Nitro

Nitro is a racing game produced and published in 1990 by the British company Psygnosis for the Amiga and Atari ST.

The company from Liverpool, known for releasing masterpieces such as Benefactor or Blood Money, created its own version of Hot Rod, a very similar title from Activision. On the other hand, they did not limit themselves to making a mere copy but encouraged themselves to set it in a post-apocalyptic world. This decision separates it from its predecessor and, in the eyes of many, even surpasses it.

The plot goes from simple to non-existent, in a decontextualized way, the runner must advance through 32 tracks and beat three other runners. Far from being a failure, this was a choice of the developers, who preferred to focus their attention on different aspects of the title.

From the very beginning, the first traits of the game begin to emerge. The introduction is very well elaborated and features several characters that look like they were taken from the Mad Max universe. Then, the menu allows the player to choose between three personalities that, without mentioning them, are quickly recognized: Roger Moore, Sylvester Stallone, and Clint Eastwood. All of them embody a dystopian version of the most iconic film characters in their careers and, after choosing one of the three available cars, are launched on the track.

The competition starts with a top-down perspective. The soundtrack accompanies the apocalyptic feeling that was already seen on the menu. The installment has several innovative features for the time, such as the possibility to custom the car after a level and, most importantly, 3 simultaneous players. In fact, of the 4 vehicles, 3 of them can be controlled by humans.

The gameplay itself has several peculiarities, the races last only one lap that has to be finished before the fuel runs out, and in case it happens, the game ends without a chance to re-attempt the track. Other factors complicate this task even more, such as obstacles distributed along the route or the inclusion of night racing, which prevents the driver from seeing beyond the lights of his car.

The reception of the title was very positive, while the critics were delighted with it, Psygnosis added it to Monster Pack Volume 1, a compilation of its best releases.

With a simple premise but entertaining gameplay, Nitro is an alternative for every fan of this genre to have the opportunity to try a different experience. If you haven't played it yet and are reading this, congratulations: you are just a few clicks away from joining this sensation.