funny...that's exactly how i feel....except the nostalgia factor is rather less powerful in my case, since i saw one of the Jap Zillas [i think it was Godzilla vs. Mothra, or Godzilla vs. Gigan (showa era, i think)] shortly before seeing GODZILLA [GINO]. i loved the 98 Zilla because it looked like how an active reptilian [like a Raptor, Rex, or any other Predatory dinos] should look, the walking reminding me alot of a very athletic Rex with less extreme relative proportions between the head and the rest of the body, and the tail just constantly making me think "if that enormous lizard thought of using it's tail as a weapon, it could do quite a few things...split a tank in half [or rather crush it underneath], or maybe split a building down the middle when you consider the size of the tail and the strength a creature that big would have. the fact that it couldn't actually blow fire was a let down, though, when you think of the story of it, this one shouldn't really have fire at all [granted, it shouldn't really exist, either], since there isn't really any way that Nuclear Radiation could cause a creature to develop an entirely new organ to generate fire, or a laser beam, like the Jap Zilla did...
although the Jap Zillas always have given me memories, in some cases [especially Godzilla vs. Mothra...made a drawing of Mothra when i was around 9 years old...], the GINO is still my favourite...although im hoping someone can actually use the ending to make a sequel, and this time give the youngster fire as a weapon and maybe make it a bit tougher....[i dont remember ever seeing JapZilla being killed. only hurt...]..and have it wreak havoc, cause a few more youngsters to be born, and then return to the ocean....as a sea monster to rival the Kraken or something