The protagonist
An unnamed young bounty hunter who leaves home to seek adventure and battle the monsters threatening the post-apocalyptic world.
Documented for this version
D-pad | Move the character or vehicle and navigate menus. |
|---|---|
A | Confirm selections, talk, and interact. |
B | Cancel selections or return to the previous menu. |
Start | Open the status or command menu when available. |
How it plays
The player explores a top-down world map, towns, facilities, and dungeons. Battles use a turn-based command system, with choices for weapons, tools, vehicles, and special actions. Many enemies can be fought while riding a tank, while other encounters require combat on foot.
Progression depends on earning money, buying or finding equipment, improving vehicle weapons and armor, and defeating named bounty targets. The world permits considerable freedom in the order of objectives, although stronger regions and enemies require better equipment and vehicle capacity.
Plan your run
Upgrade vehicle armor and weapons regularly, but keep enough money for repairs and ammunition. Record the locations of garages and shops, since vehicle condition and equipment capacity strongly affect survival.
Bounty monsters provide valuable rewards, but they are often much stronger than ordinary enemies in the same area. Explore cautiously, save before major fights, and retreat when vehicle equipment or ammunition becomes depleted.
Meet the cast
An unnamed young bounty hunter who leaves home to seek adventure and battle the monsters threatening the post-apocalyptic world.
A recurring eccentric scientist associated with the game's technology and revival of the dead.
A dog that can join the party and fight alongside the human characters.
Before you begin
Keep separate funds for vehicle repairs and new equipment.
Check towns and garages thoroughly for upgrades and useful services.
Named bounty enemies can be postponed; returning later with a stronger vehicle is often the safest approach.
Metal Max is a post-apocalyptic role-playing game developed by Crea-Tech and published by Data East for Nintendo's Famicom system. It combines traditional menu-driven RPG exploration with turn-based battles fought both on foot and in customizable combat vehicles. The player leaves home to become a bounty hunter, gathering equipment, recruiting companions, and challenging powerful monsters across a ruined world. The game is notable for treating tanks as central progression tools rather than simple story props. Its open-ended structure, vehicle maintenance, and unusual science-fiction setting gave it a distinctive identity among early console RPGs. It received a sequel and became the foundation of a long-running Japanese series, although this original release remained primarily associated with Japan.
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