…because I was struggling to find a way to discuss a game that’s so, uh… Well, perhaps you see my problem.
I’ve also included a video of myself experiencing a particularly pathetic death. Perhaps it’s a clue that you shouldn’t take any of this seriously.
A game of so little, but a game beyond my words.
A game instead for my teeth, clenched, gritted and determined
To kill in a dead desert world similarly determined. A world of darkness painted in colour,
The bloodiest act the most Disneylike, I thought, as the giant maggot twitched
Then detonated in excitement at the scoring of its slimy hide with lime green laser.
A goal, the goal, is a hundred million years from where I am but still I try to go
to the Nuclear Throne. I don’t know its look, its purpose but damn me if I don’t need to reach it.
Die and die and die I did, all the guns and none of the ammo, Robotron with a glint its eye
And a dagger behind its back. “Come at me, bro” said its big bandits and scorpions and mutant rats
So I did and they died but then I died, in a sandy tunnel, out of bullets, full of breath.
I left it minimised on the death screen for an hour or more,
The grim sounds of echoed screams a soundtrack to my thoughts and words.
Nuclear Throne, formerly Wasteland Kings, is a game by Ridiculous Fishing and Super Crate Box devs Vlambeer. It’s a roguelike-inspired arena shooter set on a post-apocalyptic Earth, kind of like the Binding of Isaac does Fallout. Its current beta is available to buy now. I really like it.
21/11/2013 at 20:55 Baboonanza says:
Resistance is useless!
21/11/2013 at 21:19 CobraLad says:
Throne definitely exists.
21/11/2013 at 22:03 amateurviking says:
Fired one shot with the pistol and immediately thought: ‘this is going to be pretty special’.
I was not wrong.
21/11/2013 at 22:06 Noburu says:
I even actually prefer the starter gun over a lot of the other options.
21/11/2013 at 23:43 Kaeoschassis says:
Nobody does guns like Vlambeer. They’re just so… blam-y.
22/11/2013 at 05:18 Kitsunin says:
They really make you realize how wonderful kinaesthetics can be.
21/11/2013 at 22:14 Dave Tosser says:
This looks more like a pastiche of Nu-Skool Journalism than beat poetry.
…
Oh, hold on…
22/11/2013 at 09:04 Hodge says:
I’ve been playing this as well and can confirm that it’s brilliant.
22/11/2013 at 15:03 grundus says:
I haven’t played much Nuclear Throne yet but what I’ve played makes me want to play more, it’s just a question of time. Mainly because I discovered Super Crate Box is on Steam for free shortly after buying NT.
25/11/2013 at 12:10 Josh W says:
Hmm, that looks like a good game! Nice orthogonally defined enemies, varied and differentiated weapon effects, good pacing of sections, constrained choices in leveling with a variety of effects, and satisfying feedback and feel. Good stuff.