|
 Metal Saga is an interesting little RPG. It's a 2005 game for the PS2, and it really never got a ton of success in the States - possibly because it was the second-to-last entry in a five-game series that we never saw any of. The graphics were dated when it came out, the plot is difficult to actually find because the game is so open-ended, and if you don't know how events are triggered, you will spend hours wandering around doing nothing. On the other hand, it's an extremely charming game, with a great sense of humor, and it actually does have a plot - it just, well, takes knowing how to trigger the various events. Fortunately, I do know how to do this. I hope to show off all of the endings; certainly I will show off all of the endings I know of. There are a lot of permutations on them. Now, it's kind of hard to avoid some spoilers - the game spoils a lot on its own. But please, try to avoid spoilers for character backstories and future events. You can mention that some events exist, but please try to avoid details, and definitely use spoiler tags if you really have to bring it up. I will be getting as many of the collectible tanks as I can; there are a few that are mutually exclusive. In the case of mutually exclusive tanks or other things, I will leave the decision to you guys. (I will always show all options if I can; all mutually exclusive things that I know of can be exchanged for each other fairly freely.) Can you tell me anything about the Metal Max series? No. This is the only Metal Max game I have ever played. I don't read or speak Japanese, so everything I know about the rest of the series is based on Wikipedia. Do you recommend this game? If you can take JRPG standard combat systems, sure. It's got some innovative tricks going on, largely related to the tanks, and it is very charming. But it is not a game that is easily playable without a guide - several events have very specific triggers, and the game really doesn't believe in handholding when it comes to showing you what you're meant to be doing. But if you're okay with that? Yeah, I'd say it's pretty okay. It's no Operation Darkness, that's for sure. The Metal Saga Field Manual posted:In this game, you assume the role of a boy who wants to be a hunter like his father. You are not at the mercy of fate, nor are you destined to be a hero of legend. You weren't born with mysterious powers, nor were you blessed by the gods. In fact, you're basically on your own in this harsh world, and where you go is completely up to you. Table of Contents Update 1: Game's Over, Go Home Update 2: My Home Town Update 3: Oops, I Died Update 4: Marriage Is What Brings Us Together Today Update 5: gently caress Mine Detectors Update 6: Dogs Update 7: On the Hunt Update 8, Part 1: The Time Has Come, The Walrus Said, To Speak Of Many Things Update 8, Part 2: Of Shoes And Ships And Sealing Wax Update 9: Back to the Grind Update 10: Snakes Update 11: No Disassemble Update 12: gently caress Eagles Update 13: Journey to the West Update 14: This Episode Brought To You By The Letter M Update 15: New Faces Update 16: The Great Khan Update 17: Muscling On Update 18: Ultimate Muscle Update 19: Wait, It's Been How Long? Update 20: Beautiful Lorelei Bay Update 21: Revenge of the Old People Update 22: Grinding on the Waves Update 23: No, Really, I'm Alive Update 24: That Took Longer Than I Thought Mors Rattus fucked around with this message at 21:11 on Feb 20, 2015 |
#
?
Mar 19, 2014 05:17
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 17, 2024 00:22 |
|
|
Cast of Characters  Max: What it says. Nicknamed Grease Monkey.   Misha: Our childhood friend and a mechanic. She's happy to marry Max if asked. The daughter of Nikolai and Martha. Kiriya's younger sister.   Kiriya: Our childhood friend and a mechanic. The adopted son of Nikolai and Martha. Misha's older brother. His biological father is the Disassembler.   Rashid: A swordsman who can dodge bullets.   Charlene: A gunslinger of immense skill. Used to live in Alice One. A former member of the Rouge Rogues.  Iggy: Our faithful dog! A Boston Terrier, designated BD3. Found in a microwave in an old biogenetics lab.  Nina: Dear old Mom. Wishes that we'd just settle down and be an engineer.  Emily: Our little sister. Likes the color pink. Always wanted a Boston Terrier.  Eddy: Our dad. A hunter; otherwise fairly mysterious.  Jack: A friend of the family and a bartender. Father of Rachel.  Rachel: Our childhood friend. Angry all the time. Has a thing for Max. Works at her father's bar.  Scarlet: An experienced hunter. Thinks Max is just adorable. Always looking out for herself.  Dr. Solomon: A retired hunter who studies monsters. Can only bench 440 lbs now.  The Medal Collector: Collects Big Medals. Hare Head:  Knows a lot about the history of the world. McKinley: A traveler and a friend of Eddy's. Knows a lot about towns.  Dr. Mortem: A genius who performs experiments that might be able to revive the dead. Not the sort of man who can live with half a heart.  Igor: Dr. Mortem's assistant. Collects materials.  Alex: A man in a suit who works for an organization that wants to restore human civilization. Eddy doesn't trust him.  Clive: A short, fat man in a suit who works for Alex.  Connie: A tall, thin woman in a suit who works for Alex.  Martha: Nikolai's wife. Mother of Misha and Kiriya.  Nikolai: Nina's friend and a mechanic. Husband of Martha, father of Misha and Kiriya. Very excitable.  The Curry Guru: A mysterious man who sells delicious curry.   Rosa Beldaire: A hunter and tank collector. Rich. Sister of Carl Beldaire. Hates being called Princess.  Sebastian: Rosa Beldaire's butler.  Carl Beldaire: A mechanic. Brother of Rosa Beldaire. Quiet.  Catherine: A girl who wants her teddy bear, Gluttony, back.  Arthur Beldaire: The leader of Beldaire. Father of Rosa and Carl, friend of Eddy.  Mad Maxwell: An outlaw and a captain of the League of Uncivilized Barbarians.  Colonel Blueberry: An outlaw and commander of the Blueberry Army. Lazy, but rich.  The Disassembler: A strange outlaw mechanic that lives to destroy tanks. The biological father of Kiriya. Also known as the White Terror.  Murasame: A mysterious swordsman who lost a duel to Rashid.  Fredrick: An outlaw and leader of the Daltons.  Shasta: An outlaw and member of the Daltons.  Roberto: An outlaw and member of the Daltons.  Sodam Insein: A mysterious map salesman. Tried and failed to ambush the party.  Gorou: The head of Torikami. Husband of Suzu, father of Kaede. Worried about Orochi and his daughter.  Suzu: Wife of Gorou, mother of Kaede.  Kaede: Daughter of Gorou and Suzu. Potential sacrifice to Orochi.  Leon: A researcher into the past. Friend of Eddie.  Wayne: A rope-using bounty hunter on the trail of Derringer Jack.  Granddaddy Kong: An outlaw. Also, a giant talking gorilla.  Dr. Zeus: An ape swordsman. Worked for Granddaddy Kong.  Jared: A traveler. Eldest and leader of the orphans of Forever Land. Elder brother of Remi.  Julie: A traveler. Eldest girl of the orphans of Forever Land. Jared's assistant.  Zed: An outlaw and member of the Daltons.  Francine: An outlaw and member of the Daltons.  Danny: An orphan of Forever Land. Kind of a punk.  Gaspar: Youngest of the orphans of Forever Land. A girl.  Patricia: An orphan of Forever Land. Younger sister of Patrick. Wants to be a hunter.  Patrick: An orphan of Forever Land. Elder brother of Patricia.  Remi: An orphan of Forever Land. Younger sister of Jared.  Robby: An orphan of Forever Land. Really really (really) likes tanks.  Syd: An orphan of Forever Land. Weird.  Golem: Bodyguard of the orphans of Forever Land. Formerly Fang of the Rouge Rogues.  Shaka Khan: An outlaw and leader of the League of Uncivilized Barbarians. Slaughtered most of the Rouge Rogues.  Father Muscle: An outlaw and the spiritual leader of Gluteus Maximism.  Thursday: A robot that lives with Dr. Palm. Kind of an rear end in a top hat.  Dr. Palm: A man who wanted a friend. Likes tanks.  The Puppetmaster, AKA Joe: An outlaw who was being controlled by his puppet.  Marceau: A talking, mind-controlling outlaw puppet.  Man o' War: An outlaw that wanted to become human.  Professor Marilyn Grey: A cyberneticist.  Oliver: An orphan who was being used by criminals to pick locks.  Helga: An aged outlaw who wants to protect the old.  Olga: A retired hunter.  Wheelchair Willy: An aged outlaw who wants to protect the old.  Wilco: An old man that wants to fly.  Doc Optica: A man who loves lenses. Mors Rattus fucked around with this message at 21:12 on Feb 20, 2015 |
|
#
?
Mar 19, 2014 05:18
|
|
|
Update One: Game's Over, Go Home (Click here to watch the intro video!) Well, that's promising! I like Atlus games, usually. They've published a lot! However, they were just the publisher here.  That's less promising. Success developed Metal Saga, and...well, they also developed the last game I tried to LP, Operation Darkness. And that game sucked so hard that I literally could not finish it - the final mission was just too tedious, combined with some recording issues I had. However! This game does not suffer from the same issues, at least. It has some issues, but they are new ones! Besides, they were not the sole developers.  Crea-Tech and Success have been working together on the Metal Max series for a while! Metal Saga, known in Japan as Metal Saga: Sajin no Kusari, which Wikipedia tells me means 'Chain of Sandstorm', is the only installment of the series that has ever been localized, and the only one I have ever played and know anything about.     Metal Saga is a post-apocalyptic RPG about tanks. It is very open-ended, far moreso than most JRPGs, and this is our main character. He has no official name in English; in Japan, the default is 'Syu.' You guys will get to name him when we start on our second run.     In case you're wondering, this is not what the game looks like. These anime graphics are solely for the intro video. This is one of the Mechanic-class party members, Kiriya. We won't be meeting him on our first run. Mechanics are relatively weak in combat compared to the main character or the Soldier-class characters, but can repair things. And being in a tank makes combat weakness less relevant.     And this is Misha, the other Mechanic. We won't be seeing her on our first run, either.  Or any of these guys except the main character. They are not party members.     We won't be meeting Rashid, the melee Soldier.     Or Charlene, the ranged Soldier.    This is what the game actually looks like. Not that we'll be going there until after the first ending.     So, with all those teasers out of the way, let's get started.   All games start with the options menu. Smart Park is 'automatically exit your tanks if you go somewhere tanks can't go.' Everything else should be obvious.   (Click here to view the cutscene!) We join our intrepid hero, whom I have named Hunter, as he is being lectured by his mother.  There's a lot of headshots in this game - characters change expression fairly often.  : Well, I think it's a bad idea. It's a terrible, needless job. Lots of changing camera angles, too! There was effort put into this, for all it's pretty early PS2 rendering. : ...Most people don't have a very high opinion of hunters... : If I had my way, your father wouldn't be a hunter, either. This is Emily, the main character's little sister. She's...well, she's present.  : Now, there's still plenty of time for you to train as a mechanic in order to inherit the family business. I think you'd be really good at it, and not just because you're my son. And now, we have a choice.  But really, how could we disappoint Mom? I think she's right.  : You are my son, after all, so it only makes sense that you'd become the best mechanic around. I've always believed in you.Then, we cut to our dad and sister.   : Yeah. You'd think he was born to be a mechanic.  : You know, Dad, Hunter is working really hard.  : the best mechanic around. But, he's my son, too... I always thought he'd make a good hunter. : ......: What?: Are you actually jealous?: Huh? Well, how can I say this...? I guess I'm jealous. ...Maybe a little. When he was a kid, he always ran around saying, "I wanna be a hunter like Daddy when I grow up!" ...I guess I just got my hopes up.: ...... : It's his life, though. He can make his own decisions. Being a hunter is far from easy... As a parent, it's nice not to be worried about him dying. ...I guess.The main character has a very supportive family. On the other hand, Eddy's being kind of weird there at the end.  spending his life a a mechanic. He would never fight a giant flying manta ray... Nor would he find a pet dog with heavy artillery on its back. No, he wouldn't even encounter a cult of body-builders obsessed with ab toning and proper waxing techniques. Truly, Hunter lived one of the most boring lives ever imagined. Sure, he eventually gets married and has a few kids, who go on to lead equally dull and boring lives. And, of course he dies quietly in bed. But every man dies--not every man truly awakens an attractive female robotic weapon, designed long ago by scientists that time forgot. Hunter didn't, anyway. That's for sure. And...roll credits!  We got none of the bounties! But we do get to see my favorite Special Thanks entry.  The JSDF. Now, let's see our perfect 0% run!       So ends run #1! Total gameplay: a single menu choice. You guys get to choose a name for Run #2's main character! Up to 8 characters, and I'll choose whichever one I like best! Mors Rattus fucked around with this message at 19:00 on Mar 30, 2014 |
|
#
?
Mar 19, 2014 05:19
|
|
|
Haha, that's an awesome way to start. I see good things coming from this LP!
|
|
#
?
Mar 19, 2014 05:28
|
|
|
Hey, I've played this series before! There is a translation patch for Metal Max Returns, which is a SNES remake of the first Metal Max game. It was fairly interesting, with the best thing about it being the humor if I'm remembering it correctly. Another cool feature was the change in power between being on foot and being in a tank. You felt rather weak just walking about, but once you got into a tank you kicked butt, only to be forced out again. I never actually looked to see what was up with the other games in the series, but I had a good time with MMR, so I look foward to this LP.
|
|
#
?
Mar 19, 2014 05:31
|
|
|
Question: how many confusing-dialogue hilarities would be gained from naming the main character Hunter?
|
|
#
?
Mar 19, 2014 05:37
|
|
|
dijon du jour posted:Question: how many confusing-dialogue hilarities would be gained from naming the main character Hunter? Not a ton, though there are a few spots where people spend a fair amount of time talking about hunters.
|
|
#
?
Mar 19, 2014 05:38
|
|
|
Mors Rattus posted:You guys get to choose a name for Run #2's main character! Up to 8 characters, and I'll choose whichever one I like best! Mad Max. 
|
|
#
?
Mar 19, 2014 05:39
|
|
|
Name: El Guapo Because he's a handsome devil
|
|
#
?
Mar 19, 2014 05:48
|
|
|
Dongs. Just for the nostalgia.
|
|
#
?
Mar 19, 2014 05:48
|
|
|
I'm gonna go for the other war reference and name him Patton.
|
|
#
?
Mar 19, 2014 05:53
|
|
|
Who run postapocalyptia? Master Blaster run postapocalyptia! EDIT: Alternatively, if we can name him Master and the tank Blaster, that's cool too.
|
|
#
?
Mar 19, 2014 05:56
|
|
|
SilentW posted:Who run postapocalyptia? Master Blaster run postapocalyptia! Eight character limit, but we do get to name our tanks.
|
|
#
?
Mar 19, 2014 05:58
|
|
|
I vote for Max.
|
|
#
?
Mar 19, 2014 06:00
|
|
|
SilentW posted:Who run postapocalyptia? Master Blaster run postapocalyptia! The tank's name is SOPHIA and the dude's name is Jason then. 
|
|
#
?
Mar 19, 2014 06:00
|
|
|
Maverick Because come on.
|
|
#
?
Mar 19, 2014 06:05
|
|
|
Mors Rattus posted:You guys get to choose a name for Run #2's main character! Up to 8 characters, and I'll choose whichever one I like best! Tank because confusion is fun.
|
|
#
?
Mar 19, 2014 06:10
|
|
|
I like it already.  He's a hunter? Name him Elmer Fudd. (Or, you know, just Elmer.)
|
|
#
?
Mar 19, 2014 06:10
|
|
|
Clicked on the thread because I thought it was Metal Slug, left entirely disappointed. Marco
|
|
#
?
Mar 19, 2014 06:13
|
|
|
Blind Sally posted:Mad Max. Or Max. Either is fine with me.
|
|
#
?
Mar 19, 2014 06:14
|
|
|
Leon
|
|
#
?
Mar 19, 2014 06:20
|
|
|
Shinjobi posted:Or Max. Either is fine with me. And name the tank "Last V8".
|
|
#
?
Mar 19, 2014 06:23
|
|
|
I should note: we're going to ending the LP with significantly more than one tank. We will be getting one tank very soon, though. Well, I say 'tank.' It's close enough.
|
|
#
?
Mar 19, 2014 06:25
|
|
|
Did that Rashid man just cleave a shark in half, there? Some kinda mutant shark, sure, but shark none the less. And by the looks of where he IS, this seems to be a LAND SHARK. I'm voting Max. We are, however, required to call one of our tanks the LAND SHARK in honor of that.
|
|
#
?
Mar 19, 2014 06:30
|
|
|
Cosmic Afro posted:Did that Rashid man just cleave a shark in half, there? Some kinda mutant shark, sure, but shark none the less. And by the looks of where he IS, this seems to be a LAND SHARK. And yes, those are bazooka dogs, killer tomatoes, a muscle posing minigame, a drinking minigame, a cyborg octopus, and a mad scientist bringing the main character back to life. I loving love Metal Saga. Buckle up motherfuckers, we're in for a hell of a ride. Also, Rattus, do you have the game manual by any chance? You should add the blurb at the start of the manual to the OP. I think it sums up the game pretty nicely. Tupperwarez fucked around with this message at 07:00 on Mar 19, 2014 |
|
#
?
Mar 19, 2014 06:55
|
|
|
Jumping on the Max Bandwagon. Are you going to show off all the endings?
|
|
#
?
Mar 19, 2014 07:01
|
|
|
Tupperwarez posted:Also, Rattus, do you have the game manual by any chance? You should add the blurb at the start of the manual to the OP. I think it sums up the game pretty nicely. I'll have to dig around. I think I might. And I plan to show off all the endings I know about - I'm pretty sure there's a few I don't, but I will be experimenting. E: Crap, looks like the manual may have been thrown away at some point, I can't find it in my game drawers. E: Wait, no. It fell between drawers. Which blurb do you mean - the prologue, the objective or the world of Metal Saga one? Mors Rattus fucked around with this message at 07:07 on Mar 19, 2014 |
|
#
?
Mar 19, 2014 07:02
|
|
|
Ulvirich posted:Clicked on the thread because I thought it was Metal Slug, left entirely disappointed. The same as this person! Except I wasn't disappointed at all by this ending. 
|
|
#
?
Mar 19, 2014 07:16
|
|
|
Mors Rattus posted:E: Wait, no. It fell between drawers. Which blurb do you mean - the prologue, the objective or the world of Metal Saga one? Also, are you gonna hoard the junk you get from outlaws, then appraise it? I ask only because there's only a set number of Ancient Junk as far as I know, so if you wanna show off all the special weapons, you're probably gonna have to do a few reloads. Not really a big deal though, we're not gonna be dealing with Ancient Junk for quite a while.
|
|
#
?
Mar 19, 2014 07:22
|
|
|
Sure, I can add that in. And I haven't decided what I'll be doing with that stuff yet! Fortunately, saving and reloading shouldn't be too big a deal for me.
|
|
#
?
Mar 19, 2014 07:23
|
|
|
From the manual:The Metal Saga Field Manual posted:In this game, you assume the role of a boy who wants to be a hunter like his father. You are not at the mercy of fate, nor are you destined to be a hero of legend. You weren't born with mysterious powers, nor were you blessed by the gods. In fact, you're basically on your own in this harsh world, and where you go is completely up to you.
|
|
#
?
Mar 19, 2014 07:27
|
|
|
Max power!
|
|
#
?
Mar 19, 2014 07:33
|
|
|
Sam, to counteract all these Max votes.
|
|
#
?
Mar 19, 2014 07:33
|
|
|
Senerio posted:Sam, to counteract all these Max votes. If this wins please name the tank "Little Buddy".
|
|
#
?
Mar 19, 2014 07:43
|
|
|
Guys c'mon this is the 'Metal Saga' so obviously the main character's name is Metal. Duh. We should also name a tank Metal. Metal rode Metal. It was very Metal.
|
|
#
?
Mar 19, 2014 09:14
|
|
|
Getsuya posted:Guys c'mon this is the 'Metal Saga' so obviously the main character's name is Metal. Duh. Monsters tried to destroy The Metal. THEY FAILED! And they were smote into the ground! Other tanks tried to destroy The Metal. THEY FAILED! And they were sent to the impound! Outlaws tried to destroy The Metal. AHAHAHA THEY FAILED! As they were thrown to the ground!
|
|
#
?
Mar 19, 2014 12:10
|
|
|
Oh man, dis game, LOVE dis game. Gonna have to vote for Max.
|
|
#
?
Mar 19, 2014 12:44
|
|
|
Erwin Rommel, or just Rommel because history....and...erm...stuff?
|
|
#
?
Mar 19, 2014 13:06
|
|
|
I agree with Metal
|
|
#
?
Mar 19, 2014 13:11
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 17, 2024 00:22 |
|
|
Name him Arnold
|
|
#
?
Mar 19, 2014 13:14
|
|
