Monster Max, a surreal isometric adventure game, follows the story of Max, a monster rock musician who seeks revenge against Krond, a powerful human king who has conquered the Monster Planet and banned music. Max enlists in the training course at the Mega Hero Academy to learn how to defeat Krond.
Gameplay involves navigating through a bizarre landscape, collecting and using objects (assigned to either the A or B button) to accomplish mission objectives. The game starts on a training academy that serves as the mission hub, where Max can collect lucky stars by touching terminals with the character. Lucky stars allow Max to interact with hazardous objects without suffering damage.
The game features over 600 detailed locations, making it larger than previous isometric adventures like Knight Lore. A password system allows players to save progress. The game is controlled using the A and B buttons, with options to view a map or display a menu by pressing the START and SELECT buttons, respectively.
The game's design and graphics are similar to those of Head Over Heels, with almost identical controls and a surreal atmosphere.