Metal Max (video game)

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]

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.

The game was released in Japan on May 24, 1991 for the Nintendo Famicom home console and was published by Data East.[10] A Super Famicom remake of the game, titled Metal Max Returns (メタルマックス リターンズ), was developed and published by Kuusoukagaku and released on September 29, 1995.[11][12] It features improved graphics and sound, new bounties and items, new and revised areas, references to Metal Max 2 and decreased difficulty. It also contains many elements that were later found in Metal Saga on the PlayStation 2. Metal Max Returns was later ported to the Game Boy Advance by Nau Productions in 2003.[13] The original Famicom version was later re-released on the Wii Virtual Console on April 27, 2010, and the 3DS Virtual Console on January 1, 2013.[10] Returns was re-released on the Wii Virtual Console on November 15, 2011.[12]

Metal Max sold 150,000 copies in Japan.[14] 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 US$165).[15]

While Metal Max Returns was never released in the West, a full fan translation was released by Aeon Genesis in 2007.[16] The original Metal Max was also fan translated in 2018.[17]

• 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