For this month's "Maps Of The Month" featurette, I wish to draw your attention to Vorpal86's Robotrek (Super NES) maps.
The world of Quintenix is threatened by a group called "The Hackers", who want a renowned inventor, Dr. Akihabara, to aid them in their sinister plot, which involves a stone that can allow the observation and travel through time. Dr. Akihabara refuses, and it's up to his son to use his robot-building skills to send those Hackers packing!
Robotrek is known as "Slapstick" in Japan, and "slapstick" is a term used to describe "a simple type of comedy in which the actors behave in a rough and foolish way" (according to the Collins Dictionary). No fooling around with the choice for this April's Maps Of The Month, which is this map set from Vorpal86 of this quirky sci-fi RPG from Quintet and Enix.
Quintet is best known for their works published by Enix for the Super NES, which include Soul Blazer, Illusion Of Gaia, Terranigma, and the two ActRaiser games - all absolutely wonderful games. Those were all fantasy action games (most with some RPG elements), but Robotrek is a sci-fi, turn-based RPG. Not only that, but you don't control the player directly when you go into battle; rather, you issue commands to robots stored in round, red-and-white capsules. Sounds like Pokémon (which Robotrek predates by a couple years), but with mechanical beings that you build and equip, instead of "pocket monsters" that you catch and train.
Though preparing a small troop of war machines is unique for a Super NES RPG, like most RPGs, there is a decent-sized story and a large world, involving many locales including buildings and caves. And, as with any RPG, maps such as these ones from Vorpal86 are very helpful, especially as these are labelled with treasures, enemy details, and even reminders to read every in-game book. Thanks for this deep dive into Robotrek!
So to recognize the effort put into capturing this quirky quest in the world of Quintenix, Vorpal86's Robotrek (Super NES) maps will be known as VGMaps.com's Maps Of The Month for April 2021.
