History Creator / Nitrome

* BadassAdorable: The main characters in ''Twin Shot''. Kittens! [[ArcherArchetype Kittens with bows]] that destroyed Hell!

* DropTheHammer: If ice (or an unfortunate monster) lands on the ship's deck in ''Ice Breaker'', the head viking will hit it with a hammer. This will break the ice (unless it's too big) or kill the monster.

* ColossusClimb: Each level in ''VideoGame/SkySerpents'' starts with the protagonist climbing on top of a giant flying serpent.
* ContinuityCavalcade: ''[[MilestoneCelebration Nitrome Must Die]]'' is loaded with characters from previous games.

Nitrome is a British independent game developer founded in 2005 and known for its Flash games as well as mobile games, many of which are on Miniclip. Nitrome's games often have highly unusual gameplay that forces the player to think ''well'' outside the box. Combined with their games' quirky nature and appealing graphics, Nitrome's library has become quite popular with many Flash game players.

%%* SpikesOfDoom: Featured ''a lot''.

* TheSpiny: ''Frost Bite'' has a few enemies with horns on their head, damaging you if you try to GoombaStop them. The protagonist's grapple gun can still hurt them though.

%%* TheSpiny: ''Frost Bite'' has a few.

%%* RiseToTheChallenge: Several levels in ''Knuckleheads''.

* CrosshairAware: [[spoiler:When The Machine Activates, a red crosshair is present for nearly the remainder of the game as it tries to shoot you.]]
%%** ''Final Ninja''.

%%* RailShooter: ''Graveyard Shift''.

** The ending of ''Mega Mash'' reveals that [[spoiler:after deposing the [[KingKoopaCopy Moo King]], [[TokenEvilTeammate Fluffykins]] becomes even more of a brutal tyrant than the Moo King was.]]

* ''Nitrome Must Die!'' (2011): Mow down hordes of Nitrome characters as an angry fan on a quest to destroy Nitrome in [[MilestoneCelebration their 100th game]]. [[invoked]]

* SurpriseCreepy: ''Canary'' starts off fairly tame, with the invading aliens looking more like stuffed animals than monsters. [[spoiler:And then they start [[TheVirus infecting other Canaries]], with MissionControl going off its meds and exhorting you to "join us."]]

** The setting of ''Steamlands'' takes place during a war.

** ''Skywire''. It's a long twisty track and has robot animals that will cause one passenger to inexpicably fall out if they hit it.

%%* BrilliantButLazy: The main character of ''Glassworks''.

** ''Steamlands'' in a nutshell.

%%* {{Cyberpunk}}: ''Final Ninja'' has a lot of elements of the genre.

* EldritchAbomination: The player character in ''Worm Food''.

* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:Blue in ''Test Subject Complete'' digests himself in the professor's system to resurrect him.]]

* LastOfHisKind: ''Final {{Ninja}}''.

* MeaningfulName: ''Canary'' gets its name from the idiom "canary in a coal mine." Miners used to use canaries to detect carbon monoxide; due to the birds' faster breathing, they would inhale the gas quicker if it was there, and so if the canary died, a mine was unsafe. Fittingly enough, you play as a mining robot going into a mineral mine to fight an alien infestation.

* MyBrainIsBig: The protagonist of ''Headcase'' has an oversized head. [[UseYourHead This has multiple applications]].

* ResignationsNotAccepted: ''Final Ninja''. The best solution, of course, is to kill your employer.

%%* SamusIsAGirl: [[spoiler:The protagonist of ''Frost Bite''.]]

* SequelGoesForeign: After the events of ''Rubble Trouble New York'', despite [[spoiler:demolising the Statue of Liberty by accident]], the demoliton team were invited to demolish old buildings in Tokyo and Moscow.

** ''Dirk Valentine and the Fortress of Steam'', not surprisingly.
** There's also ''Steamlands''.

* SurpriseCreepy: ''Canary'' starts off fairly tame, with the invading aliens looking more like stuffed animals than monsters. [[spoiler:And then they start [[TheVirus infecting other Canaries]]...]]

* AndNowForSomeoneCompletelyDifferent: [[spoiler:In ''Test Subject Complete'': After Blue digests himself in the professor's system to revive him, you're playing as him from that point on.]]

%%* ForTheEvulz: The main character of ''Parasite''.

* MiniMecha: Exaggerated with [=Rex209=] in ''Test Subject'', as she could fit in someone's hand. [[spoiler:Played more straight with her human-sized mass-produced copies.]]

* EverythingsBetterWithPenguins: A penguin is the protagonist in ''Avalanche''. ''Snow Drift'', however, has penguins with an almost identical design as antagonists.
* EverythingsBetterWithRainbows: ''Rainbogeddon''.

** The main protagonists ([[VillainProtagonist or antagonists]]) of ''Nitrome Must Die'' are named Austin Carter and Justin Bennet. [[Webcomic/{{Homestuck}} Their first and second names have exactly 6 letters.]]

** Austin Carter and Justin Bennet from ''Nitrome Must Die''.

* ''Feed Me!''(2006): Control a Venus Flytrap escaping a greenhouse by using its mouth to move itself around.

* ''VideoGame/TowerFortress'' (2017)''[[note]]developed by Keybol and published by Nitrome[[/note]] (2017)

!!Nitrome's games contain examples of:
* AbsurdlyHighStakesGame: "Flipside" is a fun racing game... [[spoiler: that determines whether the protagonist stays in prison or not.]]
* AdvancingBossOfDoom: Present in both "Ribbit" (as a hybrid of a rhinoceros and a beetle) and "Off the Rails" (as a train.) The final level of the latter has two such bosses, one in front of you and one behind, preventing you from going too fast or too slow [[spoiler:unless you do a jump and manage to get over it, in which case you can reach the level's end quickly and without impediment.]]
* AdvancingWallOfDoom: "Avalanche" has a straight one. "Cave Chaos" uses an odd variant: the scenery constantly assembles in front of you and disassembles behind you, forcing you to keep up or fall to your doom.
* AffectionateParody: ''[[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Happy Jump Land]]'' in "Enemy 585".
** In "Mega Mash", There's a game called ''[[VideoGame/{{Tetris}} Nitrometris]]''.

* AlwaysABiggerFish: In "Cheese Dreams", [[spoiler:the ending has you escaping the ship... [[ShootTheShaggyDog only for you and the ship to be promptly eaten by a ship shaped like a cat.]]]]
* AnIcePerson:
** The protagonist of "Jack Frost" can freeze anything he touches.
** "Bad Ice Cream" and its sequels have protagonists who can create walls of ice.

** "Skywire". It's a long twisty track and has bird-shaped robots that will cause one passenger to inexpicably fall out if they hit it.
** Skywire 2 takes this up to eleven. There's still the robot birds, but now there is a rare kind of robot bird with 4 arms instead of one.

* AntiHero: Often, the people who are fighting you are perfectly reasonable, such as in "Worm Food", when you're terrorizing [[MakesJustAsMuchSenseInContext floating islands]] with people living on them simply for food.
* AstralFinale: The second half of "Rubble Trouble Moscow" has you go to space to destroy old structures there.
* ArmlessBiped: The [[AllTrollsAreDifferent troll]] protagonist of "Square Meal".
** Also the titular character of "Lockehorn" and his tribe.
* ArsonMurderAndJaywalking: From "Tiny Castle": "[...]And also subletting to your grandad was the final straw!"
* AWinnerIsYou: Rarely, but "Bullethead" stands out in this regard.
* BabiesEverAfter: The ending of Hot Air 2. You can even play as the protagonist's son in ''Hot Air Jr.''
* BadassAdorable: Hot Air Jr. from... [[CharacterTitle guess!]]
** Also, Left Eye from "Colorblind".
** The main characters in "Twin Shot". Kittens! [[ArcherArchetype Kittens with bows]] that destroyed hell!

** The BigBad of "Office Trap". He forces prospective employees to make their way through an office building riddled with death traps and agrees to give a temporary work contract to all the survivors.
** The Nitrome Boss in "Nitrome Must Die" has his employees whipped by the lesser bosses.
* BeeAfraid: Both "Skywire" and "Nitrome Must Die" has them as antagonists.
* BizarrePuzzleGame: Pretty much all of them, with "Flipside" being a notable exception.
* BlackKnight: The protagonist of "Tiny Castle", at least in terms of how he dresses.
%%* BlackSheepHit: One of their most popular games is "Mutiny", which is a lot simpler in gameplay to most Nitrome games; although it looks like a Nitrome game in terms of design, it's one of their few games with no BizarrePuzzleGame elements.

* BloodlessCarnage: So far, only "Graveyard Shift" and "Parasite" have used blood at all, and in those, it's been greenish gunk. "Nitrome Must Die" also uses blood, and its colour varies depending on the enemy.
** Well, there's a bit of normal, red blood in the vampire level of Pixel Pop.
* BodyHorror: The worm transformation in Cave Chaos 2.
* BossGame: VideoGame/SkySerpents has you only fight the title creatures, with no other enemies present.
* BrilliantButLazy: The main character of "Glassworks".
* CallBack: "Nitrome Must Die" and "Super Stock Take" are made of them.
** In "Small Fry", it's difficult to see, but in the background, you can see the protagonist of "Cheese Dreams" sitting in the sky.
* TheCameo: So many of them.
** EarlyBirdCameo: The zombies, plant, and maiden from "Graveyard Shift" debuted months before the game was released. In a similar vein, the creatures from "Rainbowgeddon" appeared in "Nitrome Must Die!" as enemies prior to the former game's release.
* CartoonCheese: The protagonist of "Cheese Dreams" is made of it.
* CatsAreMean: "Doghouse", although the worst it does is block your way.
* ChainedHeat: Necessitates your awkward movements in "Knuckleheads."
* CharacterNameAndTheNounPhrase: "Dirk Valentine and the Fortress of Steam"
* CharacterTitle: "Enemy 585".
* CheesyMoon: The protagonist of "Cheese Dreams" is one.
* ColossusClimb: "VideoGame/SkySerpents".
* ContinuityCavalcade: [[MilestoneCelebration "Nitrome Must Die"]] is loaded with characters from previous games.

** "Steamlands" in a nutshell.
** ''Tanked Up''. No prizes for guessing what you're using.

** Your leader in "Castle Corp." He may also be a PointyHairedBoss, considering how cliche his idea of a pep talk is.
** The FinalBoss of "Nitrome Must Die", who also appears in "Super Stock Take".
* CraniumRide: The title character of "Parasite" uses a particularly brutal version, burrowing its tentacles into the heads of foes to control them and use their abilities. Creatures so controlled get a SicklyGreenGlow [[GlowingEyesOfDoom in their eyes]] and [[{{Phlegmings}} a constant stream of green drool]], and when abandoned explode into LudicrousGibs.
* CrosshairAware:
** [[spoiler:When The Machine Activates, a red crosshair is present for nearly the remainder of the game as it tries to shoot you.]]
%%"Final Ninja."
* {{Cyberpunk}}: "Final Ninja" has a lot of elements of the genre.
* CuttingOffTheBranches: In "Rubble Trouble Moscow", no matter how careful you were [[spoiler:in the space levels, the demolition team still accidentally destroyed some satellites, much to the fury of Moscow.]]

** Referred to as such in "Graveyard Shift". You've got a HostageSpiritLink to them, and they die in a single hit from a zombie, so be careful.

* DeathIsASlapOnTheWrist: "Fault Line". You're merely sent back to the last checkpoint you accessed, and any fastened fault nodes that hid it are unfastened.
* DeliberatelyMonochrome: Each level of "Yin Yang" is essentially two in one: one that's on a white background, with everything in black, and one that's on a black background, with everything in white. Everything that's empty air in one world is a solid block in the other. The two main characters can't directly interact, but can sometimes move crates around to open up holes in the other character's landscape.

** One of the types of Small Fries in "Small Fry" is a skeleton, who can regenerate when other kinds would normally die.
** "Mutiny" has a level where you face an enemy team of skeletons.
** "Numbskull" has the player trying to put a living skeleton's skull back on his body.
* DroppedABridgeOnHim: Used on zombies in "Graveyard Shift"... Oh, wait, you were using the phrase ''[[LiteralMetaphor metaphorically]]''?
* DropTheHammer: What happens if ice (or an unfortunate monster) lands on the ship's deck in "Ice Breaker".
* EldritchAbomination: The player character in "Worm Food".
* EliminationPlatformer: ''Twin Shot'' and ''Twin Shot 2''.

** The owl in "Fat Cat" functions rather like a standard plane in a standard shmup, but is completely ImmuneToBullets. The cat is slow and vulnerable, but must be kept alive so that it can [[WaveMotionGun smash down walls the owl can't damage.]] In later levels, this means deliberately moving the owl into [[BulletHell hails of bullets]] to keep them from reaching the cat.

* EveryCarIsAPinto: Even if it's a hand-powered trolley car, as seen in "Off the Rails".
* EverythingsBetterWithPenguins: A penguin is the protagonist in "Avalanche". "Snow Drift", however, has penguins with an almost identical design as antagonists.

** The protagonist of "Mirror Image" gives one every time he survives a level. It's actually {{subverted|trope}}, [[DarkIsNotEvil as he's trying to stop the demons from causing havoc.]]
** The protagonist of "Parasite" also does this every once in a while.

* ExpansionPack: "Ice Breaker: The Red Clan" and "Ice Breaker: The Gathering".
* EyepatchOfPower: Both the title character in "Dirk Valentine" and Akuma in "Final Ninja Zero".
* EyeScream: Several of the creatures you take over in "Parasite" undergo various horrifying transformations which also affect their eyes. Of special note is the spitting pigs, whose ''eyes explode''.
* FacelessGoons: "Castle Corp", "Double Edged", and "Dirk Valentine and the Fortress of Steam". Note that the former two also have faceless ''protagonists'' -- apparently, [[HelmetsAreHardlyHeroic helmets are sometimes antiheroic]].

%%* FollowTheLeader: Many Nitrome games can be traced to an individual game they're copying (for instance, "Small Fry" is a mimic of ''VideoGame/{{Lemmings}}''.) To its credit, it's often quite inventive in creating new challenges within the same basic framework.
%%** The game sequels also tend to be exactly like additional levels of the original games. Notable exceptions include "Test Subject Arena" and "Skywire VIP", although there were individual sequels to "Skywire VIP" that fit their normal sequel formula.
* ForTheEvulz: The main character of "Parasite".

* FungusHumongous: A common background element in "Small Fry".
** Also appears in the background of "Swindler".
** One level in ''Canopy'' is full of these.
* GoingCommando: Judging by the intro of "Toxic 2", the protagonist isn't wearing anything under that radiation suit.
* GoombaStomp: Your alternate attack in "Frost Bite." "Ribbit" is an interesting variation in that you can only do this if you've charged up for a high jump -- standard jumps just result in CollisionDamage.
* {{Gorn}}: "VideoGame/SkySerpents" has LOTS of ([[AlienBlood blue-ish]]) blood, especially when you win a level.
* GrapplingHookPistol: Your way of getting up the mountain in "Frost Bite," as well as your primary weapon.
* GravityScrew: "Rush" has as its gimmick the ability to flip your character from floor to ceiling, not unlike ''VideoGame/{{VVVVVV}}''. You can also flip your opponents' tracks, causing them to get screwed over as well!
** "Swindler" is based around being able to rotate rooms/levels, as a means of controlling how to rappel down a rope or to move objects around. Enemies are unaffected by rotating the room.
* HazmatSuit: The ''Toxic'' series main hero, Hazmat Hero, wears a hazmat suit throughout the series.
* HaveANiceDeath: It's worthwhile to lose intentionally in "Mutiny" just to see the unique messages for every battle.

** "Graveyard Shift". Somehow, it works by ''shooting'' it.

* HeKnowsAboutTimedHits: Usually, the necessary information is on signposts scattered around the level. "Cheese Dreams" gives these from the main character's perspective, with the inevitable [[LampshadeHanging lampshading]] of "Why are my thoughts appearing on these signs?"

* HollywoodAcid: In ''Toxic'' and ''Toxic 2'', the bottom of each level is [[NoOSHACompliance covered in a pool of green acid]]. In case you fall into it, there's a [[SarcasmMode lovely]] sizzling before the death animation plays.
* HumanCannonball: "Blast RPG."
* HumanPopsicle: Your objective in "Ice Breaker" is to liberate them. [[HarmlessFreezing Don't worry, a good whack with a hammer and they'll be perfectly fine]].
* HundredPercentCompletion: There's a fuse in each level of "Rustyard," and several vials of acid in each level of "Toxic 2." In each case, you're encouraged to collect them all, though neither explains whether anything special happens if you do (a screen in the former says "Have you been collecting those fuses? What for?"). Of note is that these are among the few Nitrome games that have no leaderboard for ScoringPoints or completing a level in the smallest possible time.

* HyperactiveMetabolism: Sushi in "Final Ninja" and tea in "Dirk Valentine" is able to heal the protagonists of both games by a point.

* InvisibleMonsters: The levitating swords in "Tiny Castle" aren't actually levitating -- they're held by invisible swordsmen, who flash when struck.

* JustToyingWithThem: Your SarcasticDevotee in "Toxic 2" is certain the robot leader is doing this -- you can't ''possibly'' have gotten this far without her wanting you to. It's never entirely clear whether he's right about this, though either way, a good player is being underestimated.
* KillerRabbit: [[spoiler:The final boss]] in "Hot Air Jr". No, really!
* KnightInShiningArmor: The protagonist of "Blast RPG", though he's [[KidHero a little young for the role]]. If his HP drops to zero, the armor breaks and shows off his GoofyPrintUnderwear as he [[OcularGushers cries a river of tears]].
** Subverted in "Tiny Castle". At first, it seems like this trope applies as you try to save a princess. [[spoiler:It turns out you were just evicting her.]]
* LeetLingo: A very mild example in "Super Stock Take" -- in the ending, the CorruptCorporateExecutive says two sentences (one of which, of course, being a BigWhat) filled with exclaimation points capped with an "11"
* LarynxDissonance: In Icebreaker.
* LastOfHisKind: "Final {{Ninja}}".
* LegionsOfHell: They wander the village in "Mirror Image". Don't get too close.

** It revives a skeleton in "Numbskull".
** In "Headcase," it teleports the main character to "a world where everyone walked on walls" and turns him into a superhero.
* LuckilyMyShieldWillProtectMe: How you prevent zombie goop from killing you in "Graveyard Shift". Pieces break off it as it blocks more and more hits, but it never completely breaks, and you can replace it at some points.

** "Graveyard Shift" and "Parasite" are straight examples.
** "Off the Rails" has gore, but no blood, with dead bodies splitting into neatly sliced bits resembling steaks.
** "Final Ninja" has no blood or gore, just body parts flying every which way in a [[GrotesqueCute disturbing fashion]].
* MadScientist: The villain of "Ribbit".
** Also, one created the protagonist of "Test Subject Blue", although he has purely benevolent intentions. In "Test Subject Green", Blue is captured by a different mad scientist that created Green enzymes to destroy him, as well as planning for world domination.
* MalevolentArchitecture:
** Lampshaded in "Final Ninja Zero", and present without acknowledgement in too many games to list.
** In ''Rubble Trouble Moscow'', it's again lampshaded on why most of the structures you were sent to destroy were absolutely nuts. [[spoiler:It's implied your boss was building them to avoid losing contracts.]]

%%* MilestoneCelebration: Their 100th game is about...some guys attacking them.
* MindRape: You perform them to different animals in "Parasite".
* MindScrew: "Tiny Castle" owes a ''lot'' to ''VideoGame/{{Braid}}'', at least until TheReveal.

* MixAndMatchCritters: The {{Mook}}s in "Ribbit" are standard versions of this, like a snake with porcupine quills. The title character is a variant, with a rabbit's head and a frog's head joined by their necks, lacking a torso or limbs. (Note that Ribbit is ''not'' a MultipleHeadCase or TwoBeingsOneBody, referring to itself as "I.")

** Lampshaded in "Tiny Castle" at the end--[[spoiler:the princess has so much money that she feeds it to the monsters]].
** [[spoiler:In the ending of ''Nitrome Must Die'', the Nitrome Boss turns into a huge pile of notes/bills after being killed. Austin and Justin later steal it.]]

** "Pest Control" is exactly what it sounds like: you're an exterminator killing insects. And it's fucking ''awesome''.
** The "Frost Bite" series is about hiking, and "Thin Ice" is about ice skating.
* MyBrainIsBig: The protagonist of "Head Case". [[UseYourHead This has multiple applications]].
* MyLittlePanzer: In ''Rubble Trouble Tokyo'', a [[Franchise/{{Godzilla}} Mecha-Godzilla]] {{Expy}} that is huge and can shoot [[WaveMotionGun huge lasers]] is '''''legally sold as a toy'''''.
* NightOfTheLivingMooks: "Graveyard Shift".
* NintendoHard: ''Hot Air'' and ''Nanobots''. The former is very cramped, [[OneHitPointWonder unforgiving]] and has strange controls, while the latter is mostly {{Marathon Level}}s ([[DownplayedTrope although downplayed]]).
** This is the premise of ''Nitrome Must Die'', where two irate gamers unable to beat most of the games decide to go destroy the company.
* NoFourthWall: In "Skywire VIP" the hosts speak directly to you, ponder why you're not pressing the play button, and even [[RageAgainstTheAuthor insult the programmer]].

* OddNameOut: "changeType()" is the only game they have made which name starts with a lowercase letter.
* OneHitPointWonder: Applies in many of them, such as "Hot Air", "Hot Air 2", and "Parasite". Justified in the former two in that you're a hot air balloon.
* PacifistRun: You get bonus points for this in "Final Ninja." By "Final Ninja Zero" it's inverted: you get bonus points if you LeaveNoSurvivors.
* {{Pirate}}: All the main characters in "Mutiny."

** The protagonist of "Final Ninja" wears some, though it's not quite as powerful as most fictional examples, being more focused on [[VisibleInvisibility stealth]].

* PrecisionFStrike: Nitrome is notable for their games generally not having any profanity, though the opening and ending of "Nitrome Must Die" had Austin and Justin's chat screens peppered with SymbolSwearing, and the word "damn" is used early on in "Super Stock Take".
* PrisonEpisode: [[spoiler:"Flipside".]]

* PuppeteerParasite: The protagonist of "Parasite", of course.
* ThePowerOfLove: Twisted in "Parasite." Certain areas are covered in "happy gas," somehow related to an overwhelming force of positive feeling. The title character is unharmed for gameplay purposes, though he strongly dislikes the feeling. His mind-controlled minions [[LudicrousGibs explode]].
** The love arrows in ''Twin Shot'' make enemies completely harmless, explode into flowers and hearts, and the infection spreads to other monsters when they're contacted.
* RailShooter: "Graveyard Shift".
* RealityWarper: Zapo, the protagonist of "Fault Line" can fold the 2D levels in on themselves, causing everything in the folded area to temporarily vanish from existence--for instance, he can bypass walls by folding the space around the walls and leaving empty air behind.
* RunningGag: Ever since "Cheese Dreams", every time the creators have shown a moon, it's been made of cheese.
* RecycledInSPACE: "Office Trap" is basically "Knight Trap" set... [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin in the office]].
* RedEyesTakeWarning: The protagonist of "Tiny Castle".
* ResignationsNotAccepted: "Final Ninja". The best solution, of course, is to kill your employer.
* RestrainingBolt: Your MissionControl in "Toxic 2" is an A.I. you've hacked and forced to aid you. It eventually decides it likes you and becomes your SarcasticDevotee.
* {{Retraux}}: '''''EVERYTHING.''''' Especially the "[[UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem Nitrome Enjoyment System]]" series.
* RewardingVandalism: "Rubble Trouble" is ''based'' around this -- you're a demolition engineer.
** Although, you lose money if you hit any other buildings besides the one you're trying to demolish, so this is pretty much an aversion.
** Played straight in "Worm Food". You get extra points for eating buildings, although you get most of your food from eating people.
* RiseToTheChallenge: Several levels in "Knuckleheads".
* RobotWar: "Toxic".

* RPGElements: "Blast RPG", naturally.
* SamusIsAGirl: [[spoiler:The protagonist of "Frost Bite".]]
* SandWorm: "Worm Food."

* SaveThePrincess: "Tiny Castle". [[spoiler:[[AvertedTrope Actually, you're the landlord and you're just trying to serve her an eviction notice]].]]
** In "Hot Air 2", you have to rescue your girlfriend.
** In "Dirk Valentine", you have to rescue Queen Victoria.

* ScavengerWorld: This is the entire point of "Steamlands". It's imperative to steal your enemies' tank parts after your destroy their engine room.

** In "Test Subject Blue", the scientist occasionally taps on the window in the test chamber.
*** In "Test Subject Complete," one of Dr Nastidious's soldiers takes it a bit farther and pounds the glass with his fist.
* SecretLevel: Several in "Toxic 2", accessed through blue teleporters in out-of-the-way areas.
* SegmentedSerpent: One of the nastier enemies in "Graveyard Shift", and the final boss in "Aquanauts". Naturally, you kill them bit by bit.
** The ones in "Bullethead" can take relatively few shots, but are only hurt when shot in the tail. They move left-to-right and right-to-left, descending a little with each pass, and are long enough that you only have a small opening to shoot the tail before another part moves in front of it.
** VideoGame/SkySerpents is based entirely on killing these.

** "Nitrome Must Die". It's even in the title!
*** Also, in the background of one of the level's, there's a whiteboard labelled 'New game ideas'. One idea that's circled and underlined is "Cheap Sequels".
* SequelGoesForeign: After the events of "Rubble Trouble New York", despite [[spoiler:demolising the Statue of Liberty by accident]], the demoliton team were invited to demolish old buildings in Tokyo and Moscow.

** Subverted in [[spoiler:"Enemy 585" when it looks like the titular character will walk off the cliff to their doom (and the player is unable to help) but stops and turns around]].
** Played straight in [[spoiler:"Cheese Dreams", which ends with both you and the ship you just escaped from gets [[AlwaysABiggerFish eaten by a larger ship.]]]]
** "Ditto" ends with [[spoiler:the protagonist finally finding the exit to the cave they are trapped in, only for their reflection to go through it first. This not only traps the poor creature, but turns them into a reflection themselves. They then act as the reflection for the next person to get trapped, presumably starting the cycle all over again. Essentially, if you really want your character to escape, you'll have to play the game twice.]]

* ShoutOut: Many in pixel form in "Skywire VIP". In fact, that's practically the whole point.
** A tutorial box in a remote place in "Final Ninja" says, "The ninja must be like a snake, sneaking through the darkness, hiding from the light. To never be detected is the way of the [[VideoGame/MetalGear solid snake]].".
** In "Chisel 2", a level set in an asteroid belt has the [[VideoGame/{{Asteroids}} asteroids as green outlines]]. The VoiceWithAnInternetConnection comments that it hasn't been used since 1979.

*** "Mega Mash" has it's first level pretty much identical to the first level of Super Mario Bros, apart from the bit where you turn into a spaceship.
** In Level 23 of ''Test Subject Blue'', the professor clearly modelled the level after VideoGame/SpaceInvaders due to playing said game. He even mentions VideoGame/{{Galaxian}} in his notes.

* SpikesOfDoom: Featured ''a lot''.
* TheSpiny: "Frost Bite" has a few.
* StalkedByTheBell: "Swindler" has a block covered with some orange slime, and cornering around it causes an enemy to munch along the rope being used. They appear at the start of the levels and are unavoidable.
* StealthRun: Another thing that gets you bonus points in "Final Ninja".
* SteamPunk:
** "Dirk Valentine and the Fortress of Steam", not surprisingly.
** There's also "Steamlands".
* StrippedToTheBone: The death animation in "Toxic" is surprisingly gruesome.
* SugarApocalypse: The technology-free garden world on which "Parasite" is set is full of cartoonishly happy animals and benevolent nature spirits. The titular parasite kills the animals, harvests the spirits, and turns the entire world into a barren waste.
* SuperDeformed: The signature visual style in the more recent games.

** Explained as part of TheReveal in "Twang" -- [[spoiler:you [[TheBet bet a substantial amount of money]] that you could get from one side of the ocean to the other without using a vehicle and without getting wet.]]
** Also present, with a handwave, in "Parasite". The VillainProtagonist forgot to take swimming lessons.
** Icebreaker requires you to get the Vikings in the boat lest they drown.

* SwordAndSandal: "Double Edged".
* TagLine: "changeType()" has "Rewire The Platformer!".

** The one and only ability of the main character in "Mirror Image"--he can't even walk.
** The main aspect of the ''Test Subject Series''.

* ThemeNaming: The leads of "Nitrome Must Die" are named A'''ustin''' Carter and J'''ustin''' Bennet.
* ThereCanOnlyBeOne: [[spoiler:Just like in VideoGame/DoubleDragon and VideoGame/CastleCrashers, a multiplayer game of ''Double Edged'' culminates with the players killing each other to decide who gets the princess]].
* TomatoSurprise: The end of "Tiny Castle", where your knight, bound to save the beautiful princess, turns out to be [[spoiler:a debt collector chasing down the princess, who refuses to pay rent on the castle.]]
* TrialAndErrorGameplay: "Cave Chaos" manages to be {{Masocore}} ''without'' being NintendoHard, on the basis that you have to memorize how to avoid several deaths per level.

** We have "Test Subject Blue", which plays out like Franchise/MegaMan meeting VideoGame/{{Portal}}, then "Test Subject Green", where it's still the same formula, but not long after that we get "Test Subject Arena", where instead of getting a food pill, the blue and green enzyme fight with proton/enzyme blasts.
** There's a similar example in the "Skywire" series. The first sequel, "Skywire 2", is simply a bunch of additional levels to the original. "Skywire VIP", however, has you guessing who all the people you've been riding around are supposed to be.
** There's also "Mega Mash", which is a gameplay roulette of seven different sub-games with an overall puzzle element. The premise is that you're playing a broken Nitrome Enjoyment System cartridge which is constantly glitching out.
* VerbalTic: Ribbit, Ribbit in "Ribbit" constantly says "ribbit", ribbit.

** "Parasite" is about as clear-cut as you can get -- you destroy entire planets both for survival and because it's fun. "Worm Food" is another staring example. A few other games, like "Castle Corp", have protagonists who're {{Anti Hero}}es.
** The ending of [[spoiler:"Powerup"]] reveals that [[spoiler:the robot heads are actually part of an invasion.]]
** [[spoiler:"Droplets"]] has a bizarre twist example. [[spoiler:The bunnies you've been carefully stopping from dying are an evil invading army.]]
** Austin Carter and Justin Bennet from "Nitrome Must Die".
** The ending of "Mega Mash" reveals that [[spoiler:after deposing the [[KingKoopaCopy Moo King]], [[TokenEvilTeammate Fluffykins]] becomes even more of a brutal tyrant than the Moo King was.]]

* WaddlingHead: The vikings in the "Ice Breaker" series are a non-enemy example.
* WallCrawl: The protagonist of "Glassworks", due to the special gloves he wears.
* WeirdSun: The sun in "Ribbit" has bulging eyes, a slightly downturned mouth, and clenched teeth, and appears to be in significant pain. This is never explained.

* WombLevel: The entire game in "Nanobots".
* YouBastard: The end of "Parasite", although it's PlayedForLaughs.

* YourHeadASplode: In "Parasite", the Parasite can leave a creature after infecting it. [[CameraAbuse Doing so will make it explode, splattering green blood all over the screen.]]
* YourPrincessIsInAnotherCastle: "Tiny Castle" is pretty blatant about this--the princess is in a cage hanging by a rope, and several times you reach the cage just in time for the rope to be pulled and for her to get moved to another part of the castle.