History Main / NitroBoost

* Turbonique, a hot-rod company in the early 1960's produced a jet driven supercharger that could ''double'' an engine's horsepower. They also produced a special rear axle that had a similar rocket fueled turbine attached directly to it, allowing a driver to engage a 1,000 hp turbine with the push of a button. These were obviously limited by both the auxiliary fuel supply and the amount of stress the engine could handle, but are probably the closest reality will come to the video game "Nitro Boost". You can read more [[http://www.tunersgroup.com/TunerWire_Live/Turbonique.html here]].

* True to form as a "driving simulator", ''VideoGame/GranTurismo 4'' has a NOS system which works almost exactly like the real deal. The system returned in ''6'' (after it was removed, but later found dummied out, in ''5''), with Nissan's latest Vision GT car equipped with [=F1=]-style KERS system.

It's worth mentioning that in actual racing, the term "nitro boost" is not used. ''Nitro'' refers to nitromethane fuel, also known as "top fuel" or "racing alcohol", as in "nitro-burning funny cars". The oxidizer compound that's only used in short bursts is referred to as ''nitrous'' or more rarely ''NOS'' (which is actually the acronym for the company that invented such systems).

* In ''Script/AHDotComTheSeries'', the crew attempt to hijack a space shuttle and ride it to the moon. Engineer [[OnlySaneMan Dave Howery]] ''tries'' to explain that space shuttles don't work that way, but TheCaptain Doctor What insists it will work if he "uses nitrous". [[RuleOfFunny Which it does]].

** This is pretty much an obligatory scene in any Mad Max film. In ''Film/MadMaxFuryRoad'' Nux turns on the NitroBoost, then ''removes the steering wheel'', holding it aloft as they zoom ahead of the war party. An exasperated People Eater later lists "nineteen canisters of nitro" among the resources used pursing the protagonists.

** The boost actually worked differently in each game of the series, and it wasn't until ''VideoGame/BurnoutParadise'' that multiple boost types were available based on the car you choose. The main selection of cars use either Aggression boost (''VideoGame/Burnout3Takedown'' style, scoring takedowns tops off the gauge and extends it up to three times), Stunt boost (get more energy from stunts), or Speed boost (''Burnout 1'' and ''VideoGame/Burnout2PointOfImpact'' style, only usable when the boost gauge is full, but using it all without stopping causes a Burnout which partially fills it back up, and doing enough stunts while boosting makes the Burnout completely fill it up so you can keep boosting).

* In ''VideoGame/EscapeVelocity'', an afterburner was perhaps most useful for evading missiles. It's usually recommended to tack on some outfits that recover the energy/fuel lost when afterburning, and if you have enough, you can recover ''energy faster than you can use it up in the afterburner''.

* The ''VideoGame/SaintsRow'' series has this available as a car upgrade at the various mechanics. The third game, [[CrazyAwesome in keeping with its over the top theme]], has a high level perk the player can buy that installs this on ALL of the cars they drive. Even the old beaten up ones they just picked up off of someone else.

* In ''[[Film/{{Solo}} Solo: A Star Wars Story]]'', Tobias Beckett injects some drops of unrefined hyperfuel (as in, hyperdrive fuel) called coaxium in the ''Millennium Falcon'''s sublight engine, which somehow gives the ship enough speed boost to escape the Maw, a cluster of black holes the ''Falcon'' almost got sucked in following an extensive chase.

* The Deuce from ''[[Videogame/BrutalLegend Brütal Legend]]'', otherwise known as the Druid Plow, is a mobile temple in the form of a [[CoolCar badass roadster]] and is the incarnation of [[CrystalDragonJesus Ormagöden]]. It does not ''have'' a nitro boost. It ''summons'' a nitro boost.

* In the ''Videogame/FreeSpace'' series, nearly every flyable ship (both fighters and bombers) come equipped with afterburners, which can give a temporary speed boost until their energy gauge is depleted and they need to recharge. The afterburners vary in effectiveness depending on the ship, with some barely providing any extra speed at all, and some nearly doubling a ship's maximum velocity.

* The ''Franchise/{{Touhou}}'' fangame ''VideoGame/GensouSkydrift'' has the Tengu Fan item. The Demon Lord Cradle and Stardust Reverie have similar effects, with the added bonus of launching the player into the air.

* In a non-racing game example, the ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'' games from ''VideoGame/{{Halo 2}}'' onward give all Covenant vehicles (except ''VideoGame/{{Halo 3}}''[='s=] Prowler) the ability to do so. Even the Wraith tank can boost (though only in bursts)! For most Covie vehicles, notably the Ghosts, boosting can be done indefinitely; it decreases maneuverability and disables weapons, but allows you to quickly either escape or run over enemies.

* The ''Videogame/MechWarrior'' series, set in the ''TabletopGame/BattleTech'' universe, often features the Myomer Accelerated Signal Circuitry upgrade. MASC can boost the top speed of a HumongousMecha, but [[OverHeating generates heat when used]] which if left unchecked results in the [[ExplosiveOverclocking standard fair for these games]]. In [[ScrewedByTheLawyers the canceled]] Mektek 4.0 update for ''Mechwarrior 4: Mercenaries'', excessive MASC usage could cause crippling leg actuator damage, reducing the 'Mech to a crawl.

* ''VideoGame/SpyHunter''

* In ''Videogame/XRebirth'', the ''Albion Skunk'' starship has a pair of massive afterburners that get repaired in the first mission. The burners ramp the ship up to stupendous speeds but consume (regenerating) shields in the process. The engines can be upgraded and switched to variants biased towards maneuverability or pure speed. The massive [[MileLongShip mile long capital ships]] use a high efficient but low thrust thruster when operating in zones of interest, but for traveling between zones the thrusters are catalyzed with special fuel cells, causing the enormous craft to rocket across the map.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* ''Film/GalaxyQuest'': The ''Protector'' has a turbo button but the inexperienced captain uses it too much during an escape attempt and causes a lot of damage to the ship.

** Interesting to note that dash pads also behaved differently as the triggered boosts did. The original game and ''Maximum Velocity'''s pads launched your machine in the direction of the arrow, regardless of your orientation (which made maneuvering the tight, icy area in Ancient Mesa - Split Circuit much easier as they boosted you in the right direction even if you drove into them from the side). Whereas in other games, they simply triggered your machine's boost.

* ''VideoGame/TIEFighter'' has one flyable craf, the missile boat, wihch is equipped with a special ''SLAM'' system, that can temporarily double its speed at the cost of rapidly draining its laser bank energy. Considering that the missile boat only has 1 laser cannon and[[CaptainObvious relies on missiles]] to do most of its fighting, this is a small downside for becoming the fastest craft in the game, by far.

* The Deuce from ''[[Videogame/BrutalLegend BrütalLegend]]'', otherwise known as the Druid Plow, is a mobile temple in the form of a [[CoolCar badass roadster]] and is the incarnation of [[CrystalDragonJesus Ormagöden]]. It does not ''have'' a nitro boost. It ''summons'' a nitro boost.

* A closely related concept was [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_emergency_power "war emergency power,"]] a throttle setting on some military aircraft built during WWII. Usually there was a mechanical device to prevent activation of WEP during normal use—for example, a wire across the throttle level slot which could be broken with enough deliberate force. The actual method of providing power varied, usually involving water injection or methanol-water injection, and usage was limited to between one and five minutes depending on the craft, to prevent excessive damage to the engine.

* ''VideoGame/RiverCityRansom'' had Karma Jolt, an item that boosted you...and then made you go really slow. It was probably a ShoutOut to Jolt Cola, with all the sugar and twice the caffeine.

* ''VideoGame/BattlestarGalacticaOnline'' has boosting as a default option for all ships, though you naturally get smaller boosts off the bigger ships.
* The ''VideoGame/SaintsRow'' series has this available as a car upgrade at the various mechanics. The third game, [[CrazyAwesome in keeping with its over the top theme]], has a high level perk the player can buy that installs this on ALL of the cars they drive. Even the old beaten up ones they just picked up off of someone else.
* ''VideoGame/StuntGP'' makes heavy use of boosting for its RC cars, both for overtaking and for doing more daring stunts (i.e. with more flips, which needs more space). The boost unit draws energy from the main battery/fuel tank, so using the boost means you have to go to the track's designated recharge tunnel sooner. Although if you are good with stunts, you can easily recharge power with them too, since time spent in air is converted to aeromiles, and then to power. The boost unit can be upgraded in multiple levels. Heck, the game even has a "sharp turn" key, which helps to steer while using the boost and going at high speeds, and while this could help to avoid flying out from a track curve, precise sliding and boosting to counter the centrifugal force may help a lot more...
* ''VideoGame/{{Driveclub}}'' has an interesting take: while most cars don't have any kind of boost systems, those that do are hybrids with KERS, such as the Mclaren P1 and the Jaguar C-X75. Just like real life, boost is regenerated by braking.
* The ''Rayxanber'' series features the self-regenerating boost.
* The Flash ATV and Harasser buggy in ''VideoGame/PlanetSide 2'' can equip a Turbo Booster, which allows them to massively increase their top speed and acceleration for a very short amount of time, after which the turbo needs to regenerate. The booster seems to work almost like a rocket strapped to the back of the vehicle - engaging the booster in mid-air will catapult the vehicle huge distances.
* The Rocket Rider enemies in ''VideoGame/KingdomRush'' use one when hit, turning them into the fastest enemy unit in the game for 2 seconds. This makes them ''very dangerous'' as they are AirborneMooks that cannot be blocked or ensnared in any way.
* ''VideoGame/MidnightClub'' lets you outfit vehicles with tanks of nitrous, with how many a vehicle can hold depending on what it is. Using it gives you an acceleration boost, and can only be refilled by completing a lap or in LA driving through a petrol station. Unique to the series is that [[ComebackMechanic drafting an opponent gives you a free boost with the same properties as nitrous]] as long as you are in or have just left the slipstream.
* ''VideoGame/RocketLeague'' has boosting as a core mechanic, letting you move your vehicle move quickly and, at top speed, ram into opponents to blow them up. As well, boosting is required for high aerial plays on the ball, a common tactic in high level competitive matches that can result in some matches taking place almost entirely in the air! The boost also has unlockable appearances, including confetti, Tron Light-cycle trails, slime and flamethrowers (and the licensed cars have their own boosts exclusive to them).
** The Mutator update allows the modification of the boost amount, including regeneration and unlimited, as well as the exact strength of the boost (1.5, 2 and ''10'' times!).
* ''Scorcher'' by Zyrinx offers stored boosts that can be replenished by collecting rotating green wireframe triangles, as well as extra-speed lanes opened by green ground switches on the tracks.
* In ''VideoGame/TombRaiderTheLastRevelation'', Lara has to [=McGyver=] a nitro boost for an old motorbike from items she finds in order to clear certain obstacles.
* The ''Videogame/MechWarrior'' series, set in the ''TabletopGame/BattleTech'' universe, often features the Myomer Accelerated Signal Circuitry upgrade. MASC can boost the top speed of a HumongousMecha, but [[OverHeating generates heat when used]] which if left unchecked results in the [[ExplosiveOverclocking standard fair for these games]]. In [[ScrewedByTheLawyers the canceled]] Mektek 4.0 update for ''Mechwarrior 4: Mercenaries'', excessive MASC usage could cause crippling leg actuator damage, reducing the 'Mech to a crawl.
** In ''TabletopGame/BattleTech'' itself, the MASC's size and weight depends on the 'Mech's own tonnage and activation requires a roll of 3+, otherwise the actuators freeze and the 'Mech is rendered immobile. When activated, the 'Mech can run at double it's walking speed (for example, a ''Shadow Cat'' Prime that walks at 68.4 km/h or has 6 movements per turn can run at 129.6 km/h which translates to 13 movements in a single turn with the MASC activated). Each successive use adds two to the number you have to roll while each turn not spent using it reduces that number by two. The uses of such can range from making a 'Mech harder to hit, using HitAndRunTactics or bringing a MightyGlacier into brawling range more quickly.
* ''VideoGame/{{BeamNG}}.drive'' version 0.11 introduces the ability to mount a nitrous oxide injection system, sometimes offering larger bottle sizes and allowing you to use preset shot sizes or tune the shot itself. Arming the system (visually) purges it and it will only inject if you are at the defined gear or above, above the defined minimum engine RPM and applying full throttle. Alternatively, you can inject at anytime using a different binding. Also be careful of using too big of a shot for an engine that can't handle it, [[ExplosiveOverclocking otherwise the torque can cause the engine block to rupture]].
* ''VideoGame/SpyHunter''
** The top-down games starting from the arcade original had a "High Gear" selection that functioned as a NitroBoost. Enemies wouldn't spawn while in High Gear, and it was the only way to speed up to get into a Weapons Van. You couldn't start from a dead stop in High Gear, however, and avoiding obstacles suddenly became quite the challenge. It did mean covering more ground for higher scores.
** The 3D games have a (slowly) regenerating boost gauge that can be used for a short burst of acceleration and higher top speed, but it's one of the items jettisoned when the Interceptor [[ShedArmorGainSpeed sheds armor to gain speed]]. This downside is tempered somewhat by the fact that the resulting motorcycle has a higher top speed and better acceleration and handling, reducing the need for the boost. The 3DS game gives the player a more traditional NitroBoost system.

* ''VideoGame/TerraTech'' has booster jets and rockets which can be added to techs. Boosters provide a short burst of speed, after which they have to regenerate their fuel supply. Adding extra fuel tanks lets them fire for longer.
* ''VideoGame/DawnOfWar'' has the Ork's Wartrukks "Turbo Boost" Ability. 50% boost in speed but at the cost of a 45 second cooldown. It's best to field a large group of Ork boyz to the fight fast but not really support them.
-->'''Ork Speed Freak:''' Fastah, fastah! **VROOOOOM!!!**
* ''VideoGame/SpeedKills'' has both the stored boost and dash-pad variants (providing pretty much the exact same boost). Activating them at the wrong time can have unwelcome consequences, especially if you hit a RampJump at the wrong angle and go flying off the track.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TaleSpin'', the Seaduck used to be equipped with an ''Overdrive'' module that would deploy additional intakes on the engines, allowing them to take the plane to jet-like performance levels. Unfortunately, it was only good for a few seconds, otherwise "[[ExplosiveOverclocking Boom-boom bye-bye]]." The module burned out in the last episode of the {{pilot}} series, and was never repaired or brought up again.

* ''WesternAnimation/HotWheelsAcceleracers'' : In the original, Highway 35, Nitrox is the only way to reach 300mph, which allows the drivers to enter the titular highway. In Acceleracers, though, Nitrox is mainly used as a speed boost for dire situations. The original Nitrox does come back, though it is only used near the end of the fourth movie. It is significantly faster than the normal version. [[spoiler:As Kurt (purposely) and Markie (accidentally) demonstrated on several occasions, Nitrox also makes for an effective [[StuffBlowingUp explosive]] if ruptured in some way.]]

* Some multiplayer versions of ''VideoGame/{{Tetris}}'' have an item that boosts your opponent's speed. This is a Nitro Boost that you ''don't'' want to get, unless you're comfortable with high gravity.
* In a non-racing game example, the ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'' games from ''VideoGame/{{Halo 2}}'' onward give all Covenant vehicles (except ''VideoGame/{{Halo 3}}''[='s=] Prowler) the ability to do so. Even the Wraith tank can boost (though only in bursts)! For most Covie vehicles, notably the Ghosts, boosting can be done indefinitely; it decreases maneuverability and disables weapons, but allows you to quickly either escape or run over enemies.
* ''Excite Truck!'' uses the third version, which also recovers instantly during hang time.
** In Excite Bike, running over arrow points keeps you from overheating when using turbo boost and water cools you off in Excite Bots. If you can't find either of these you will be forced to drastically slow down.
* The Deuce from ''[[Videogame/BrutalLegend BrütalLegend]]'', otherwise known as the Druid Plow, is a mobile temple in the form of a [[CoolCar badass roadster]] and is the incarnation of [[CrystalDragonJesus Ormagöden]]. It does not ''have'' a nitro boost. It ''summons'' a nitro boost.
* ''[[VideoGame/BackyardSports Backyard Skateboarding]]'' has a Dash Pad in the form of a lightning bolt.
* ''Iron Man's Off-Road Racing'': You pick up nitro canisters as you race, and can also buy them at the store between races. It's not only useful, but in fact required in piles to beat the AI opponents. The last few races are practically unbeatable without buying 99 nitro packets and using virtually all of them.
* ''VideoGame/{{Homeworld}}'' also had afterburners. On {{space fighter}}s. Though it drained the fighter's fuel faster, Scouts on turbo could outrun missiles. Downside is, it didn't increase the pilot's maneuvering and shooting skills so in large swarms, Scouts had horrible accident rates caused by friendly fire and colliding with each other.
* ''VideoGame/JakAndDaxter'': It seems Jak is very fond of zooming at high speed.
** Blue Eco power-ups in ''VideoGame/JakXCombatRacing'' provide a stored-charge boost, filling up the car's turbo meter.
** It also boosted both Jak's on-foot speed and his Zoomer's speed for a limited time in ''VideoGame/JakAndDaxterThePrecursorLegacy'' among its other abilities in that game. Picking up more Blue Eco along the way would increase the time it was in use.
** Generic-looking speed boost pick-ups were also used for the stadium races in ''VideoGame/JakIIRenegade'' and the Wasteland vehicles in ''VideoGame/Jak3Wastelander'' (the latter even including an unlockable option for unlimited turbo use).
* In another rare non-vehicle example, ''VideoGame/BanjoKazooie'' has the sneakers which speeds up Kazooie's 'Talon Trot' ability for a limited time.
* In ''VideoGame/EscapeVelocity'', an afterburner was perhaps most useful for evading missiles. It's usually recommended to tack on some outfits that recover the energy/fuel lost when afterburning, and if you have enough, you can recover ''energy faster than you can use it up in the afterburner''.
* In ''VideoGame/HalfLife2'' and ''Episode 2'', the buggy and muscle car, respectively, have a built-in boost feature that makes the car significantly faster for a fixed period, at the cost of being nearly impossible to steer. The buggy's was used to jump a couple of gaps, while the muscle car's was mostly useful for beating DOG to White Forest.
* ''VideoGame/RiverCityRansom'' had Karma Jolt, an item that boosted you...and then made you go really slow. It was probably a ShoutOut to Jolt Cola, with all the sugar and twice the caffeine.
* ''VideoGame/ChoroQ'' games have some of these. In one game, it's needed for an easy TimeTravel process.
* ''VideoGame/{{Carmageddon}}'' has several kinds. There are two turbo power-ups (turbo and mega-turbo), which simply make you go faster; and then there's hot-rod, which is basically a booster that increases your engine power so much most cars lift the front wheels off the ground.
* ''VideoGame/WaterWarfare'' has roller skates which temporarily boost your speed.
* ''VideoGame/{{Blur}}'' has the Nitro powerup. [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Works as you might expect]], but can also be used to airbrake to make very tight turns before a boost of speed. Your car can be upgraded with the Fan Nitro mod (every 500 fans you gain, get a free Nitro) or the Nitro Rift mod (fires a burst of energy to clear the way ahead when you use a Nitro).
* The ''VideoGame/RoadRash'' games had bikes with a set number of nitro boosts per race.
* ''VideoGame/ReVolt'' has a battery powerup, which momentarily speeds up your RC car while making it glow with yellow electric energy.
* In ''VideoGame/FASTRacingLeague'', you can get a boost by matching the color of your car to that of the tracks on certain parts of the course, or at any time by shaking the Wii remote for the cost of five energy units.
* ''VideoGame/NitronicRush'' has nitro boost as a default ability. Unlike being a decreasing meter when you use it, this is an increasing heat meter, which leads to ExplosiveOverclocking when overdone, tricks reduce your heat meter, glowing arrows also cool you off when you drive over them, hovering rings also cool you off mid-flight as well. The unlockable Goldenceptor can never overheat and certain levels also allow unlimited boosting.

* ''VideoGame/CrashTimeII'' provides a nitro boost for extra speed. It's available in free roam, but certain missions disable nitro even if the vehicle supports it,
* The 1990 Creator/{{Psygnosis}} computer game ''Nitro'' has turbos that are called nitros.
* The ''VideoGame/MarioKart'' series has the standard red-spotted mushrooms from its platformer cousins as a storable speed boost. In Double Dash, where two characters rode on a single kart (one to drive, the other to use items) the character in back simply shoves the Mushroom into the Kart's tailpipe to activate the boost.
** Every ''Mario Kart'' game since the Nintendo 64 game has had mini-turbos in it (a technique to get boosts on corners through drifting).
*** The original ''VideoGame/SuperMarioKart'' did too, but they were undocumented, invisible, and hard to perform.
** All ''VideoGame/MarioKart'' games also had the zip arrows on many tracks, especially right in front of jumps.
** Since ''VideoGame/MarioKart64'', there is also the gold mushroom, which instead of being usable for a limited number of boosts is usable only for a limited amount of time--but within that time limit can be used as many times as desired.
** The Stars could also be considered a Nitro Boost since you have higher top speed for a short period of time.
** The Wii version also has bikes which can wheelie for a slight speed boost in exchange for the ability to get 2nd-tier mini-turbos. Of course, take into mind mini-turbos themselves had been nerfed quite a bit in the transition to this installment.
* ''VideoGame/CrashTeamRacing'' also had a myriad of speedup items, and by far the best was the Triple Gas. It's essentially just layering boosts on boosts, and god help you if you hit a speed pad.
* ''VideoGame/DriverSanFrancisco'' didn't have nitro per-se but Tanner gains the ability to (presumably, thanks to the coma dream) telekinetically boost a car's acceleration, to put in the words of Tanner: "Who needs nitrous?". You can have the boost last longer/regenerate faster by buying the respective upgrades at a garage store.
* ''VideoGame/DiddyKongRacing'' had a 3-level upgradeable boost item, and 3 types of dash pad, that accommodated the various vehicles (floor pads for Kart and Hovercraft, Arches for Planes and Hovercraft, and rings for Planes). Releasing the accelerator just before using the Nitro Boost made it stronger.
* YOU GOT BOOST POWER!! ''VideoGame/FZero'' initially had a boost charge system, with one rewarded per lap to a maximum of three and each machine had it's own boost top speed and boost duration, but all its sequels (sans ''Maximum Velocity'' for the Game Boy Advance, which played the same as the original game) let you boost whenever... but it draws from your energy meter, [[CastFromHitpoints which is also your health]]. You also couldn't use the boost until after the first lap. The series also features some dash pads as well.
** Interesting to note that dash pads also behaved differently as the triggered boosts did. The original game and ''Maximum Velocity'''s pads launched your machine in the direction of the arrow, regardless of your orientation (which made maneuvering the tight, icy area in Ancient Mesa - Split Circuit much easier as they boosted you in the right direction even if you drove into them from the side). Whereas in other games, they simply triggered your machine's boost.
* True to form as a "driving simulator", ''VideoGame/GranTurismo 4'' has a NOS system which works almost exactly like the real deal. The system returned in ''6'' (after it was removed, but later found dummied out, in ''5''), with Nissan's latest Vision GT car equipped with [=F1=]-style KERS system.
* One of the first driving sims, Electronic Arts' 1990 game ''Indianapolis 500: The Simulation'' simulated a real racing engine's adjustable turbo boost dial, and even the increased engine stress and fuel consumption when running on maximum boost. Thus the player had to ration the boost like a real racing driver.

* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' has several moves that raise Speed or strike first (Quick Attack and Agility for example) and whilst these aren't strictly the same as this, there are three other abilities/moves that simulate boosts in a manner like racing games.
** There's an actual move called Nitro Charge in the Japanese games (Flame Charge, unfortunately, for the English localizations) that raises the user's Speed when it hits. The move Tailwind causes your team's speed to be increased for five turns, whilst the Ability Quick Feet raises your Speed when under a status condition, even Paralysis!
** These moves work in a more traditional fashion in the ''VideoGame/PokemonRumble'' games, boosting the movement speed of the user. When coupled with a naturally fast Pokemon like Ninjask and the Speedy ability, you can attain a level of speed that lets you get through levels in a matter of seconds (Handy when for searching for rare Pokémon).
** ''VideoGame/PokemonDash'', as a racing game, has a much more traditional version. Stepping on pads scattered across the course nullifies the speed decreases that otherwise happen when racing off-road.
* ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoSanAndreas'' has Nitro as one of the customization options available at tuning garages, available for purchase in limited bursts. The reward for completing taxi missions is infinite Nitro bursts in all taxis the player enters. A [[GameMod modded]] PC version allows you to put nitros on vehicles that do not normally accept the modification, such as buses and bikes--try slapping one on a NRG-500.
* Likewise, just as any other street racing scene game would have, all ''VideoGame/NeedForSpeed'' games after ''Underground'' feature a nitrous oxide system. The higher its level, the more boost you could use. The first game had one single fixed charge of nitrous, akin to real life; the second game has a nitrous tank refilled by pulling stunts, and the two games after that (''[[VideoGame/NeedForSpeedMostWanted Most Wanted]]'' 2005 and ''Carbon'') have a nitrous tank that continuously and constantly refills itself. (Note for the unwary - you can't just call it NOS, because as ''Film/TheFastAndTheFurious'' people found out the hard way, that's a specific company who will sue you. Most of the games feature both Holley Performance Products NOS and Nitrous Express NX as available systems.)
** There are cars available for ''Need for Speed: High Stakes'' already that simulate NitroBoost with a modified reverse gear. At the cost of being able to move backwards, the car seems to develop a power boost and increase both its acceleration and maximum speed dramatically.
** ''Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit'' 2010 has every car fitted with a race-spec nitrous kit. Racers build their boost by driving dangerously, such as in oncoming lanes, near misses, and drifting. Cops don't get any boost for driving in oncoming lanes, but instead constantly regenerate nitrous, somewhat faster at higher speeds. The biggest difference is that a full racer nitrous boost will last twice as along as a cop's boost, but has less power per second than the cop boost.
*** ''Hot Pursuit'' 2010 has, for Racers only, an extra type of NitroBoost called "Turbo". Racers start with a limited amount of them, and once they hit the button, they can't stop it except by crashing, hitting a spike strip, or getting EMP'd (which is nearly impossible considering a car on Turbo will easily escape EMP range). What it does is give a ''massive'' boost to acceleration and top speed, for a short duration. Leveling up the powerup increases its power and duration. And yes, it's available alongside normal nitrous.
** ''Shift 2: Unleashed'' also introduces nitrous kits that can be added to your car and works in a realistic fashion.
** ''[[VideoGame/NeedForSpeedMostWanted Most Wanted]]'' 2012 also features nitrous boosts but it first has to be unlocked for every car via a challenge which also has several variants from the standard burn nitrous to powershot nitrous that cannot be used until the meter is full and drains it in an instant while propelling your car to near top speed. A [[DownloadableContent DLC]] pack introduces jump nitro that boosts the cars speed while in mid-air. Also, like the ''Burnout'' examples below, driving dangerously fills up your nitrous faster and performing takedowns on other racers/cops instantly fills the meter; very useful with the powershot.
** ''Need For Speed: Rivals'' mirrors the ''Hot Pursuit'' 2010 examples above, with nitrous boosts for both sides where dangerous moves refills nitrous for racers while high speed refills cop nitrous, and Turbo available as Pursuit Tech to Racers. For both ''Most Wanted'' 2012 and ''Rivals'', driving through a repair shop grants a full nitrous meter alongside the other benefits. Players monitoring your game using Overwatch even have the ability to refill or drain nitrous at the cost of their fuel.
** The 2015 reboot simply titled ''Need For Speed'' lets you choose between nitrous that refills over time and nitrous that refills with stunts like drifting and narrowly dodging traffic.

* ''VideoGame/UnrealTournamentIII''[='s=] light support vehicle, the Scorpion, can give itself a massive boost while moving which regenerates over time. It can be used for kamikaze attacks.
* ''VideoGame/StarFox'' features a boost meter that can be used for various moves, including NitroBoost. It recharges while no such move is performed. In ''Command'', its length varies from ship to ship.
* Somewhat surprisingly for a game all about speed, it wasn't until ''VideoGame/{{Sonic Rush|Series}}'' (released 14 years after the original) that VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog got access to the tension gauge-powered 'Boost' ability. Before that, there were boost pads which remain to this day.
** If you squint, the Super Sneakers power-up are sort of like dash pads. You smash an environmental object and you get a big boost in speed. And true dash pads that push you forward featured at least as early as ''[[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2 Sonic 2]]''[='=]s Chemical Plant Zone to get you through some loops.
** From ''Sonic 2''[='=]s Chemical Plant Zone, they moved onto ''[[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehogCD Sonic CD]]''[='=]s Stardust Speedway, and then ''VideoGame/{{Sonic 3|And Knuckles}}''[='=]s Hydrocity, and some variation of dash pads have been present in almost every ''Sonic'' game since then.
** In ''VideoGame/SonicR'', Amy's car could boost its speed periodically.
** The Speed Break and Sonic Boost moves from ''VideoGame/SonicAndTheSecretRings'', ''VideoGame/SonicUnleashed'' and ''VideoGame/SonicColors'' takes the Boost move from ''VideoGame/{{Sonic Rush|Series}}'' and applies it to the 3D plane, for the same basic purpose. Unlike the Tension Gauge-powered Boost from the latter game, the fuel for the Sonic Boost is rings (Soul Pearls and White Wisps, for ''Secret Rings'' and ''Colors'', respectively).
* Several ''VideoGame/MegaManX'' stages put your character on a Ride Chaser; pressing the dash button usually gives a burst of speed. Useful, but you can't dodge at the same time, so you're more likely to smack yourself into a wall. ''X8'' has two Ride Chaser stages, one of which has more traditional Nitro Boosts (you have to keep picking up weapon energy to use them). The other gives you both dash and ''brake'' buttons -- when an enemy jetbike comes up behind you, you can brake and watch it speed ahead and crash.
** Let us not forget that all the playable characters in ''VideoGame/MegaManX'' have "emergency acceleration" systems, commonly called dashing, available to give them a speed boost whenever they need to get away from something. Of course, since you can spam it indefinitely, it doesn't end up being used for emergencies so much as just finishing a stage in half the time. The same applies to Zero in ''VideoGame/MegaManZero'', and most of the armor forms in ''VideoGame/MegaManZX''.
* Nitro boosts are a crucial element in the ''VideoGame/RidgeRacer'' games since they were introduced in the PSP games. Nitro tanks are refilled by drifting (the faster and longer you drift, the faster the tanks refill), with a maximum of three. ''Ridge Racer 6'' introduces Double and Triple Nitrous, which use two or all three nitrous tanks for stronger and longer-lasting boosts. ''7'' turns this trope UpToEleven with other, unlockable Nitrous types, such as Flex Nitrous - a single, massive Nitrous tank that can be used anytime, Hi-Nitrous - the same as normal Nitrous but with shorter and stronger boosts, Long Nitrous - two Nitrous tanks that are as large as a normal tank and a half, and Reverse Nitrous - in which [[DifficultButAwesome you can only charge Nitrous up while using it.]]
* ''VideoGame/RCProAm'' on the NES had "zippers," a set of chevrons painted on the track that would give vehicles a short boost.
* A strange take on this is in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII'' -- while riding Chocobos, you can feed them Gysahl Greens to temporarily speed them up. Their eyes light up bright red.

* ''VideoGame/WackyWheels'' has speed boost sections on some tracks and a command-line parameter cheat that can give you unlimited turbo as long as you hold down the required key combination.
* ''VideoGame/DeathRally'' has collectable turbo fuel on the track (and you always start a race with a full supply of it). Playing with weapons on allows you to buy the Rocket Fuel super version from the Underground Market. Cars using Rocket Fuel have a flame coming out from behind them and take damage while using turbo. And yes, the AI does occasionally buy it, too.
* ''Cruis'n USA'' had a Nitro Boost as a hidden feature. You got one per checkpoint passed.
* ''Cruis'n World'' takes this one level better. A wheelie gives you a slight boost in speed, but a Nitro Boost is available 1 per lap in Championship modes. The Nitro Boost gives a tremendous wheelie with flaming skid marks and a big speed boost for a while after that.
** You can also get a Nitro Boost by timing your throttle on the start.
** Little known trick is to use the Manual transmission, and in Neutral at a low speed, you rev the engine up and when it hits the "Orange" line (between yellow and red) you upshift into gear 1. You get a full on Nitro Boost this way, and it works at any time, not just at the start of the race. You need perfect timing, though, to get it.
* Even ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'' gets in on this; the RacingMiniGame gives you three "boosts" you can use. For some reason speed doesn't actually seem to matter, though, as you and Johnny will continually pass each other every second or two no matter what you do. The reason to use one is to slingshot yourself over the finish line at the last second; just make sure you're not directly ''behind'' Johnny at the time.

* In ''VideoGame/EVEOnline'', the microwarpdrive module works like this. Activating it gives the ship a massive speed boost, but the downside is that it drains enormous amounts of energy and generates a lot of heat, so it's best suited for short a period of extreme speed (contrast to the afterburner, which gives a smaller speed boost but is actually sustainable). Essential for any large ships armed with close range weapons, as their low acceleration and top speed would make it nearly impossible to reach firing range without it.
* Batteries in the ''VideoGame/{{Glider}}'' games.

* ''Anime/FutureGPXCyberFormula'' has nitro boosts as the main function of the machines. And don't forget to [[CallingYourAttacks call out its name when you use one]].

* Ransack and Crumplezone of ''Anime/TransformersCybertron'' modify themselves with Nitrous injection systems to improve their chances in the final race for the Planet Cup. However, they don't pace their consumption and it runs out on the loop-the-loop section of the course, which is too steep for them to climb without the boost.
* ''Anime/{{REDLINE}}'': JP uses the nitro several times through out the movie, most notably at the start and the end. The boost gained causes JP to bleed from the nose, the picture being distorted and the footage to go slow motion. Oh, and it makes the movie look awesome.
* In ''Anime/DevilMayCryTheAnimatedSeries'' episode 2, Dante faces a biker gang leader named Vincent in a motorcycle race. Vincent cheats with a nitro boost that causes him to pull ahead, but this attracts a biker demon called Red Eye that attacks him and causes him to crash.

* ''Film/{{Spaceballs}}'' - Liquid Schwartz!

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheRescuers'', Luke's "mountain juice" is what gives the swampmobile the power necessary to escape.

* Used in all of the ''Film/TheFastAndTheFurious'' films.
** ''Film/TwoFastTwoFurious'' has NOS-powered [[EjectionSeat ejection seats]].[[note]]The protagonists jury-rig the passenger seat of a car by wiring it to a couple of NOS cylinders. On the push of a button, the valves are opened all the way, pushing the seat sideways at suddenly high speed, and forcing the passenger out of the car. Technically, they could have used any compressed gas cylinder.[[/note]]
** ''Film/FastAndFurious6'' has NOS-powered harpoons.
* Played straight in ''Film/{{Cobra}}'', a popcorn action flick where Sylvester Stallone is a badass cop.

* ''Film/GalaxyQuest'': The ''Protector'' has a turbo button but the inexperienced captain uses it too much during an escape attempt and causes a lot of damage to the ship.
-->'''Alexander:''' You don't hold the turbo down, it's for quick boosts!\\
'''Jason:''' Oh, like ''you'' know!
* In ''Film/LoneWolfMcQuade'', the titular hero is BuriedAlive in his suped-up SUV, by the BigBad's {{mook}}s. In order to escape, he activates the supercharger to burst out of the ground. Where the engine is getting the air for the supercharger to work with is ignored in favor of RuleOfCool.
* ''Film/GoneInSixtySeconds2000'' features [[CoolCar Eleanor]]'s famous red "GO BABY GO" button.
* Hutch's van in ''Film/{{Fanboys}}'' has a nitrous system, too. Unfortunately, the trigger doesn't always work, but when it does, the van goes out of control.
* In ''Film/{{Sharknado}}'', the heroes steal a truck with a nitro boost. First they use it to lose a police car who chases them, then Fin uses it to launch the truck (loaded with bombs) into the last Sharknado.
* In ''[[Film/{{Solo}} Solo: A Star Wars Story]]'', Tobias Beckett injects some drops of unrefined hyperfuel (as in, hyperdrive fuel) called coaxium in the ''Millennium Falcon'''s sublight engine, which somehow gives the ship enough speed boost to escape the Maw, a cluster of black holes the ''Falcon'' almost got sucked in following an extensive chase.
* In ''Film/DownPeriscope'', the [[Main/SergeantRock crusty old crew chief]] pours booze from his personal flask into the fuel tank, to give the sub engines a little extra boost. It works.

* In the ''Series/MacGyver1985'' episode "Collision Course", the title character is up against a corrupt stock car racing driver who resorts to using nitrous oxide ([[VehicularSabotage as well as sabotage]]) to fix the race.
* In ''[[Series/ScrapheapChallenge Scrappy Races]]'' the Megalomaniacs added a salvaged nitrous kit to their vehicle for the speed test, triggered by sounding the horn.
* ''Series/RizzoliAndIsles'': In "Built for Speed", the VictimOfTheWeek is a street racer who is killed when his nitrous tank is replaced with [[ExternalCombustion propane and detonated with a remote detonator]].
* Shawn Spencer on ''Series/{{Psych}}'' did this to his dad's old truck to almost win a street race. Unfortunately he had no idea what he was doing and cut the brake lines in the process, leading to a (safe) crash into a chain link fence. Even worse, he didn't tell Henry about the nitro the next day...

* Used in ''Pinball/{{Corvette}}'' to temporarily increase the value of playfield targets, and to give the player a speed boost in the Drag Race and track Challenges.
* ''Pinball/{{Checkpoint}}'' has the Hot Nitro round, which awards 20 [=RPMs=] to all ramp shots, and makes the Nitro target worth 200,000 points per hit.

In RealLife, nitrous oxide[[note]]Formally, dinitrogen monoxide—N[[subscript:2]]O—is a heavy, sweetish gas also used as an anæsthetic and canned whipped cream propellant.[[/note]] is used to make a high-compression racing engine violate its power output limits temporarily. It serves as an oxidizer; having a 33% of oxygen molecule-for-molecule instead of the air's 21%, it allows the engine to increase the amount of fuel burned, and therefore the pressure generated, by each combustion stroke. Moreover, as it is stored pressurized in a liquid form, it vaporizes as it's being injected into the intake manifold, cooling the intake air and making it denser, this also allows to pump more air into the cylinders for the same intake pressure. The drawbacks are: extra heat generated, which can overwhelm stock cooling systems; extra load on pistons and cylinders, which can destroy an engine; and attendant stress on the drivetrain. It is usually dispensed from compressed cylinders, on demand, by an electric valve solenoid. Illegal in many areas, including most professional racing except drag racing (where some stock classes allow nitrous instead of a supercharger). The power up effect can also be achieved with turbocharged engines by increasing boost pressure, usually via a dial in the cockpit. The turbocharged F1 cars of the 1980s were fitted with overtake boost pressure buttons (before turbos were outlawed).