N2O: Nitrous Oxide is definitely a sleeper hit for the Playstation. I first played this game in late 2001 after seeing it at Funcoland for $4.99. Reading the back of the game case, and fueled by my blind love for rail shooters, intense action and colourful Playstation games, I decided to take a chance and pick it up. Little did I know that this impulse buy would become one of my favourite games of all time.
First of all, the graphics are amazing! Everything in the game is colourful, and the enemies and the tunnel runner (the player ship) are easily discernable. The player is able to select from four different tunnel runners (Mantis, Trident, Cobra and Angel) and customize the colour of the selected ship. The tunnel tracks are such a treat for the eyes, as the colours are vibrant, the speed at which you traverse them is sensational and I have yet to notice any slowdown, clipping or choppyness during gameplay. The game looks like it's on an acid trip. N2O is probably the one of the best-looking rail shooter on the Playstation.
Next up, the music. N2O is full of songs from The Crystal Method's 1997 album, Vegas. I may be biased because Vegas is one of my favourite all-time albums, but it is a perfect soundtrack to this game. I find the music to create a very engaging and immersive atmosphere while playing N2O. When the tempo of the music picks up, you'll find that the action feels more intense as well. There's about 10 songs, and if you play for a hour or more, you'll hear tracks again, but it doesn't feel repetitive. The programmers did a great job of mixing the tracks in such a way that just feels right. Add to this the great sound effects and your ears will be enjoying this game as much as your eyes will.
N2O is a game that controls very well, too. Controls are basic as you're automatically thrust forward into the screen; move left and right, jump, brake, fire guns, fire laser, create a shield and create a firewall. Firewall shoots literally a wall of fire that goes forward into the tunnel, much like Tempest. The game has you traveling along at a quick speed, though in some levels, you'll notice that you start slower, and as you progress in a level, you'll go faster and faster, especially in the bonus levels.
Nitrous Oxide isn't that difficult, but it can become overwhelming at times. If you have quick reflexes, and use the brake and jump buttons effectively, you'll fare much better in this game. It's definitely a tweak game, in the vein of the WipEout series. There are 30 levels overall, each one different, beautiful and fun. At the end of most levels, you'll fight a boss, which can be a giant spider, scorpion, ladybug or even a caterpillar. Most of the enemies are space versions of insects, so overall N2O has a feel of Centipede meets Gyruss meets Tempest.
Aside from the single-player mode in N2O, you can play two-player co-op, either with both tunnel runners together in one view, or in a split screen. I'd recommend the single view, as splitting the screens reduces each player's field of vision, as expected. There are no special features or modes aside from multiplayer, but it would have been great to have a time attack mode, where you could select any level and try to best your high scores. There is a password system, however, so at least you don't have to replay a ton of levels just to experience a particular one.
Overall, N2O: Nitrous Oxide is a totally excellent game, especially for it's time, and is a great representative of the shooter genre. The best way to experience this game is in a dark room, on a large screen, with the speakers turned way up. N2O has a high replay value. The game looks so nice that you'll want to play it again and again just for the hell of it. The colourful graphics, the booming soundtrack, the rollercoaster ride of speed and the workout your reflexes get are worth coming back to several times over. It doesn't get old, and is a great way to kill a night, while giving your senses a feast.