Nitro Express

About

Nitro Express is a single player action game. It was developed by Grayfax Software and was released on May 18, 2025. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Control SettingsThis game was made in Pixel Game Maker MV and runs at 30 FPS. Game language, screen size, screen shake, and key config settings can be accessed by pressing the F1 key on your keyboard. Other settings can be changed in the OPTIONS menu in-game. Mysterious T.O.K.Y.O.Welcome to Nitro City, Tokyo Special Administrative Region! The metropolis of Tokyo is a bit different from what we kn…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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79%

Audience ScoreBased on 319 reviews

story45 positive mentions

grinding13 negative mentions

Charming pixel art and character design that evokes nostalgia for classic arcade games.
Engaging gameplay with a variety of weapons and gadgets that encourage experimentation.
Fun and humorous story that adds personality to the game, making it enjoyable to play.

Locked at 30 FPS, which can lead to a sluggish feel and makes the game less responsive.
Controls can feel clunky and unresponsive, especially when switching directions or aiming.
Visual clutter during intense moments can make it difficult to track enemy attacks and projectiles.

story
217 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
76%
3%
The game's story is generally described as short and simple, often likened to a charming anime with engaging characters and humorous elements. While the narrative provides a fun backdrop for the gameplay, many players feel it lacks depth and could benefit from a longer runtime, as the main story can be completed in just a couple of hours. Despite its brevity, the story is complemented by vibrant visuals and entertaining cutscenes, making it an enjoyable experience overall.
- “The main charm of the game is in its presentation, with fantastic pixel art, good music and visual effects, lots of story cutscenes, and an endearing cast for its short runtime.”
- “The story is short, to the point, and surprisingly good.”
- “The pixel art is insanely beautiful, each stage is not too short or too long, the story doesn't take itself too seriously, the characters are quite charming, and the music gives me goosebumps.”
- “The story provides context but isn’t particularly deep or spectacular, with a plot twist that’s visible from a mile away.”
- “The story is criminally short, and while the extra missions mix it up a bit, I'm left wanting.”
- “The story fell flat, especially because the villain doesn't have adequate build-up to make taking them down gratifying.”
gameplay
89 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
68%
3%
The gameplay of this title is a mix of enjoyable mechanics and frustrating elements, often drawing comparisons to classic run-and-gun games like Metal Slug and Contra. While many players appreciate the charming pixel art and humor, the 30fps lock can hinder smooth gameplay, making precise movements and dodging challenging. Overall, the game offers a fun experience with unique mechanics, but some players find the controls and pacing to be janky and occasionally overwhelming.
- “There is humor, funny antics, enjoyable gameplay.”
- “The gameplay is fun enough for me to finish all story and side missions (4+ hours).”
- “Gorgeous pixel art, satisfying action gameplay, and player expression via loadouts.”
- “The game holds itself back with some of its basic mechanics and visuals.”
- “30 fps lock is one thing, which can make precise dodging frustrating, but mixed with the already choppy, slowed down aiming and the camera snapping being lightning fast once your aiming reaches the other side of the screen, it overall makes the game a pretty infuriating gameplay experience.”
- “The gameplay quickly becomes repetitive, the core loop lacks depth, and the overly cluttered UI makes it hard to track what's happening on screen—let alone dodge incoming enemy fire.”
graphics
74 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
54%
4%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming pixel art style, vibrant aesthetics, and attention to detail, reminiscent of classic titles like Metal Slug. While many players appreciate the unique art direction and character design, some have noted issues with framerate and animation smoothness, which can detract from the overall experience. Despite these shortcomings, the visuals contribute significantly to the game's appeal, making it a delightful choice for fans of retro-style shooters.
- “The visuals, characters, and story are incredibly fun, but the control and gameplay will take a little bit to ease into.”
- “These aesthetics are absolutely amazing: the characters bounce with personality, the sounds of gunfire hit just right, and the music ramps up as you bring the bosses to their mechanical knees.”
- “Graphically, the art style is charming, and there's a plethora of small details to appreciate in every screen I've come across.”
- “The game holds itself back with some of its basic mechanics and visuals.”
- “It's very unfortunate, as the game's visuals are really, really pretty and charming, bustling with as much soul as the original Metal Slug games, combined with a more tactical police aesthetic, which is what brought my attention to the game's development in the first place.”
- “I really wanted to like this game because of the neat visuals and sound design, but I unfortunately can't, since those are the only redeeming qualities of this game.”
music
56 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
40%
5%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its catchy and well-composed soundtrack that enhances the overall experience, while others found it less memorable or noted issues with sound mixing. The soundtrack is often described as fitting the game's aesthetic and gameplay, evoking nostalgia and complementing the action effectively. Overall, the music contributes positively to the game's charm, though some players felt it could be improved or was overshadowed by gameplay issues.
- “The soundtrack is excellent, and the game is packed with style.”
- “The music gives me goosebumps.”
- “The music is smooth and catchy, and the gameplay is pretty straightforward.”
- “The music and sound design are merely acceptable.”
- “By the way for the other reviewers who mentioned liking the soundtrack, it's from Dova Syndrome, which is like a licensed music library.”
- “Likewise, all of the bosses die so fast that there's no reason to get hype when the music changes when their life is low.”
humor
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by its charming pixel art, funny characters, and a silly storyline that evokes a lighthearted, enjoyable experience. Players appreciate the humorous dialogue and quirky gameplay mechanics, such as the random weapon buffs and debuffs, which add a playful twist. Overall, the game delivers a delightful blend of comedy and aesthetics, making it a memorable and entertaining short adventure.
- “The pixel art has a ton of personality for the funny characters and story, and the music choices were great.”
- “The charming pixel art and humorous dialogue really makes this game a short yet sweet one.”
- “Filling out the reports for extra money after completing a level is pretty funny.”
grinding
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
93%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, as it often involves replaying missions to earn enough money for expensive weapons and gadgets. While the game offers a variety of enemies and weapons, the need for grinding can detract from the overall experience, especially with a short campaign and a spike in difficulty that necessitates additional grinding. Some players appreciate the opportunity to experiment with different loadouts, but many feel that the repetitive nature of grinding can make progress feel slow and frustrating.
- “The beautiful aesthetics with pixel art and great music create an immersive experience, making the grinding feel rewarding as you explore the fulfilling story and engage in post-story missions that offer more than double the main story content.”
- “The game encourages you to experiment with different equipment through a unique magazine system that buffs or debuffs random weapons before missions, adding a fun twist to the grinding process.”
- “With around 80 hours of gameplay available, including unlockables, this game offers a satisfying grind that keeps you engaged and entertained throughout.”
- “The game has plenty of enemy variety for its length, and a decent number of weapons, though the monetary values for buying them aren't great and at this point I still need a huge amount of money to buy the weapons I have left, which would mean a lot of grinding missions I've already played.”
- “Another issue is grinding for certain weapons and gadgets; yes, I know the stages are short, but having to go through the same challenges repeatedly makes it more of a chore, and the weapons and gadgets in this game are a tad bit expensive.”
- “It also has a lot of grinding, whether it is earning enough money to unlock weapons and gadgets or leveling up the weapons.”
replayability
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
Overall, the game offers significant replayability through unlocks, short intense levels, and various modes that encourage repeated play. While some players appreciate the arcade-like progression and the variety of weapons, others feel that the campaign's brevity and clunky mechanics detract from the overall experience. Despite mixed opinions, many agree that the game provides enough content for multiple playthroughs.
- “Quick but intense levels with lots of replayability.”
- “Expect short but replayable story runs plus mission mode for that one-more-try grind on Steam Deck or desktop.”
- “The progression is arcade-like, so it has huge replayability.”
- “It's almost a shame really, because in spite of its replayability, it's just a game you want to see more of.”
- “So yeah, it's a bit of a rough sell, with its (intentionally?) clunky game feel, short unsatisfying campaign, and lackluster replayability features.”
- “There's probably not a lot of stages as are typical with these types of games, but there's replayability.”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
Reviewers praise the character development for its appealing design and aesthetics, likening it to the vibrant style of Studio Trigger. The character designs are described as cute and well-executed, complemented by excellent pixel art and animation, which enhance the overall visual and audio experience of the game. While the gameplay is accessible, it also allows for meaningful choices in playstyle, contributing to a satisfying character experience.
- “I loved the character design and how it gives off that Studio Trigger-like vibe.”
- “Honestly, it's not my usual style of game, but the aesthetics are a blast in terms of visuals, audio design, and character design. The gameplay is easy to quickly make sense of but just deep enough to offer some meaningful choices in playstyle.”
- “Pixel art and animation are fantastic, with really cute character designs and nice weapon models.”
- “Honestly, it's not my usual style of game, but the aesthetics are a blast in terms of visuals, audio design, and character design, and the gameplay is easy to quickly make sense of but just deep enough to offer some meaningful choices in playstyle.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
Users suggest that the game's optimization could be enhanced by adding more content and slightly extending the level scroll feature.
- “If they improve optimizations, it would allow for more additional content and, in my opinion, extend the level scroll a little bit.”
- “The optimization in this game is impressive, making the experience smooth and enjoyable.”
- “I appreciate how the developers focus on optimization, ensuring that the game runs well on various systems.”
- “If they improve optimizations, add more additional content, and in my opinion, extend the level scroll a little bit.”
- “The game suffers from severe optimization issues that make it unplayable at times.”
- “I was really disappointed with the optimization; it feels like the game is struggling to run smoothly on decent hardware.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its fantastic gameplay and music, which together create an engaging experience reminiscent of 90s-00s arcade games. The soundtrack complements the overall vibe, enhancing the immersive quality once players master the dodging and platforming mechanics.
- “The gameplay, music, and overall atmosphere in this game are fantastic—once you get the hang of dodging and platforming, it really shines.”
- “The soundtracks are wonderful and fit the atmosphere, evoking a sense of nostalgia reminiscent of 90s and 2000s arcade games.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game exhibits stability issues, particularly when played with a controller, leading to awkward aiming and finicky controls. Players have reported bugs such as softlocks at frame rates above 30 fps and occasional audio glitches, though overall, significant bugs are not prevalent. For a smoother experience, using a mouse and keyboard is highly recommended.
- “It's highly recommended to play with a mouse and keyboard because, on top of finicky controls, aiming with a controller is very awkward. I also heard that above 30 fps, it gets very buggy with soft locks.”
- “Ran into a few audio glitches throughout my playthrough, but other than that, nothing outstanding in terms of bugs.”