When looking at the history of cinema, the name Godzilla stands out as one of the most famous fictional beasts of the last 100 years. The monster originated in the 1950s, and was known for wreaking havoc across Asia. Standing at a gargantuan 500 feet tall, the scaly reptile would cause carnage across major cities, oceans, and wildlife, earning more powers and abilities with each adaptation or sequel in its mythical universe.
Indeed, Godzilla is a series that transcends multiple media platforms. From his debut in 1954, Japanese film producer Tomoyuki Tanaka has ensured The Monster has been a household name, and what is more impressive is that the series has transitioned into the Western world and is still on our screens over 70 years later.
You only need to look at the success of the latest Godzilla vs Kong films, which see Marvel’s style of multiple characters in the same universe come together. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire has already cleared $560 million at the global box office, putting it on track to become the MonsterVerse's highest-grossing installment.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at all the different ways Godzilla has appeared in the media throughout the years. Read on to find out more.
Cinema
Let’s start with the place that earned Godzilla its claim to fame - the big screen. There are over 38 feature films that have Godzilla involved in one way or another, with 33 in Japanese. While the MonsterVerse series has proved the most profitable, some of the black-and-white classics still hold up to this day, and more recently the launch of Godzilla Minus One, perhaps one of the most underrated movies of 2023, is the first live-action Godzilla movie from a Japanese production and distribution company Toho since 2016.
The movie was only released in a handful of Western theatres, but received critical acclaim and is one of the best adaptations the Monster has ever received. Japanese subtitles keep the series’ authenticity, with the great effects and performances from actors Yuki Yamada and Minami Hamabe.
In total, the Godzilla franchise has developed alongside the enhancement of special effects, allowing viewers growing up alongside the fictional reptile to see his powers look all the more impressive. From the huge stature to nuclear roar, things are only going to get better the more CGI effects improve.
Gaming
Those wanting a more immersive experience will be thrilled to know there are several video games featuring Godzilla. The first to release was Godzilla: Monster of Monsters in the 1980s when Nintendo took on the rights to licence the giant on their platforms. There have been plenty of others including Sony’s 2014 release across the Playstation that sold over 100,000 copies.
Godzilla has also featured in casinos across a range of slot games. The classic machines that were laced with colour in land-based venues featured the monster’s image, and even now the top IE slot sites feature a range of Godzilla online slot games, including the latest MonsterVerse slot, where players can land on Godzilla symbol to trigger the Godzilla Bonus for an opportunity to expand reels up to 32 wheels wide along with chances for additional spins and/or credits.
Novels
Godzilla has a cult-like following across Japan that has led to plenty of fan fiction and novels expanding the lore of the universe in written form. The imagination of some of these authors truly runs wild, and a selection of graphic novels and comics also feature the beast in some crazy predicaments. From battles with robots, to travelling to the future, to meeting aliens at the end of the world, there is so much fun to be had with these tales of the famous lizard, with plenty of copies translated into English and being made readily accessible.
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The Godzilla name has paved the way for plenty of merchandise and such a recognizable icon in Japan will always have different types of media attracting attention.
Even with social media developing, Youtube sites have attempted to trace every piece of Godzilla lore together to establish a clear timeline that follows his journey from origin story to the Multiverse of monsters in a canonical way, trying to piece together how the prehistoric reptile emerged from the bottom of the ocean and ended up causing carnage across Japan and the rest of the world.
There are plenty of others that haven’t been mentioned, from music videos to pop culture, Godzilla has been a household name for almost 75 years and you expect that to continue in the future.
