Nitronic Rush

aaaaawwwwwwwwwwwww yeeeahhhhhhh

Here it is, the game that started it all.  The one that inspired me to piss off my guidance counselor by devoting half an hour of my day on playing games instead of my schoolwork.  Ladies and gentlemen, this is Nitronic Rush.

This game is amazing.  I don't even feel like I need to review it.  Just play it for yourself and see why it's awesome.  I remember that fateful day when my buddy Luis strolled into the cafeteria, plopped down at our usual table, whipped out his laptop and booted up this game.  "I think you'd like this," he said.

And like it I did.  It grabbed my attention with its beautiful aesthetic and kept it with its innovative design.  Upon returning home that day, I hopped straight onto the google machine and downloaded it for myself.

Five days later, I had completed all the levels.  I remember thinking to myself, "If this is what DigiPen has to offer, I can't in good conscience stop here.  I've got to check out more."  And lo, fivehundredgames.blogspot.com was born.

I've been delighted and disappointed by my experiences since then, but Nitronic Rush will always live on in my heart as one of the few games that's ever truly inspired me.  But what is it exactly that makes the game so good?

Well, I would say that it's just impossible not to be in the mood for it.  There are plenty of easy levels if you want to just immerse yourself in the mechanics, but there are also a bunch of levels that truly deserve the title "hardcore."  There's an arena mode where you can rack up points by doing tricks, and the whole thing is just a neon-bright barrel of fun from beginning to end.

The central theme of this game seems to be "why the hell not?"
"Should we attach wings to this car and make it a plane?"
"why the hell not?"
etc. etc. etc.

The difficulty is just right, there are plenty of checkpoints to keep you from getting frustrated, and the mechanics...oh, the mechanics!  They are all centered around giving you that rush of adrenaline that reminds you why you play racing games in the first place.

Now, the game does have its flaws.  Some of the challenge levels are a bit frustrating, lacking checkpoints and all, and certain mechanics are really annoying to master, like the wall-riding.  But wherein lies true beauty but in imperfections?  That's what this game is, really.  True beauty.

I admit I might be getting a bit too sentimental over this game.  After all, there have been other games on this list that have impressed me just as much as this one has.  Regardless, this game is an instant classic and you'd be doing yourself a disservice by not clicking the link below.

That's all I got for now.  Until next time, stay inspirational.

Links
Flytronic Mush: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=25266