Nitro Kid Review (PC)

I deliver a roundhouse kick that damages three enemies at a time, which is a great way to open up a battle. The problem is that I am standing right between them to do that, and all their coming attacks will hit me. I cannot get enough shield to withstand it all without losing health. But I can use make a move that will mean just one of the opponents will hit me and might also lead to some enemy-on-enemy friendly fire. I would love to attack this group a few times more. But I step away from the group.

As long as I take advantage of L33’s ability to strike and move, I will get out of this fight with some money, a new card to use, and no loss of HP. And I will need all three to deal with the rest of the challenges on this floor and then have a solid chance of dealing with the boss.

Nitro Kid is developed by Wildboy Studios and published by tinyBuild. I played using Steam on the PC. The title offers a turn and card-based action title with a focus on careful movement and planning. The action takes place in a version of Miami that mixes ‘80s influences with troubling future technology like mech suits.

A company called INFINITY is using captured special-powered kids to power military tech. A trio of agents, named L33, J4X, and K31, is working for CINDER, aiming to rescue the children, take out all opposing operatives and bring down the megacorp. The game’s universe is not very deep but knows its inspirations and how to make them fun. One of the characters is Bruce Lee by another name. And the evil corporation would be right at home in any big ‘80s action movie, although you would need modern special effects to do justice to their weird employees.

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Gameplay in Nitro Kid revolves around movement and card choice, with each of the characters bringing their own flavor to the battle table. During each turn, players are able to play cards from their hand. They can be used to attack, move, enhance a character, and more. Enemies always clearly telegraph their intentions and capabilities, which makes everything a giant tactical puzzle.

Player characters can gain shield to mitigate incoming damage and there are plenty of modifiers to weaken enemies, apply constant damage, or regain health. Because players have to work with limited energy, there is a constant need to evaluate the situation and decide whether it’s better to attack, tank some hits, or simply move to get in a more favorable position.

Some battle areas feature environmental obstacles and opportunities. Some cards get stronger as long as they are held in the hand (the game does a good job explaining keywords and how they work). Two infusions, obtained and recharged by saving superpowered kids, can be used at any time to boost combat power. And each hero has patches to will tweak his approach to an engagement. The idea is to tweak a hero’s capabilities over time to boost their overall power and to prepare them for the coming boss battle.

The game uses a relatively classic rogue-lite structure for the moments when no violence is going on. Shops offer extra cards and the chance to enhance a patch. Events present the gamer with choices that can deliver extra narrative detail or various bonuses and malusses. A unique crystal can boost a card or heal a hefty 20 HP. All the rooms get randomized for a new run, keeping the experience varied.

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It’s important to always have a mental picture of how player-specific cards, enemy abilities, infusions, and patches interact with the core structure of a character. L33 can close distances and strike multiple enemies but he also needs a way to move out of incoming damage, ranged especially. J4X is the boxer who can counterattack when struck, enabling him to stand his ground as long as sets up a solid shield.

K31 has a handgun and a rifle (although their mechanics aren’t different enough) but is fragile, which means players need to work hard to keep enemies away from her. I tended to focus on one character at a time, learning their quirks, testing them against various enemy configurations.

Sub-standard play can get players through normal and elite engagements in Nitro Kid. But a good understanding of all the concepts and careful planning are needed when the bosses show up. The first time around, death is almost guaranteed because one needs a clear idea of their abilities before designing a plan to take them down. Frustration can set in after 2 or 3 runs with no success. The solution is to try another of the three characters and tackle the fights and events differently. The entire experience works best in small bites.

Nitro Kid goes for a bright, colorful look that’s a little unsettling given the level of violence in the game. But it works, shows off its inspirations, and makes it easy to present information in a clear fashion. As with many other rogue-lite’s, there is a tendency for repeated arenas and moments. The soundtrack is the best part of the presentation, with a ton of tracks that walk the line between modernity and nostalgia, perfectly suited for the game universe and the cool action moves players can execute.

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