. Sound simple? Did we mention the colossi were trying to squash you the whole time? Exhilarating and underappreciated, it remains one of the best games from the last generation.

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Monster Hunter

You have to admire this Capcom franchise for getting right to the point: there are giant monsters running rampant all across the land, and it's your job to make like Ted Nugent and take them down. The best way to do so, apparently, is by ganging up on them with friends -- the Monster Hunter games are renowned for their robust online modes. Though it has only enjoyed moderate success in the U.S., it's one of the best-selling franchises in Japan, which makes sense when you consider how many giant monsters routinely terrorize their countryside.

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Peter Jackson's King Kong

The film might not be big news anymore, but playing as the digital version of the titular ape is still more fun than a barrel of you-know-whats. Swing from treetop to treetop, clobber dinos and trample those puny humans in an effort to keep your prized sacrificial Barbie doll from falling into the hands of those pesky do-gooders. The epic V-Rex battles are worth the price of admission alone, although we also recommend this if you own an Xbox 360 and need some easy Achievement points.

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