SLAYERS X - Nitro Rad

ZANE RETURNS in an outrageous Hypnospace spinoff. From the tWiSTeD mind of DROPSY comes a hilarious retro boomer shooter with lots of heart! Let's blast some PSYKOZ, and dive into the brain of Zane Lofton.
GET THE GAME HERE:
store.steampowered.com/app/19...
SOCIAL MEDIA:
/ nitrorad
/ nitroradofficial
/ nitrorad
CHAPTERS:
0:00 - INTRO - Zane's Hypnospace Origin
1:58 - SLAYERS X
3:35 - tHE GAMEPLAY and the cool GRAPhcis
7:41 - talkin about the maps and levels
9:30 - Diving into Zane's Brain
15:00 - criticisms and closing thoughts
19:24 - End Slate

[@bloodrunsclear]

I like the idea that Zane recorded all his lines at his house so he had to be careful shouting too loudly or swearing.

[@CloseingStraw97]

His mom is dead and he has no father. But he does he have a son so maybe.

[@Strawberry_Cubes]

LMAO, zanes married and has a kid too so I can imagine he straightup can’t swear or else his wife will tell him off

[@pausebreakreviews]

@@CloseingStraw97 Who says he recorded them now? It's a Kataclysm mod he started in high school... maybe he recorded all the lines back in those days.

[@Deliveredmean42]

@@pausebreakreviews Well, it's not likely. Especially once you unlock the bonus levels post credit.

[@harrylane4]

@@CloseingStraw97 he made the game in his 30s, he probably recorded when the kids were asleep

[@Fox_RZK]

Here we are, a post-irony game: A game that is completely serious and genuine, presented in a sarcastic and ironic manner.

[@pillowmint4622]

daaaaamn, I never realized that. only sort of related, but do you think we'll get more of these types of games in the future? I actually kind of like the over-the-top irony lol, sometimes wielding a chainsaw chaingun shooting super aliens is exactly what the doctor ordered.

[@dkskcjfjswwwwwws413]

cruelty squad

[@misterkefir]

David Foster Wallace would be proud

[@lztrfilms8250]

Check out Cruelty Squad. It's another post-irony game, but even crazier

[@justsometroglodyte4056]

homestuck, when its head isn't up its butt, can also be like that

[@HeisenbergFam]

"when I was 16 I designed a game and it was awesome, then it got lost or was it?" World class storytelling that changed my life

[@jameslawrenson1208]

How inspiring.

[@leoultimaupgraded9914]

dont forget the line after that “I am, The X Slayer!” actually felt kinda badass in a way lol

[@Yohoat]

I love the subtle poor grammar there too. It should be "or did it?" instead.

[@niclaswa5408]

Surprised it wasn’t called “Slayerz Xtreme”

[@aaronsmart105]

Zane talking about how he misses his mom clued me into the subtext of this game. Makes a little teary eyed thinking about it, honestly.

[@leoultimaupgraded9914]

same, when I made it to Zane’s Mom’s Apartment, I just took a step back and breathed it all in. Felt really heartwarming that besides the holes, it was mostly intact, full of stuffed animals and melancholic lines from Zane about how he misses his mom I stayed in that apartment for a while before moving on, and I still feel the depth and melancholy even now that I’m further in the game. Really hit me in the feels man

[@polocatfan]

yeah. really feels like he never made up with his mom before she died and he regrets it.

[@leoultimaupgraded9914]

@@polocatfan yea, really recontextualizes all the hate for his boss/step dad Mevin too, and the part where Mykey Sykey is about to tell him that he’s his dad, he never grew up with a decent father figure. Which also adds on to him being a dad, he probably doesnt want to make the same mistakes his dad/father figures made

[@sarafontanini7051]

@@leoultimaupgraded9914 it's kinda heartwarming for a character who was a edgelord teen dickhead to have such depth to him. And i lvoe how he seems to love his kid c:

[@HaplessOne]

It's probably a big reason why he doesn't cuss in the game. His mom probably didn't like him cussing.

[@SnaksiXD]

The developer's good at bargaining, offering to not do it with James' mom if he doesn't play the game after all.

[@TheSuckoShow]

He's a tough negotiator, but fair.

[@rejectclone4504]

The game is ABSOLUTELY a deep dive into Zane's psyche, as he is deluded by his passion for game design/coming off as a cool and financially successful person, but he is still somewhat aware of his failures in life. Add in the fact that it is heavily implied that Zane comes from a poor background (borderline 'white trash' if you really want to be more negative about it) and was deeply affected from seeing his mom work herself to the bone, and seeing her be in a VERY toxic relationship with his on-again off-again stepfather. Mevins actually is implied to both be his boss at Dollar Shaver (the dollar store that Zane's mom worked at, as mentioned in Hypnospace Outlaw), and his stepfather, hence his vitriolic hatred for Mevins and turning him into such a grotesque final boss.💀 Alongside that information, you also have to consider all of the super nostalgic comments made by him in the bonus levels of places he loved in his youth, his constant idolization of Mikey Sikey (literally taking a in-universe nu metal vocalist, putting him in the game and making them act as a stand-in for his biological father, as he views him as a positive father figure), and ALLLLLLL of the various small references to Zane's time on Hypnospace (the t-nubs hoax on Teentopia, Gumshoe Gooper, his love/hate relationship towards the SquisherZ franchise, Boppo's meats, etc), it is VERY clear that Zane is still suffering from implied childhood trauma and is still clinging to the few positive memories of his past. 😭 Zane is desperately clinging onto his delusions, as he genuinely hopes that the money he will make from Slayers X will help him and his son have a better life, as it could help him to avoid repeating the cycle of poverty and social shame that he witnessed his mother going through. More and more canon lore about Zane's personality and views on his life are shown through the game’s official twitter account, so I HIGHLY recommend checking it out, to see Zane interact with all kinds of questions and comments on there! The person running the account, which I THINK is Jay Tholen, is doing a excellent job of making it really feel like Zane himself is real and active on there!

[@FlameSoulis]

SPOILERS AHEAD (Sort of?): So, back when I did my first playthrough of Hypnospace, Zane was one of the victims of the braincrash. So, when I heard the game was announced, since I didn't really look into Zane's lore, I had a rather grusome feeling that Dylan had created the game based on the stored memories on his pages, or perhaps even deeper. Thankfully, a quick read on his wiki page explains everything regarding that, but I think also having just dodged a bullet like the braincrash incident would only cement things further.

[@leoultimaupgraded9914]

Funny thing is, his “delusions” as Adam Chase (the “friend” who helped Zane make Slayers X) are kinda coming true, since many people in the real world genuinely love this game. It makes me really happy to see people support this game and its creators so much, even if Zane isnt real. Though, too be fair, most of them are people who played and enjoyed Hypnospace, and people who didnt play Hypnospace probably wouldnt understand Slayers X, but its the thought that counts

[@dedosdeceniza]

@@FlameSoulis the canonical explanation is that, since Zane actually breaks a couple rules from HypnOS, he gets canonically banned from the thing, so his brain doesn't get fried.

[@Dalister]

Fun fact! Multiple times throughout development, Zane (not Jay Tholen, ZANE [yes jay really got into the character]) made many calls for the community on his server THE STEEL SEWER to make things for the game, such as balloons, newspapers and stuff like that! also I was one of the people who got their balloon into the game, and while that may be small, im still proud of it

[@therasslintheatre2960]

Man, I hope Zane's game becomes a success in-universe that he can shift to game design full time and live a more meaningful life, one that his now deceased mother can be proud of. In my first playthrough of Hypnospace Outlaw I forgot to check on Zane's page during the Mindcrash so I missed out on banning him, so in that version he died alongside Carl Parker, Mavis and Tiffany. No matter what, it seems Zane's path in life is one with strife and constantly taking Ls, so by all accounts his 2000's edgelord attitude seems to be less of a inability to move on and more of a coping mechanism for all his life's struggles.

[@gringusgaming]

I'd love it if the game became a success and because of that Adam would have a change of heart and maybe take Zane more seriously. Maybe then he helps Zane with some more games to ensure that they maintain their quality? With enough experience Zane could become competent himself.

[@GoblinGoblet]

I like how there's a kind of sad side to zane's character when more details about his life is revealed, and when the "angsty abrasive teenage jackass" veneer that he puts on is ripped away (eg : living with a single mother who both struggled to make ends meet, and who was repeatedly having her heart played around with by an unfaithful rich asshole that probably only thought of her as a side hoe). I really like characters like Zane who seem like they're only one note gag characters, but end up having noticeably more depth to them the more you look into them.

[@jeremyallen5974]

That's why I enjoyed Dante from the first two Devil May Cry games more than I ever did playing the other ones. He was an ass that liked to talk smack but he knew when to can the wisecracks and actually take what was going on around him seriously instead of spending the ENTIRE GAME huffing his own farts

[@PanmasterAtArms]

God damnit, I heard the Rat speak and immediately recognized Gianni Matragrano's Columbo voice. He really is everywhere lol

[@CamelotGaming]

5:33 That jingle hit and I thought I warped into a Civvie video.

[@drakenforge4276]

Civvie did make a video on X slayers

[@potentiallyunfunnyguy9716]

Same here. I wouldn't even know what that tune is originally from. I just immediately associate it with Civvie.

[@drakenforge4276]

@@potentiallyunfunnyguy9716 it's sky land from smb3

[@Kyezoar]

Honestly watching both videos I'm SO glad that each video stands on different footing but still makes a fantastic video worth watching. Civvie does his thing of mainly going through a game step by step while NitroRad while in a similar manner slows back to check out the details of the game.

[@mrperson9877]

"The S Blade has a hackblood charge!" -Zane the X-Slayer, 2023

[@Hatsworthful]

Its as dumb as it gets but the fact that glass shards are spelled 'glass sharts' when you pick them up always gets a chuckle out of me

[@victoriouswinner7745]

i was not expecting this game to be so depressing. this game is surprisingly genius

[@harukami912]

_Everything_ is depressing these days...

[@lobpotato5141]

I want to share one of the best pieces of advice I've ever been given: "Never let nostalgia depress or control you. Let it motivate you." Its sad to think that we can never go back to the good times we had but don't forget that we can make tomorrow even better.

[@atlascove1810]

My creative work feels entirely fueled by nostalgia.

[@nerdybunny9975]

Worth noting that while Adam canonically did a lot of the work on the game, Zane at least did all the map design (according to him.) He's got an amazing knack for designing levels that a lot of retro shooters can't do even when played straight.

[@jtm-inc2912]

I heard Zane call his victims, "stupid idiots"... It seems Big Zane's got a bit of Chris Jericho in him!

[@Dracothe7th]

That comparison with the music, the level design and the character surrounding Zane was a very astute observation. As you put it, these levels are not just Duke Nukem-esque level dressing for the theme, these are key memories that Zane holds onto from his past, wishing he still had. The melancholy ambient music once the combat dies down also helps re-enforce that theme of somberness as well. It adds so much more to the game that I did not think of. Very well put together James.

[@Ultra04channel]

Something about the talk of liminal spaces really got to me. They don't work on me, because I never really had those experiences. My childhood was so incredibly isolated and sheltered that I had never even been to a movie with friends until this year. And I'm an adult. So there are no memories to draw on, nothing to make the liminal space feel familiar, because those experiences just never happened. There was no kid next door to go play with. There were no long nights of Mario Party and broken friendships from blue shells. There were no shopping sprees at a mall. Really, the only spaces that feel liminal to me, are open fields and forest paths at night, because that's all I had. That feeling of loneliness, to this day, is just something I have all the time, and I'm used to it. I'm not saying any of this to be edgy, or attract sympathy, I'm just throwing it into the void, because who else am I going to tell? And besides, as I write this, I realize just how incredibly sad it is. But I will mention, Zane's curse-less insults and one liners do remind me of how I used to talk when I was 12 or 13-ish.

[@neru5483]

throwing this out here but this comment opened my eyes about why i don't feel the same foreboding feeling with liminal spaces it's both interesting yet really sad and it's just.. when you've barely had those experiences to begin with, you don't feel the same feeling, yknow?

[@sil_Ookami]

Oh my god I didn’t even know Hypnospace was made by the dude that made Dropsy!! I love both of those!!

[@casanovafunkenstein5090]

Yeah, it's not something I would have expected but, now that I know, it makes perfect sense. Guy seems to have a real talent for creating games that centre around empathy with social outcasts. Dropsy is all about a creepy clown whose goal is to make people happy. HypnOSpace is about how the job you're given requires you to enforce laws that don't tend to have the best interests of the community in mind, often serving to make the website less enjoyable for its users in order to benefit a set of faceless business people, all the while seeing the daily lives of these people and the effects of what you do to them.

[@coyraig8332]

Liminal spaces. The places between what was and what is. A reminder that time always marches on and that nothing lasts forever, no matter how much you want it to. School hallways without children. An office without workers. A game map without enemies.

[@chrisr1091]

Great Video on a pretty great game. I'm like 80% sure the melee enemies joke is that they make the same kinda sounds as David Draiman from the band Disturbed. I also did love the extra Boise level, even if it's the most confusing level in the game by far from a layout perspective. I think it's an achievement that there was a point during the Boise level where I felt that Zane was a real ass person. The game touches upon so many experiences and little details. Like the game has a constant theme of poverty if ya look for it, many of the places that Zane visits thought the game are these pretty dingy areas from his mom's apartment to the literal trailer park. It's conveyed through even minor details like Zane is a CEO and a world-famous dude in the story but his mom still lives in an apartment and she is still dating Melvin for his money, Zane is just so used to being poor that ideal of being a CEO is just a position to him, he doesn't thing of the money like most kids. God I could go on about this game for like a few more paragraphs if I could.

[@NitroRad]

WOW! The map he made based on his Uncle's mansion makes a lot more sense now. This game is so cool dude

[@shabmaster7128]

It's more Korn Johnathan Davis noises than disturbed. "Twist" I think is the trackm

[@superdark336]

@@NitroRad that map is also a whole reference to The Groverhaus, down to the comment of falling out of the window rolling down the stairs bwl

[@user-fx1wx5uz7l]

@@NitroRad how do you feels in your homeland

[@juliagoodwin9510]

I was going to say this game is 90's as hell... But then it got all melancholy and I'm suddenly reminded of the things I used to do as a kid. Getting ice cream from the ice cream man during the summer. Going to Blockbuster with my mom and brother to get a movie and a game. Having more time to hang out with friends and not be concerned if our work schedules don't match up. It's kinda depressing when you think about it...

[@thealkymyst]

Like the 90's then.

[@jackall-trades6149]

Honesty is the new gold standard when it comes to media (games, movies, tv-shows, etc). If the consumer can believe that the creator cares, it carries more weight. And the presentation here is very believable and relatable. This game kinda pushes the idea of balancing in life without implying one should throw out the baby with with bathwater (if that makes sense).

[@vladcucu9186]

It's weird hearing the Mario 3 music in the context of an FPS review without the "X minutes later" title card.

[@cyanflower]

the music timing at 5:32 caught me off-guard for a second

[@nick.flowers]

oh hi civvie

[@ThatMrSky]

I love the part where Zane came out of my computer and hack blooded all over my screen, realistic hackblood coming out of his eyes truly amazing gamis!!

[@Geno746]

Ah yes everybody's favorite Duke quote "it's time to kick gum".

[@marcellosilva9286]

Kick gum and chew ass!

[@Saxdude26]

Frickin' Dick Kickem. 😂

[@aplenope]

12:35 this one specifically hits me hard as someone who's family had a lot of difficulties with money and such. the idaho doh is the department of health and welfare. the desk lady gave zane a backpack full of legos in this game's universe cause she probably felt bad for the kid. that hits me about as hard as a semi truck cause i remember a similar situation where one of my teachers gave me a handful of her kid's old toys for me and my siblings because we were extremely tight on cash.

[@MisterJW]

When I heard the NES drumroll, I had a full moment of whiplash thinking I was about to see "5 minutes later" with a rainbow filter backdrop like in Civve11's videos

[@thesidneychan]

And it helps that Civvie covered this a few weeks ago.

[@WretchedRedoran]

Day has been... rough, to say the least. But seeing a new Nitro Rad video has cheered me up, even if just a bit.

[@moscowvicent831]

I hope it gets better for you

[@RoarTheRapper]

If ever you wanted to get into Boomer Shooters there's even ones being made THIS YEAR that are very artsy and cool!

[@329link]

I came across dread templar a while back and I'd say that's a good example. Recently made with some modern conveniences, but it really hits that perfect level of speed and difficulty you find in games like classic doom and duke nukem.

[@ozzkur]

the falling zane bit was pretty funny

[@endarkculi]

It started as just a goofy running gag, and then falling down just the right spot perfectly segues into getting a better understanding of Zane as a whole, kinda like...the game as a whole, really. Makes me appreciate Nitro Rad's own narrative-writing skills.

[@brya9681]

This game is an inspiration for any up and coming game dev. Make the game you'd want to play. Zane sure did.

[@SourTb]

If you want to make a passion project, sure. But if you want to love off of what you make... This is kind of terrible advise. Like, seriously one of the worst.

[@davebob4973]

@@SourTb what THE heck is a love off of what you make also shut up nerd

[@Yohoat]

​@@SourTbI mean, passion projects are capable of having wide appeal. Just don't be passionate about a retro 2d roguelike with nothing special in it.

[@brya9681]

@@SourTb or do, you people have a very defeatist mindsey

[@brya9681]

@@Yohoat you have a very defeatist mindset dude. It's not going to get you anywhere.

[@MAXinsanity00]

This game balances a very fine line between a love letter to everything that we thought was cool about a specific time and a scathing mockery of it all to the point where it becomes more than a pure example of either. The effort put into it all is insane... Or I guess inzane HAHAHA BWL

[@Coming_age_Studio]

*The green eyes James has….*

[@MarioBrotherL1UP]

Man Mischief Makers is way different than I remember.

[@Chowder_T]

Did not expect a game like this to make me think, "I sure hope Zane can someday move past his demons," but here we are

[@blackbird7781]

Huh kinda surprised how long it's been since this vid. Would have expected another nitro rad by now

[@brinkstan5465]

i love how, despite it all, he really loves and cares about his mom even as to make her a driving force of the story.

[@yoshimasterleader]

8:37- 9:49 - That's Nostalgia. The game evokes feelings of true nostalgia. People forget that nostalgia isn't just fond remembering of the past but the sad longing of it too. It's nice to see a piece of media actually successfully gives that happy/sad feeling.

[@Landonio]

THE S-BLADE HAS A HACKBLOOD CHARGE

[@Balblair]

The melancholy and self-reflection hits much harder if you've played Hypnospace Outlaw and are aware of Zane's possible outcomes. I can't believe how emotionally attached Jay Tholen got me to some of these characters.

[@spaceace9103]

Like an arg in a spinoff of another game. I love the creativity

[@JustAFoolishMortal]

You know, for a teenage edgelord, Zane is surprisingly good at game design.

[@KatlikeRider]

5:33 I heard that midi drum and IMMEDIATELY thought of Civvie11

[@maraganger]

Really vibed hard with your interpretation of the story / the spoiler segment. I feel like it's something a lot of folks end up missing while playing Slayers X in favor of "woah, cool duke nukem / doom inspired game" but yeah, there's a lot of value to be found in keeping those shreds of the past and to create something really cool out of it. B)

[@felipearellano2811]

I did not expect the song at 5:34, felt like rewatching Civvie's video on Slayers X lol

[@shards-of-glass-man]

"wait, why did the footage not speed up?"

[@solidskullz5736]

Oh my God James turned into the legendary super saiyan Broly in that thumbnail

[@hussainqureshi9933]

AWWW YEAH! New Nitro Rad video. You already know it's about to feel like Christmas, already.

[@RyanBeardy]

I love that idea of changing the music completely to something calmer and melancholic after the enemies have all been killed. It seems like such a natural and simple way to evolve the spaces you are exploring.

[@GmodPlusWoW]

5:33 instantly made me think of Civvie. That one track from SMB3 is inextricably linked to Civvie for those who love the boomshoot. ...oldschool 3D spaces have always held that aspect of liminality, but I've never thought about it until now.

[@snowy9587]

Seriously was going to comment that same thing Cool coincidence he also made a video on the game

[@larrydupp3988]

You know it’s powerful characterization when I feel the emotional tug to buy the game, so I can support Zane and his family

[@Wu-Tang-Clan]

Genuinely one of my top 3 games of the year so far. The amount of time and effort put into this game to not only make something fun and interesting for boomshoot fans but to also make something so amazingly human like blows my mind.

[@Mike14264]

This is a really interesting game... that takes a very interesting approach to nostalgia, showing not just the good that comes with it, but also the bad... and the consequences of an imbalance between the nostalgia for the past, and the acceptance of the present. It also looks pretty fun to play through!

[@alecorn5200]

Don't know how I'm not getting any kind of notifications for your videos when you are literally one of the content creators I enjoy seeing often

[@jeffypeters333]

I love your videos, but I’m definitely here because BrutalMoose was randomly mentioning this game in 1 of his streams / coin game videos, and he talked about this game, so I immediately searched the game, and your video popped up first, so I had to watch it!

[@Kokolowolf]

Oops I got teary eyed and had to remind myself Zane isn't a real person who made a game GG Devs & Nitro - you got me good with character and analysis

[@-TPLT]

I think the character study the game offers as well as the raw as hell idea of using broken windows as ammo for your shotgun weapon makes this such a cool game.

[@viscountrainbows2857]

This game is so unironically dripping with the late 90s-early-mid 00s with it's puke green, radioactive green, "Dear God what have you been eating?!" green unashamedly spilling out of every part of the screen. It's so disgusting it comes around and becomes beautiful; I love it. And it looks fun, on top of that.

[@galaxy-eb9sp]

ill be honest ive always thought that maybe zane deals with survivors guilt from the hypnospace incident

[@devonwilliams5738]

The whole spoiler segment was really enlightening. I saw Civvie's video and he showed off the secret, but didn't really go in depth as to what it means. And yeah, this is a very sobering and memorable moment, that really recontextualizes everything you've seen about the game. I'm kinda in the mood for more games like that, diving deep into someone's personality, finding out fully why they are the way they are, even if it is through the things they've made.

[@BigCalsWorld]

Not heard of this game but now I really want to play it!

[@BloodyN1nja]

Always nice to see multiple perspectives on a game. You talk more about the themes and the soundtrack, whereas when Civvie 11 covered it he only gave a basic summary of the story while focusing more on the gameplay itself. Take both your video and his together, and ye get a more complete understanding of the game as a whole before ever having played it

[@gdx1037]

bwl, this is the storytelling I live for!

[@sulley2032]

Penhorn Mall was my favorite place ever as a kid, it caught me off guard here but I think about it way more than I should. So many memories there.

[@PeterT1]

diving into zanes mind made this make more sense with mevin as the boss

[@SuperLlama42]

Jay's got a knack for making goofy characters who seem at a glance like they're just taking the piss out of some subculture or another, and then actually making you like them. Besides Zane, Chowder Man was another great example.

[@TheDracoStar]

...In alll honestly... I can kinda get where Zane is coming from. I... used to be so much more confident before Highschool, I was capable of doing so many things, I felt like the World was just there at my finger-tips. Not in the sense of all the power of it but the capability to explore it all. ...And then I got depression... and anxiety... and then 2020 hit and I never really did get all the Job training I should have. I... got fucked over... a little I guess... but unlike Zane, I've learned that I will never be that person again. I can't be the confident smart kid anymore who would go to college after highschool and explore the world... but maybe I can be the man that will work towards the goal of seeing the world. Maybe I can work towards being the me I could be. Not sure but doesn't hurt to try. So moral of the story... you can remember the past but don't live in it. You have chance to do great things still, it might not happen soon but you can do it. And even if you may not really have a chance... then make today better and tomorrow even more so. Self Improvement is always good after all... anyway enough poetics... I'm gonna probably check this game out and use the *S-Blade which has a Hackblood Charge*

[@Mace2.0]

IRL Rayman reviews the Game of the Century. Welp, that's how I start the weekend.

[@greenhowie]

Honestly if it had a better map or quest markers showing you where to find keys then it wouldn't be Zane's game. He's lost, wandering around and looking for the key to success.

[@Pea_txt]

my favorite joke remains the one where if you put the fov slider up, you can look up and see zane's head

[@Koobird784]

So a small note, as someone who actually grew up in and lived in Boise, Idaho for most of their life, it really adds an extra layer of authenticity and humor to Zane as a character. To me, at least

[@generalwilliams5282]

Ayo real quick thank you bruh for introducing me to this series just finished slayers X and I had a great time :)

[@TVindustries5000]

joel, vinnie, civvie, now Nitro I love people seeing this game

[@TheRealTHD]

I heard Sky Land and my mind instantly flashed TWO MINUTES LATER because I consist solely on Civvie11 videos.

[@Specter053]

Wasn't expecting seeing you covering Slayers X. Pretty cool, man!

[@ACEnBEAKY]

"But during these moments, during these 10 min stretches of combing the level a 2nd time, the game would often do something kinda weird. It would go from this sick action shooter to this melancholy liminal space. Now that we've got nothing left to shoot at, the cheesy punk metal fades and is replaced with this somber and weightless sound. And then you start to contextualize these environments, they're places you know, places you've been to. Places a child would hold onto, fondly. visiting a convenience store with a friend on a late summer evening, trick or treating in a trailer park with spooky decorations, walking through a lifeless, empty amusement park as the music floats away. These aren't just the kind of areas Zane would come up with, these are his memories, the ones he holds onto dearly, the things long in the past that he wishes he still had. Ii was slowly getting this weird empathetic vibe from the game as I wandered around aimlessly to these new lonely songs. Ya know when you see pictures of old malls that don't exist anymore, and you get this weird feeling, this-I don't know-childhood melancholy sort of thing. You've moved on, but part of you still wishes you were there, because those things were easier to make sense of than whatever it is that we have now as an adult. Something about it felt kinda sad to me. " Profound. I felt that.

[@Yamartim]

This is so awesome it's like a full realization of one of the main aspects of The Beginner's Guide, so cool to see more stuff on that vibe of "a character made this game you're playing and by playing it you're actually understanding the character"

[@JannieDaMannie]

Wow... Didn't expect to be saddened about a video featuring a really cool boomer shooter. 😢

[@DjKlzonez]

the s-blade has a hackblood charge

[@SonbladeX]

Boomer shooter is not one of the genres I'd expect to see you play, but now you've GOTTA play DUSK and CULTIC. Two different flavors of modern boomer shooter, both with really fantastic horror vibes. Granted, neither have the same kind of Hackblood energy SLAYERS X has, but they still have their merits.

[@fmsyntheses]

I'm about to turn 38 so I genuinely am a 90s kid. I can attest that this is very accurate, somehow even to a detail as granular as the sort of typos people used to make in the early days of the internet.

[@CamronJK]

Thankyou for continuing to make some of the best KZbin content I have ever watched.

[@TheSuckoShow]

Instant buy for me. Instant game of the year, and yes, I've been playing Street Fighter 6. I was on the fringes of the indie PC game scene in the nineties, I'm right around Zane's age, I've probably played more than my share of mods and indies made by edgy teenagers, and this is spot on. I specifically remember an RPG featuring poop monsters as the main scrub enemy and a spiked-hair author insert as the hero.

[@darkhorse744]

Hell yeah, always look forward to a NitroRad video!

[@boodle399]

I don't see people mention this but something i noticed with Stephanie (sorry Steffanie) was how we only ever see her in her work clothing and the only place she apprently exists and hangs out at is her work place, we get no mention of her life outside the burger place she works at, which leads me to believe she isn't even a person Zane knows or made up but an employee at a burger place he probably had a crush on and knew nothing about her other she was pretty and worked at a resturant he liked

[@Pwilliams4000]

Nitro rad, Antdude, and completionist all made a video on the same day that’s crazy

[@lucianaryeh3001]

5:34 Legit thought I was watching a civvie vid when this song came up 😅

[@PseudoWounds]

Glad to see you making a video on this, I absolutely ADORE Hypnospace Outlaw, it's one of my top 5 favorite games, and I can't wait to get my hands in this one and in Dreamsettler whenever it comes out

[@Stoooopid]

the mega64 shirt feels fitting for this video for some reason

[@BGrimoire]

I played the demo for this game and have been blown out of my water by it ever since. I'm so pleased to see you talk about it James!

[@ItsRetroPlanet]

So funny because I saw this pop up in my gamepass feed, and the one level I got to play was really fun. I'm going to have to play some more of this

[@doodleplays_jpng]

THE S BLADE HAS A HACKBLOOD CHARGE

[@puffleperson]

I see what you mean with the whole melancholy aspect. I could kinda tell nearing the last level that it wasn't going to be a happy ending (IRL at least) but I was so hopped up on hackblood energy that I didn't fully notice *until* then. There's a Japanese term for stories about "strength in the face of futility". It's why they make all those. Erm. WW2 "Opposing Force" games. I'd say that this applies nicely to Slayers X. Still. I really hope that we get a sequel. If I'm not tossing about exploding dice in a year or two I'm going to be upset.

[@tommythesparta4912]

You could literally make a video about any game ever and it'll always be a treat to watch ^w^

[@dofri2896]

James about to control the whole zombie horde with those eyes hes got

[@neongaminglp8071]

How cool, that you made a video on Slayers X!

[@Kyezoar]

It's honestly so surreal seeing you cover a Retro FPS game for the first time but oh man, you couldn't have chose such a perfect title than Slayers X. So much personality, a art style that just reeks of 90s photoscaned texture work and sectors, and genuinely fun Retro FPS gameplay!

[@ee_li]

Excellent video Nitro!! One of your best imho