Atari releases GameCube exclusive remaster on PS5 with 98/100 user score

Atari released Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee Remastered on PlayStation 5 on November 3, 2026, a remaster of the 2002 Nintendo GameCube exclusive Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee. ComicBook.com reported the PlayStation 5 release on November 5, 2026, while other outlets had announced the November 3, 2026 launch date earlier. The game also launched November 3, 2026, on Xbox Series X|S, PC via Steam, and Nintendo Switch 2; some coverage lists the original Nintendo Switch as disputed, leaving Switch 2 as the confirmed Nintendo platform.

Pipeworks developed the 2002 original and develops the remaster. Atari publishes it, and Toho International takes part in licensing. Shattered dates the joint Atari, Pipeworks, and Toho International announcement to June 6, 2026. Atari controls the history, works with Pipeworks, and partners with Toho International on a franchise with a worldwide audience.

The digital edition costs $29.99, the PlayStation 5 disc edition costs $29.99, and the Nintendo Switch 2 physical edition costs $39.99. Atari’s announcement sets those prices, and coverage notes the Switch 2 premium reflects cartridge manufacturing costs. Playing Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee Remastered online on PlayStation 5 requires a $30 purchase and PlayStation Plus.

Atari states the remaster runs on Unreal Engine 5, delivers 4K performance, and keeps 99% mechanical fidelity to the original; reviewers have not independently verified those claims. Shattered treats the Unreal Engine 5, 4K, and 99% fidelity statements as publisher marketing until reviewers measure the console builds. Mike Mika said, “There is a real sense of responsibility that comes with working on Godzilla, especially with a fan-favorite title like Destroy All Monsters Melee”. Lindsay Gupton said, “Destroy All Monsters Melee was such an important title for the genre”.

The remaster contains 12 playable kaiju, or giant monsters, across 8 destructible locations, adds online multiplayer alongside local co-op, and replaces the old unlock grind with a currency-based system. CBR reports the remaster has 12 playable monsters. Retrogems lists a historical 12-kaiju lineup from the Xbox version, creating a discrepancy about the original roster size.

Sources disagree on whether online play supports four players or two, and cross-play is unconfirmed outside one fan guide. Shattered says Game Watcher describes up to four online players. A fan guide describes two-player online with cross-play confirmed. Atari’s announcement omits details, and CBR says online is limited to 1v1 with no cross-play.

ComicBook.com reports the remaster earned 75 on Metacritic, outscoring the original GameCube game’s 73. ComicBook.com calls it unusual for a remaster to outscore its original. The PlayStation Store listing gives the remaster a 4.88 out of 5-star average from roughly 900 user reviews, equal to 98 out of 100. On PlayStation Store, 94% of user reviews rate the remaster at 5 stars, 3% rate it at 4 stars, and all other scores each take 1%.

ComicBook.com calls the original Metacritic score of 73 decent but slightly underwhelming. The 2002 GameCube game sold well enough to become a cult classic and led to sequels in 2004 and 2007. Those follow-ups were Godzilla: Save the Earth in 2004 and Godzilla: Unleashed in 2007. ComicBook.com notes the original’s sales justified the sequels.

The 2002 GameCube exclusive later reached the original Xbox the following year, and a Game Boy Advance companion named Godzilla: Domination released alongside it. ComicBook.com uses this history to show the GameCube exclusivity ended before the 2026 PlayStation remaster. The original’s U.S. gross exceeded $15 million according to a Wikipedia entry cited by Shattered. Shattered cites this figure to describe the original as a solid licensed fighter rather than a blockbuster.

ComicBook.com identifies Infogrames as the publisher of the 2002 original, while Atari’s announcement and other outlets name Atari as the original publisher. The disagreement surfaces because one outlet calls Infogrames the original publisher, whereas another quotes Atari’s Mike Mika saying Atari published the game in 2002.

Atari is leaning on its own back catalog by publishing a remaster of a 2002 game it originally released, keeping development risk low through original-developer continuity. Shattered says Atari controls the history, works with Pipeworks, and partners with Toho International on a franchise with a worldwide audience.

The November 3, 2026 launch precedes The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time on November 5 and Grand Theft Auto 6 on November 19 in a crowded release month. Launching ahead of bigger holiday releases gives the remaster a window with less competition for coverage before those games take over the conversation.