Topic: Why didn't we get any of the Metal Max titles?

So... I've had an opportunity to play a fan translated version of a game called Metal Max Returns which is a Super Famicom remake of the Famicom title Metal Max. For a SNES era RPG it's RAD AS HELL. The fact that we never got this game in the west (or its SNES sequel) is a dang shame. It'd be a serious cult classic today I'd think. Post-apoc setting, and a very open ended/world kind of game that was way ahead of its time. A recipe for nostalgia fueled hype.

But the SNES era is excusable because JRPGs were still a bit of a novelty/risk.

But that's not really the case today. The Metal Max series spans a ton of games now. And to date the west has only seen one. Metal Saga for the PS2. Which is itself a spin-off of the main title.

Playing Metal Max Returns reminded me that last fall Metal Max 4 was release on 3DS. And I remember that the time being kind of eager to see it get a North America (and Euro) release. Clearly that's not happening. But I have to wonder why. It seems like the kind of game franchise that would have a lot of appeal outside Japan. I mean we love Fallout, right? Then I noticed that the DS actually hosted Metal Max 3. Which we also didn't get. Which probably explains why we didn't get 4.

But come on! These games are like... the kind of quirky cool/not your typical JRPG we need more of! Why oh why are these games not making it here?

I kills me inside knowing we'll never get these games. I don't think even the SNES games were fan translated...shame, since I've played the first and it's sooo cool. It's like the better parts of SaGa/Dragon Quest meets Fallout. On the plus side, we did get Metal Saga for the PS2, which is just as rad as the SFC games.

Wait, they did fantranslate the first game?! Why the heck did I play it in Japanese then??? I'm gonna go fix that soon!

Yeah, Aeon Genesis translated Metal Max Returns a while back. Though I'm only playing it now. Also a bunch of Shin Megami Tensei titles and Super Robot Wars.

Turns out what I had was in english. I must be remembering some videos or something...definitely a fun game, though.