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Godzilla's Nuclear Origins Glossed Over in PlayStation Game
posted on by Lynzee Loveridge
Godzilla's origins as a monster born from nuclear radiation and atomic bomb testing is well known. Shunsuke Fujita, the producer of the Godzilla PlayStation 3 and PS4 action game even admits "radiation is something that can never be disassociated with Godzilla." However, this bit of Godzilla's history is mysteriously absent from Fujita's game and he and the rest of the staff are mum as to why.
The game instead has Godzilla gathering his powers from "energy."
The topic of nuclear radiation came to the forefront after the March 2011 tsunami caused three nuclear meltdowns in Japan at the Fukushima Dai-ichi power plant and contaminated the surrounding area. In the aftermath, Oishinbo manga creator Tetsu Kariya published a manga chapter called "Fukushima Truth" detailing the supposed effects the radiation had on residents and subsequent censorship, an issue possibly inspired by Tokyo Electric Power Company's real-life actions. The manga caused considerable controversy.
Residents in the area face some discrimination in Japan due to fears of their radiation exposure. The country's 48 nuclear power plants remain dormant since the tsunami. Public concerns and a new series of safety checks keep them offline for now.
The Godzilla game will "make landfall" on July 14 in North America, on July 16 in Japan, and on July 17 in Europe. In North America, pre-orderd copies will include early access to the Holllywood Godzilla (2014). In Japan, the game will include a bonus unlock code for the black-and-white "Showa mode" and a bonus special Gacha medal for the Godzilla Kaijū Collection smartphone app. In Europe, copies bought on day one will include instant access to the Holllywood Godzilla (2014).
The game's monster roster includes Godzilla, King Ghidorah, Hedorah, Mechagodzilla 2, Biollante, Destoroyah, Gigan, Godzilla (from Gareth Edwards and Legendary Pictures' 2014 film), Mothra, Jet Jaguar, Super Mechagodzilla, Kiryu, SpaceGodzilla, and Mecha-King Ghidorah.
Godzilla will be a one-player game, but with a multiplayer online mode. As a monster of their choice, players can destroy the streets and humanity's weapons, as well as other monsters. The game features melee battles of up to three monsters.
TOHO's most popular monster is currently enjoying a renaissance as the official tourism ambassador for Tokyo's Shinjuku ward where he also has his own hotel. Evangelion's Hideaki Anno is helming TOHO's first new Japanese Godzilla film in 12 years. Given the situation with the video game, it remains to be seen if Godzilla's nuclear origins will also be absent in the film.
Source: Associated Press via ABC News
