Despite the fact that most of today’s FPS titles are getting more and more complex, with the introduction of RPG elements, advanced physics or smarter AI, some of them still remain loyal to the “find the key, kill the boss” recipe which was introduced by Wolfenstein 3D in 1992 and the two Doom games. And although no one knows if the release date was a key factor in Serious Sam’s incredible success, the fact is that Will Rock, a game released two years later but based on the same concept and design, didn’t have as much success as Croteam’s shooter. This was mostly due to poor quality textures, bad level design, the mundane multiplayer mode and the overall impression of an unfinished game. The second attempt to achieve Serious Sam’s success was made this year by a Korean developer known for the MMORPG Helikia 2, Delphieye Entertainment, with Nitro Family.

     Although the engine and the “gun & run” are common for both games, Nitro Family differentiates itself from Serious Sam through some unique elements. First off, the story justifies pretty well the systematic level cleansing that the player will be responsible for. There isn’t one, but two main characters, Victor and Maria Chopski, two parents who are searching for their boy, Red Chief, which has been kidnapped by a mega-corporation called Golden Bell, to be used in a testing program for a new drug called „Happy Family”. The two characters are controlled separately, due to the fact that, with the exception of a few levels, Victor will have Maria resting on his shoulders.
     This not only acts as a source of amusement throughout the game (the comments made by the two characters are sometimes very amusing), but is also another key element of Nitro Family that differentiates it from other FPS titles. The weapons are separated into two types: combo and normal weapons. Unlike the second type, combo weapons are made available to the player in pairs, being held in both hands. It is advised that you don’t fire them both at the same time for two reasons. One: reloading takes time, but you can bypass this by using the switch weapons key. Two: you can fire the weapons alternatively, reloading one of them as you fire the other.