History WebVideo / NitroRad

''Nitro Rad'' is a VideoReviewShow, started in 2013 by Canadian reviewer James Lewell. The show specializes in video games from the NES era to the [=PS2=] era but has become more known for the coverage of indie titles, primarily ones made in RPG maker. The show has covered a wide range of genres, with favorite genres being "B-grade [[MascotWithAttitude mascot]] [[PlatformGame platformers]]", [[HorrorVideoGames horror games]], and {{indie game}}s.

* BackhandedCompliment: In ''Frogger: The Great Quest'' he compliments a power-up that lets you run faster because [[NotTheIntendedUse it makes you beat the game quicker.]]

* CutenessOverload: It's shown on many occasions that one thing he'll always commend a game for (even if it's bad) is cute character design. Characters like {{VideoGame/Blinx}} and [[VideoGame/KaoTheKangaroo Kao]] make him gush shamelessly due to their endearing design & idle animations.

** ''Ruff Trigger: The Vanocore Conspiracy'' is an obvious knock-off of ''Franchise/RatchetAndClank'', right down to the plot being ripped off from the second game in the series, ''[[VideoGame/RatchetandClankGoingCommando Going Commando]]''.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: In the 2021 April Fools Special, the review points out little specific things/lines (Spencer is trapped in the statue, "rue the day" and the Donald Duck alarm clock app). [[spoiler:This is a clue towards James' fate: He's trapped and continuously ruing the day he crossed Brady, and he needs to wake up).]]

-->'''James (about''' '''''Bubsy 3D''''''''):''' It would be like, um... it would be like you're playing, um... it would be like you're [[{{Metaphorgotten}} too upset to think of an analogy]] because you're [[SuddenlyShouting WASTING HOURS OF YOUR LIFE PLAYING THIS]] '''[[SuddenlyShouting PILE OF]]''' '''''[[SuddenlyShouting SHIT!]]'''''

* {{Running Gag}}:

-->'''James:''' (''sounding utterly exhausted'') I got all the rockets, but [[VideoGame/ChronoTrigger the future refused to change.]]

* TheyCopiedItNowItSucks: [[invoked]] He talks about this trope sometimes in his videos.

* AccentuateTheNegative: Averted in regards to Canadian cartoons in his [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwkkkDtF_5Q "How Canadian TV Shaped Me"]] video, in which he reminisces about Creator/{{Teletoon}} and Creator/{{YTV}} and the shows he loved as a child, such as ''WesternAnimation/BeingIan'' and ''WesternAnimation/ClassOfTheTitans'', in order to counter the [[AcceptableTargets bad reputation]] that Canadian series get from American fans based on mediocre imports like ''WesternAnimation/JohnnyTest'' and '' WesternAnimation/GeorgeOfTheJungle''. Also more generally averted in that he tends to focus on the good aspects of games he reviews, and often finds something to like even in very janky games. There are however rare times where he plays the trope straight, most notably ''[[VideoGame/{{Bubsy}} Bubsy 3D]]'', which he explicitly stated that [[DarthWiki/SoBadItsHorrible literally]] '''''[[DarthWiki/SoBadItsHorrible everything]]''''' [[DarthWiki/SoBadItsHorrible about it sucks]], calling it the worst game he's ever played, to the point of causing him to have a CriticBreakdown. Another rare exception is in ''Frogger: The Great Quest'', when he admits he's totally at a loss for anything positive to say about the game.

* GroundhogDayLoop: The ''Series/ICarly Wii'' review for AprilFoolsDay gradually turns into this, as James is trapped in a neverending loop where he is forced to review iCarly with Brady over and over again. [[spoiler:However, the loop is broken when WebVideo/{{Saltydkdan}} tells James to pull on his earlobe as hard as he can... which reveals that James had been trapped in a bloodied bathtub acting as a LotusEaterMachine.]]

* ExhaustedEyeBags: Gradually develops these in his ''[[VideoGame/{{Bubsy}} Bubsy 3D]]'' review.

* EvenBetterSequel: While James really enjoyed Anodyne he stated that Anodyne 2: Return to Dust is a better and more accessible game than the original.

* EvenBetterSequel: While James really enjoyed the ''[[VideoGame/Anodyne]]'' he stated that ''[[VideoGame/Anodyne 2: Return to Dust]]'' is a better and more accessible game than the original.

* EvenBetterSequel: While James really enjoyed the ‘’Anodyne’’ he stated that ‘’ Anodyne 2: Return to Dust’ is a better and more accessible game than the original.

** 2018 brought ''two'' reviews, both being licensed games of [[invoked]] [[TheProblemWithLicensedGames dubious quality]]. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VARecjslis The first one being]] a ''Series/CoryInTheHouse'' DS game, while the second one being a ''Series/DrakeAndJosh'' DS game.

** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buEa2BLaYss 2017]] brought a review of ''VideoGame/{{OFF}}'', which was highly requested from fans due to how popular it was. While it looks like a completely normal review, it had initially been advertised as a review about ''Franchise/Tekken'' before the thumbnail and the title were later changed.

* AprilFoolsDay: As the channel grew, April Fool's Day episodes became common.

** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buEa2BLaYss 2017]] brought a review of ''VideoGame/OFF'', which was highly requested from fans due to how popular it was. While it looks like a completely normal review, it had initially been advertised as a review about ''Franchise/Tekken'' before the thumbnail and the title were later changed.

[[folder:''Nitro Rad'' Episodes]]
In release order:

* My Top 10 Video Games of 2013
* 10 Hilariously Bad Songs in Video Games
* ''VideoGame/StarTropics''
* Top 10 Suplexes in Video Games
* ''VideoGame/YumeNikki''
* ''VideoGame/YumeNikki'' Glitches
* ''VideoGame/TyTheTasmanianTiger''
* ''Ty 2: Bush Rescue''
* ''Ty 3: Night of the Quinkan''
* ''VideoGame/SpaceFuneral''
* ''VideoGame/MogekoCastle''
* Top 10 Japanese Video Games About America
* ''VideoGame/{{Gex}}''
* ''VideoGame/GexEnterTheGecko''
* ''VideoGame/Gex3DeepCoverGecko''
* Why Do We Hate Water Levels
* 10 Great Water Levels
* ''VideoGame/{{Teslagrad}}''
* ''VideoGame/SilentHill''
* ''VideoGame/SilentHill2''
* ''VideoGame/SilentHill3''
* ''VideoGame/SilentHill4TheRoom''
* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask'' Randomizer
* The Best ''Manga/DragonBall'' Movie Ever
* ''{{VideoGame/Undertale}}'' Plot Analysis
* ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2006'' (April Fools)
* Top 10 Raddest Games of 2016
* 100 Things We LOVE about ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure''
* What ''VideoGame/{{Celeste}}'' Borrows from Mario
* How Canadian TV Shaped Me
* Top 10 Raddest Games of 2018
* ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossing'' Memories
* Top 10 Raddest Games of 2020
* ''VideoGame/{{Omori}}''
[[/folder]]

* BerserkButton: James absolutely ''despises'' turret sections and rail-shooter segments in platformer games, pointing out how they are often the worst parts of those games, are generally boring and tedious, and can bring the pace of the game to a grinding halt if executed especially poorly. Though his re-review of ''VideoGame/TyTheTasmanianTiger'' ''did'' see him let its turret section off lightly, since while he wasn't a fan of it there either, it was the only one in the entire game and thus barely affected the overall quality.

* AuthorAppeal: Platformer games, RPG Maker games and horror games are the most commonly reviewed genres on his channel.

''Nitro Rad'' is a VideoReviewShow, started in 2013 by Canadian reviewer James Lewell. The show specializes in video games from the NES era to the [=PS2=] era but has become more known for the coverage of indie titles, primarily ones made in RPG maker. The show has covered a wide range of genres, such as "B-grade [[MascotWithAttitude mascot platformers]]" and horror games, the latter are a favorite topic of discussion.

* ActuallyPrettyFunny: James' reaction to ''Bubsy: The Woolies Strike Back'' having the highest level of the main character's verbosity setting being called "[[SelfDeprecation Bubsy]]".
* AndYourRewardIsClothes: James states in several videos that he really enjoys this trope, especially when the costumes are really goofy. Of note is the ''VideoGame/FatalFrameII'' review is when he initially decides not to go for the remake's Promise ending due to the requirements (defeat the FinalBoss in under a minute) seeming too hard for him, but changing his tune when he finds out about the Mario and Luigi costumes locked behind it.

* EnsembleDarkhorse: Mr. Bates from ''Clock Tower: Ghost Head'', James noting that he steals every scene he's in, and stating that it almost made playing the game worth it. [[invoked]]

* {{Fanservice}}: He generally doesn't really like this in certain franchises, but he does enjoy when it's incorporated well in the context of the game. For example, he hated that ''VideoGame/SilentHillHomecoming'' just flat out re-used assets from ''VideoGame/SilentHill2'' for no reason beyond them being "Iconic to the Franchise", but he enjoyed how the nurse enemies from that game made a return in ''VideoGame/SilentHill3'' because they were reinvented to resemble dolls, fitting the younger character of Heather and the story rather than just bringing something back for its own sake.

** He felt that too many fans wrote ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy2'' off as this. On the whole, he enjoyed Galaxy 2 much better than Galaxy 1 and feels that the game went out of its way to clear up many of Galaxy 1's issues and was much more creative with its ideas.
* JumpScare: One of the tropes in horror games that Nitro ''really'' hates is this. He finds them more irritating to deal with and just startling rather than frightening. For him, fear must remain present even after the horrific moment passes while jump scares just pop up and vanish. He also points out that they're too easy to make and as such are incredibly cheap as far as scaring people goes, even calling them the horror equivalent of a laugh track.
** Some videos have him parody the trope by replacing the original shock-stinger with a goofy noise.

* NightmareRetardant: James loves it when horror games feature goofy costumes as unlockables, specifically for this reason, and laments that more modern horror games don't include them as much. [[invoked]]

* QuoteMine: When talking about the cover of ''Bubsy 3D'' featuring a quote from Electronic Gaming Monthly: "...stunning...original...Bubsy 3D climbs back to the top...check it out!" Naturally suspicious, James actually went and tracked down the article the quotes were taken from; unsurprisingly, the quotes were not only being taken completely out of context (being spread across multiple completely disparate paragraphs throughout the article), but they weren't even from the final review (which gave the game highly negative reviews), instead being taken from ''a preview of the game written before it was actually released''.

** Canadian restaurant Mary Browns, [[TheyKilledKennyAgain Brady dying in Garanikor videos]], and James' Lucario plush.

** Bringing up how annoying Gex's dialogue was in ''Gex: Enter the Gecko'' when it comes to voice-acting or humor. After ''Bubsy 3D'', where the main character has an even more annoying voice, he promises to stop doing it as Gex's stupidity had more charm.

** While ''VideoGame/ClockTower: Ghost Head'' is more of a spinoff than a straight sequel (despite being called ''Clock Tower II'' outside of Japan), he felt that while the game's story was strong, the actual gameplay was tedious at best, and full of FakeDifficulty at worst, with many requirements essential for beating the game [[GuideDangIt not even being hinted at]], requiring loads of trial and error and SaveScumming unless you know what to do ahead of time. Because he still enjoyed the story, he noted that it had a few adaptations, admitting it was to give people an alternative over actually playing the game.

* SpiritualAntithesis: James speculates that the narratives of ''{{VideoGame/Anodyne}}'' and its sequel, ''Return to Dust'', run in direct contrast to each other: [[spoiler:whereas he believes Young decided to leave The Land and try and overcome his flaws, he says that he thinks that Nora is trying to bury herself in escapism due to being unable to move past her own insecurities.]]

** He's argued against this with ''VideoGame/YokaiWatch'' being accused of ripping off Pokemon. He made a video rebutting [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tukZ2tPAxOU&t=16s Jimmy Whetzel's]] video accusing ''Yokai Watch'' of this trope.

* CanadaEh

* {{Running Gag}}: Canadian restaurant Mary Browns, Brady dying in Garanikor videos, and James' Lucario plush.

* ItsTheSameNowItSucks: InUniverse.

* PortingDisaster: InUniverse, James discussed this with a few games. The [=PS1=] port of ''VideoGame/{{Glover}}'' got hit pretty bad with it, with CameraScrew worse than the original, and he notes that you jump higher than in the original version, but the level design was not changed to accomodate this, leading puzzles to be way easier to solve than intended.

* QuoteMine: Noted InUniverse when talking about the cover of ''Bubsy 3D'' featuring a quote from Electronic Gaming Monthly: "...stunning...original...Bubsy 3D climbs back to the top...check it out!" Naturally suspicious, James actually went and tracked down the article the quotes were taken from; unsurprisingly, the quotes were not only being taken completely out of context (being spread across multiple completely disparate paragraphs throughout the article), but they weren't even from the final review (which gave the game highly negative reviews), instead being taken from ''a preview of the game written before it was actually released''.

* {{Sequelitis}}: InUniverse he talks about this trope when it comes to franchises.

* SurprisinglyImprovedSequel: Discussed InUniverse:

* TheyCopiedItNowItSucks: He talks about the trope InUniverse.

* UncannyValley: InUniverse:

* FollowTheLeader: Invoked. Being a connoisseur of B-grade games, he comes across games that do this quite a bit. Whether or not this is something that bothers him varies depending on how well executed it is in the game.

* VindicatedByHistory: Invoked in his review of the obscure Capcom title ''Under The Skin'', where he points out that one common criticism from contemporary reviews was its short length (whilst also being a full-priced game), but nowadays, with shorter games being much more common, as well as the game no longer being full-priced, that isn't so much an issue anymore, allowing greater focus on the more positive aspects of the game like its quirky aesthetic and engaging gameplay.
* WhatAnIdiot: Invoked. During his playthrough of ''Ruff Trigger'', James has this reaction to Ruff drinking a random test tube of unknown chemicals at a spaceship crash site.

* ''VideoGame/Ty2TheBushTiger''
* ''VideoGame/Ty3NightoftheQuinkan
* ''VideoGame/SpaceFuneral
* ''VideoGame/MogekoCastle

* ''VideoGame/Gex''
* ''VideoGame/Gex2EnterTheGecko''

* ''VideoGame/Teslagrad''

[[folder:Selection of ''Nitro Rad'' Episodes]]