Metal Max

Metal Max
Famicom version Cover art
Developer(s)	Crea-Tech Data East Kuusoukagaku (SNES)[1]
Publisher(s)	Data East
Producer(s)	Masaharu Masuda
Designer(s)	Hiroshi Miyaoka
Composer(s)	Satoshi Kadokura
Series	Metal Max
Platform(s)	Family Computer, Super Famicom
Release	Family Computer JP: May 24, 1991 Super Famicom JP: September 29, 1995
Genre(s)	Role-playing video game
Mode(s)	Single-player

Metal Max (メタルマックス, Metaru Makkusu) is a 1991 turn-based, nonlinear, open world, post-apocalyptic, vehicle combat, role-playing video game co-developed by Crea-Tech and Data East. It was published by Data East for the Nintendo Famicom exclusively in Japan on May 24, 1991 and later re-released on the Wii Virtual Console on April 27, 2010. It is the first of the Metal Max series. Metal Max is set in a futuristic post-apocalyptic world, where the surviving humans cluster in underground villages and ruins while "monster hunters" fight the monsters and outlaws outside.^[2][3] The game got a sequel, Metal Max 2, and was remade for the Super Famicom as Metal Max Returns. A direct sequel Metal Saga was published in 2006 for Nintendo DS.

Gameplay

In battle, the first character is inside the tank, and the second one battles without one.

Metal Max was an early example of an open-ended and non-linear role-playing video game. It lacked a predetermined story path, but the player was instead given the choice of which missions to follow in whatever order while being able to visit any place in the game world.^[3][4] The ending can be determined by the player, who can alter the ending through their actions, complete the game at almost any time, and can continue playing the game even after the ending.^[3]

The gameplay is classic RPG fare: the characters travel from town to town, having random encounters on the way, upgrading items and tanks as they go. The object is to become a well-known and respected hunter by defeating the monsters with bounties on their heads, which can be done in any order the player pleases. There is a surprisingly rich storyline, but as it is not forced on the player it must be actively sought out. A large part of the game is customizing tanks: tank parts can be bought or found, and the parts, as well as the tank itself, can all be modified. The player uses a BS-Controller (BS-Con), a personal computer system, to track data about things such as towns, tanks, bounties and experience points. Combat is turn-based. There are a large number of miscellaneous items, weapons and upgrades, most with unique or uncommon capabilities.

The character classes, such as a mechanic or soldier, could be chosen for the player characters, who would fight in turn-based battles either on foot or using tanks. The player could create tanks, customize and make a variety of modifications to them, remodel and enhance each part, strengthen the defense, repair damaged parts, and give them more shells.^[3][4]

Tank

A unique characteristic of Metal Max is the Vehicle system. In this game, each character can ride a vehicle and there are 8 different vehicles that can be collected.^[5] A vehicle protects the driver from physical damage and can be equipped with weapons.

Each vehicle has their own exclusive chassis. A Vehicle's loading capacity is decided by the maximum power of the equipped Engine. All parts besides plate armour have a certain weight so if the vehicle becomes overloaded or the engine is damaged, it will be unable to move.^[6] Every vehicle can be equipped with a C-Unit (Computer-Unit), a fire control system that affects the hit rate of equipped weapons.^[7] (In Metal Max Returns, it has more functions.) The above two are necessary for vehicles^[8] so if one of these becomes broken or unequipped, the Vehicle will be unable to move by itself.^[9]

A Vehicle can have between 0-3 slots on its chassis that can accept a certain class of weapon. The weapon's are divided into three classes: Cannons, Machine guns, and Special weapons. Cannons are powerful, but have limited ammunition. Machine guns have unlimited ammunition and can hit multiple enemies but are weak. Special weapons are both powerful and can hit multiple enemies, but can be heavy and tend to run out of ammunition very quickly.

Setting

The game is set an unknown number of years after the fall of modern human civilization due to actions of Noah. The survivors clustered into villages or began to live among the ruins, and those who fought the monsters and robots outside became known as monster hunters. These men and women salvage tanks and tank parts in order to defeat monsters and outlaws and collect bounties on them. Although the previous civilization has been ruined, the environment is not as desolate as many post-apocalyptic settings, with plentiful trees and water.

Characters

• The Hunter : The main character, a young man who dreams of becoming a monster hunter. His name is revealed to be Rebanna in sequel Metal Saga: Season of Steel.
• The Mechanic : A young man who wants to travel the world and become a great tank mechanic.
• The Soldier : A rough woman who hopes to best her rival, Red Wolf.
• Hunter's Dad : A gruff tank mechanic who disowns his son over his wild and impractical ambitions.
• Dr. Minchi : A doctor who resurrects characters by electric shock.
• Red Wolf : A mysterious hunter who drives a bright red tank.
• Noah : A supercomputer that was made by scientists in the hope that it can work out a solution to saving the earth's environment. By analyzing more and more data and recalculating every possibility, it "awoke" and brought about the apocalypse upon the conclusion that destroying humanity is the only way of saving the earth.

Tanks

• Mosquito : The first tank that the hunter finds.
• Buggy : Found at the derrick factory in the world's south-east corner.
• Van : Can recover character's HP while move in the world.
• Tiger : A WW2-vintage tank that is buried somewhere in the beach cave.
• LAV : An 6x6 wheeled APC that is found in Sol town.
• Abrams : A tank that is sold in the port of a slum.
• Red Wolf : Character Red Wolf's tank.
• White Muu : A Next-Generation MBT Prototype that is locked inside the Ghost Base.

Development, remake and reception

The game has a Super Famicom remake titled Metal Max Returns (メタルマックス リターンズ), which developed and published by Kuusoukagaku in 1995. Remake featuring improved graphics and sound, new bounties and items, new and revised areas, references to Metal Max 2 and decreased difficulty. It is the third game in the Metal Max series. It also contains many elements that were later found in Metal Saga on the PlayStation 2.

The original game was also be released by Enterbrain for the Japanese Wii Virtual Console on November 15, 2011, Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console on January 9, 2013; and Metal Max Returns was also available for Wii Virtual Console.

Metal Max sold 150,000 copies in Japan.^[10] For Metal Max Returns, more than 170 thousand copies of this game were sold at a price of 12,800 yen per copy (the equivalent of $165 USD).^[11]

Translation

Fan translation of Metal Max Returns is available.^[12]

References

External links

• Crea-Tech's Metal Max Returns page (in Japanese)
• Metal Max at MobyGames
• METAL MAniaX's Metal Max Returns database (in Japanese)
• A fan translation of Metal Max Returns

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