Nitro Ball (also known as Gun Ball) is a chaotic, top-down run-and-gun arcade game released by Data East in 1992. Combining the frenetic, omnidirectional shooting of Smash TV with the mechanics of a giant pinball machine, the game drops players into a violent futuristic game show. As you blast through waves of enemies, you’ll need to navigate arenas filled with pinball bumpers, flippers, and targets to score points and stay alive.
How to Play
Your objective is to survive five grueling game show arenas and defeat the boss at the end of each stage. As an arcade title, press 5 to insert coins and 1 to start. Use the Arrow Keys to move your character. Use your primary action buttons (typically mapped to Z, X, or C in the browser) to fire your weapons and deploy powerful screen-clearing bombs. The game features one-hit kills, so keep moving to avoid enemy fire.
Tips
- Use the bumpers: Shooting enemies into pinball bumpers or letting flippers launch objects at them can help clear the screen and rack up extra points.
- Grab the ball power-up: Look out for the special power-up that transforms your character into a rolling pinball. This makes you temporarily invincible and allows you to smash directly through enemies.
- Never stop moving: With one-hit deaths and no evasion mechanic, standing still is a quick way to lose a life. Continuously strafe and fire to manage the enemy swarms.
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