I seem to be in Pysgnosis mode at the moment - and here is another classic Amiga game from those guys that brought us Ballistix and the marmite like arcade game Blood Money.
Nitro was released for the Amiga in 1990 - and probably never really grabbed the attention it deserved.
One of the standout features of the game was the fact that up to three human players could take part - picking from 'celebrity' racers which were Roger Moore (who actually looked more like Steve Davis), Clint Eastwood and Sly Stallone. You'd never get away with that these days!
Once your driver was picked it was time to select your car: A racing car, turbo buggy or sports motor. Each had varying advantages and weaknesses - I usually went for the turbo buggy.
So the game was set, the car was ready, it was time to enter the post apocalyptic world of arcade racing in Nitro...
Spread across 32 tracks (with sometimes having to compete at night) there was only one rule to the race: don't run out of fuel. You began the game with 2000 fuel units - and the better placed you finished each race, the more fuel you were awarded.
The tracks were littered with the usual powerups and bonuses to be found in this type of game such as Nitro boost, extra fuel, cash (very important), dual beam headlights and so on.
There were also things to avoid such as bollards, oil slicks, fences and gaping pot-holes (on later levels anyway)
Collecting cash and placing highly was the key to this classic Amiga game. Not only were you awared more fuel for finishing 1st, you were also awared more championship points - and points mean prizes! Well actually they don't, but to beat the game you had to finish with the highest score. Pretty simple really.
Building up your reserves of cash meant you could enhance (or even change) you car. After each race you could visit the workshop and add better traction to your car, increase the acceleration, give it a higher top speed, load up some extra fuel, grab a couple of nitro boosters...
Again this was nothing original but the features worked well within the game. After a few powerups you really did notice the increased handling and speed of your car. All good stuff.
This classic Amiga game recieved loads of positive reviews when it came out - but it never really was the huge hit that other racing games were. If I remember rightly I bought it a few years later when it was released at £7.99 in the Sizzler range.
All in all a great racing arcade game that was equally fun for 1 player versus the computer of for 2 or 3 players competing (although a computer controlled player was always in the action). Oh, and the in game music was pretty cool too.
We recommend getting hold of the real Amiga hardware - but if not then download an Amiga emulator and download Nitro. Alternatively you could try and play it online.
Get ready to burn rubber and eat some dust.
Please see our other Amiga game reviews - all links are listed in alphabetical order. Cheers guys
GENRE: Arcade Game (Top Down Racer)
RELEASE DATE: 1990
RELEASED BY: Psygnosis
DEVELOPER(S): Phil Betts, Jamie Woodhouse, Tony Williams
PRICE: £24.95 (£7.99 re-release) - UK
Classic amiga gaming...
Classic Games, Arcade Games and Amiga Games
