We Love It's Guide to…
As a Nitro City police officer, fight rogue drones in side-scrolling gun battles with free aiming, weapons, and gadgets.
Released 18 May 2025
Aim In Any Direction
Shoot From Crouch
Deploy Combat Gadgets
Nitro Express is a 2D side-view gun action game where cute pixel-art girls shoot assault weapons with 360° free aiming in the streets of Japan!
Developed by Grayfax Software · Published by PLAYISM
In an alternate Tokyo, autonomous drones called Companions sometimes go rogue. You play as a member of the Nitro City police’s Atypical Vehicle Disposal Squad, sent to stop them and other mechanical threats.
Fight through side-scrolling stages using firearms, grenades, and gadgets such as turrets, flamethrowers, and anti-tank missiles. Aim freely in different directions, dodge and jump incoming attacks, and use a steadier crouched stance to improve the damage of some guns. Armored enemies call for heavier weapons or specialized gear.
The game includes story stages and optional missions. Completing missions earns money to unlock weapons and upgrade your arsenal, letting you adjust your loadout for different encounters. Optional police-radio dialogue provides more story context during stages.
Players who enjoy the game often praise its detailed pixel art, lively character animation, humorous tone, and energetic music. Many also like experimenting with weapons and gadgets, with some finding that choosing the right equipment makes encounters more satisfying. Reviews differ sharply on the controls: some say they become manageable with practice, while others find aiming and movement awkward. Frequent criticisms include the 30 FPS cap, crowded encounters that can be hard to read, and a short story campaign.
This game was made in Pixel Game Maker MV and runs at 30 FPS. Game language, screen size, screen shake, and key config settings can be accessed by pressing the F1 key on your keyboard. Other settings can be changed in the OPTIONS menu in-game.
Welcome to Nitro City, Tokyo Special Administrative Region! The metropolis of Tokyo is a bit different from what we know, but the streets are just as nostalgic, or, depending on where you're from, they're just as good as the place you've always wanted to visit.
Autonomous drones, affectionately called "Companions", have been integrated into daily life, but in cop terms, they're referred to as "Atypical Vehicles".
When they pose a significant threat to society, it's time for the Atypical Vehicle Disposal Squad (AVDS)—a special unit of the Nitro City police force—to commence their mission to destroy all rogue vehicles!
Good news: you can bring as much ammo as you want... and that includes grenades!
After just a little bit of cooldown, the lightning bolt of destruction will return to your hands. Ah, how wonderful! Just like magic!
Tired of traditional grenades? Why not try out the EMP, damage-dealing radio-controlled drones, auto-firing turrets, flamethrowers, anti-tank missiles, and more? There's sure to be at least one out of the 12 different cool gadgets that'll catch your eye.
By assuming a more stable shooting position, your bullets will hit targets more accurately and deal more damage.
You can shoot some guns like SMGs while walking without caring about that, since they're for close-range anyway, but the bigger the gun, the more it's affected by your positioning. Stand still and aim carefully to use them properly.
Oh no! We're under attack by tanks and helicopters! Whatever can we do~?!
Rifles and SMGs don't do much to armored targets. You could totally stick with them and show them your perseverance, but you could hit them harder where it hurts with more powerful firearms and gadgets.
Story dialogue in stages are all contained in the police radio comms, which can be accessed at anytime and are completely optional. Which means you can ignore them completely if you want.
Great for multiple playthroughs, or for people who think the story sections of video games are basically the same as the instruction manual of an electric toothbrush.
There's more fun where that came from!
| Platforms | Windows |
|---|---|
| Age ratings |
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| Controller support | Xbox |
| Controller required | No |
| Website | Official website |
