This was an Amiga game that was stumbled upon more than sought after. I was given a cardboard box of games from a friend and I came across a disc with the label ripped off it. Back in those days it meant two things either it was a dodgy copy of strip poker or someone had tried to use it as a save disc. This was neither but it wasn’t an issue as we had discovered something a hell of a lot better.

My friend and I loaded up the game and were treated to a fast paced racing game through an ever increasing chaotic landscape. In Nitro friendships were broken and rivalries were formed. Hours were spent finding the quickest way round the tracks or new ways of nudging your opponents into gas sucking dead ends.

Nitro is an overhead racing car game and has one simple rule.... keep going until your gas runs out! As soon you are greeted with the player choice screen you know you have found a hidden gem. You can choose 1-3 players, 2 joystick players and 1 keyboard player and you then have to decide which player you are going to be which sounds simple enough but not when you are treated with either selecting player 1 who is a caricature of Clint Eastwood, player 2 is the ever famous John Rambo or player 3 who is quite simply Bond, James Bond.

The car selection is next with each car having different traits i.e. Racing cars quick on tarmac but terrible on sand whilst buggy's glide over sand but lose speed on tarmac compared to racing cars and sports cars. You are then able to buy accessories before each race which included nitro’s, high speed, traction, acceleration, change car, fix car and most importantly gas. 

The game consists of 32 levels, but the game ends when the fuel is depleted. To prevent this, the player must finish in a high place on most races, which rewards you with gasoline units. Power-ups float around the levels as well as being placed on the track, but these may be picked up by any of the four cars and this is where the high speed chaos begins. Each opponent wants to go as fast as possible so the screen scrolls quicker. If you fall off the back of the screen you are transported to the front of the pack but with a forfeit of losing gallons of fuel.

There are four different environments. Starting on city roads, you advance through forest and desert tracks before playing the last levels in a wasteland terrain. Night levels keep you on their toes, which means the screen is pitch-black except for the small area illuminated by headlights. Double headlights are available as a floating power-up and also the evil power that made all players lose their headlights and make you blind to on screen obstacles. 

Obstacles I hear you cry, yes there were plenty of obstacles that litter the racing path with sticky mud slowing down cars and oil slicks to name a couple, the latter makes your car dancing along the road like a drunken elephant on ice skates as you try and weave your way round speeding cars and deserted streets.