Skip to main content

I Wrote Some Beat Poetry About Nuclear Throne...

They should have sent a

...because I was struggling to find a way to discuss a game that's so, uh... Well, perhaps you see my problem.

I've also included a video of myself experiencing a particularly pathetic death. Perhaps it's a clue that you shouldn't take any of this seriously.

A game of so little, but a game beyond my words.
A game instead for my teeth, clenched, gritted and determined
To kill in a dead desert world similarly determined. A world of darkness painted in colour,
The bloodiest act the most Disneylike, I thought, as the giant maggot twitched
Then detonated in excitement at the scoring of its slimy hide with lime green laser.

A goal, the goal, is a hundred million years from where I am but still I try to go
to the Nuclear Throne. I don't know its look, its purpose but damn me if I don't need to reach it.

Die and die and die I did, all the guns and none of the ammo, Robotron with a glint its eye
And a dagger behind its back. "Come at me, bro" said its big bandits and scorpions and mutant rats
So I did and they died but then I died, in a sandy tunnel, out of bullets, full of breath.

I left it minimised on the death screen for an hour or more,
The grim sounds of echoed screams a soundtrack to my thoughts and words.

Nuclear Throne, formerly Wasteland Kings, is a game by Ridiculous Fishing and Super Crate Box devs Vlambeer. It's a roguelike-inspired arena shooter set on a post-apocalyptic Earth, kind of like the Binding of Isaac does Fallout. Its current beta is available to buy now. I really like it.

Read this next

Alec Meer avatar
Alec Meer: Ancient co-founder of RPS. Long gone. Now mostly writes for rather than about video games.
View comments (10)
In this article

Nuclear Throne

PS4, Xbox One, PS3, PlayStation Vita, PC, Mac

Related topics

Rock Paper Shotgun is better when you sign in

Sign in and join us on our journey to discover strange and compelling PC games.