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In the early days of the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), the library was dominated by colorful platformers and sprawling JRPGs. However, tucked away in the PAL region’s catalog lies a complex, cerebral gem known as Super Full Metal. Developed and published by the prolific French studio Infogrames, this title—often referred to by its longer title, Super Full Metal Planet—brought a unique flavor of European board game design to the 16-bit console market. It is a game defined by industrial grit, high-stakes resource management, and the cold, hard logic of turn-based strategy. While it may not have reached the mainstream fame of its contemporaries, it remains a fascinating example of how tabletop mechanics can be translated into a digital format.
The narrative of Super Full Metal is rooted in a futuristic corporate arms race. The setting is a distant, mineral-rich planet that has become the focus of several powerful galactic corporations. This is not a story of heroic rebellion or alien invasions; it is a story of pure, unadulterated resource extraction. Players take command of a mining expedition dispatched to this hostile world to harvest as many precious ore fragments as possible before time runs out. The environment itself is just as much of an antagonist as the rival companies, with rising tides and shifting terrain threatening to swallow your expensive machinery. The industrial sci-fi aesthetic provides a grim backdrop where the only thing that matters is the bottom line and the quantity of ore safely stowed in your cargo hold.
Super Full Metal is a turn-based strategy game that prioritizes careful planning over fast reflexes. Based on the legendary French board game Full Métal Planète, the digital version retains the hex-based movement and Action Point (AP) system that made the original a tabletop classic. Players begin with a massive "Mother Ship" that serves as their base of operations and primary storage for collected ore.
During each turn, players must spend a limited pool of action points to move a variety of specialized units. These include heavy tanks for defense, fast-moving scouts, and the essential "crabs"—harvesters capable of picking up ore and transporting it back to the ship. The strategy depth comes from the scarcity of these points; you must decide whether to expand your mining reach, protect your borders, or actively sabotage a rival company’s harvesters. A key mechanic involves the planet's tide, which fluctuates and can destroy units left in low-lying areas, adding a layer of environmental awareness to the tactical combat. Combat is resolved through positioning and numerical advantage, making every move a calculated risk.
Super Full Metal was released as a specialized strategy title for home console audiences, specifically catering to the European market during the 16-bit era.
The legacy of Super Full Metal is tied heavily to its origins as a board game adaptation. At the time, Infogrames was well-known for bringing European intellectual properties to the SNES, and this game stands as one of their most faithful recreations. While strategy games were often seen as a niche genre on consoles, Super Full Metal proved that the SNES hardware could handle complex AI and deep mechanical systems. Among strategy enthusiasts, it is remembered for its punishing difficulty and the sheer tension of trying to extract resources under fire. It helped pave the way for other tabletop-to-digital transitions and remains a cult favorite for those who appreciate the slower, more methodical pace of early 90s strategy gaming.