Developer: Sculptured Software Publisher: Jaleco Released: 1991 Genre: Action
Metal Mech is a game that I always had an interest in trying but for some reason had reservations about. I could never quite put my finger on the reason why at first. A glance at the back of the box shows a massive mech crushing all in its wake which should have been up my alley. But it was not until I played Godzilla: Master of Monsters that I found the reason why. Large sprites dealing with tiny enemies almost never works and Metal Mech makes some of the mistakes that game did. While it is an interesting title Metal Mech is far too frustrating in the end.
The mech in the title refers to your ED209 sized machine. The game does a good job of making you feel like you are behind the controls of a massive engine of destruction. Your mech is incredibly powerful, able to stomp smaller machines under its heels and withstand a ton of punishment. Initially you start with a rapid fire cannon that can rotate its fire in every direction. Throughout the various stages you can find additional armaments although to be honest they are all worthless.
While it does not look like it at first Metal Mech has a lot in common with Blaster Master. Both feature large worlds and also allow you to jump out of your vehicle. Tony even resembles Jason although thankfully he isn’t as frail. The reason you need to venture out as Tony is to collect items. Your mech can unearth items but cannot pick them up. Tony can do the same but unless absolutely necessary you do not want to spend that much time outside. While you wander around your mech will still take damage although it is mostly negligible. Tony isn’t so lucky.
The goal of every level is to find the key that unlocks the exit, a task that sounds simple but is anything but. Metal Mech probably has the largest maps in any NES game; they are gigantic. A single level in Metal Mech would be two or three in other titles. There is a great deal of variety too. The initial streets of the city are the most straightforward but from there the game’s scale increases. The towers are two giant apartment complexes that allow you to explore each floor. The sewers personally confused me with its layout. Even at its conclusion the game switches. The final level is all Tony as you don a jet pack and explore the Alien Queen’s Mothership.
The game’s size is impressive but it also works against it. The key to the exit can be literally anywhere. There are no hints or guidance either. You will have to shoot every part of the environment to find it which quickly becomes tedious. Considering the size of the levels it is disheartening to find the exit before the key and realize you will have to back track. That is not an easy task either as it can be near impossible if you missed it beforehand. I would even say if you make it that far you might even consider turning the game off.
The clunky tank controls do not help either. In fact the entire game feels clumsily designed. Controlling the mech is downright frustrating but that is mostly due to the level design. A large object like the mech was not designed for small spaces, of which you find many. The second level alone is aggravating as you search the tight floors of two massive towers, all the while taking many unavoidable hits. Most of the enemies you will face are small and hard to hit and even worse, actively run away and respawn. There is a reason the tank can take an obscene amount of damage; you cannot avoid it in most cases. It is very easy to end up missing the key with no way back at which point you need to die. That should not be possible yet it is. But there is more.
Tony and his mech have separate life bars and unlike Blaster Master your tank can be destroyed. That means trying to finish the level as Tony which, I won’t say is impossible, but it is not likely. He cannot withstand gunfire as well as the tank and can be torn to shreds in seconds. This will either send you back to a checkpoint or the beginning of the level depending on your progress. It is even possible to end up in situations where it is impossible to reenter the Mech. These kinds of oversights are huge and affect the game tremendously. It is tedious as is, running into scenarios like this make it easy to drop the game.
In Closing
Metal Mech has good ideas under its bad execution. The game is a chore and could have used fine tuning. Metal Mech is more frustrating than it is worth.
