Genre: Arcade
Developer: Vlambeers
Publisher: Vlambeers

Nuclear Throne's aesthetic is a sort of cross between 8-bit and 16-bit vintage, with funny looking characters and rampant pixel art explosions bringing this post-apocalyptic universe to life. There is some interesting variety in stage designs, from scorched cactus-filled deserts to windy rain-lashed plains. Unfortunately, character and enemy designs veer dangerously towards hipster pretentiousness.

There is what sounds like a single, multi-layered track that plays throughout the entirety of this game, and it morphs and transforms impressively as each play attempt progresses. Instrumentation-wise, the music is a combination of Matt Uelman and garage band grunge rock, lending a very unique flavor to the proceedings. The game's sound effects are humorously morbid.

Nuclear Throne is a twin-stick shooter roguelike, with playthroughs happening in rapid succession-- with the careless player even dying on the first board! When the player levels up, he gets to add an ability to his character-- that is, if he can grab the green shards that grant experience; there is a nice risk/reward mechanic between running into enemy fire to grab these shards.

Nuclear Throne was developed live via a "Twitch" stream, and its Edmund McMillen-like sensibilities crossed with its rapid play sessions gives it a very distinctive character. Despite those positive traits, the game's limited scope and depth make it feel more like a simple concept demo than an actual, fleshed out video game-- more casual time killer than timeless classic.