Nuclear Outrun Review: Killing Zombies with a Fart Bazooka is Fun

Nuclear Outrun is a mobile game that was jointly-produced by three game studios from three different countries: Nerdook Productions of Malaysia, Gamenauts of America, and Nightspade of Indonesia. After playing the game for the last week, I’ve concluded two things: the mobile version is much better than the original Flash version, and that this is a wacky game I would recommend to all my friends. (Updated: We received more information about Nuclear Outrun from Gamenauts CEO Stanley Adrianus. See the final paragraph.)

The game’s premise is interesting: players need to escape an incoming nuclear missile while saving survivors in the process. While they’re at it, there are hordes of zombies and robots trying to halt their escape. Thankfully you get to use weapons like a fart bazooka and a shark gun to clear your path.

One-finger game

To play the game, you need only to tap on the screen where you want the character to shoot his/her weapon at. The vehicle moves automatically, so you need to focus on shooting the incoming enemies and missiles while paying attention to your ammo.

The nuclear missile will explode in 60 seconds. To prolong that, you need to hit as many combos as you can. The challenge here is to use your weapons wisely and accurately. Earn money, buy better cars and weapons, and outrun that nuclear missile. You can play this game with just one finger.

The mobile version is better

I had played the Flash version (pictured above, left) of Nuclear Outrun before the mobile version (pictured above, right) was launched, and I found the game hilarious back then. The Flash version’s gameplay lets us play each character in turn with their own unique rides. Then we control them to outrun the inevitable nuclear blow-out while combating zombies and destroying obstacles that can halt the vehicles’ progress.

The mobile version has gotten a big makeover from the Flash version. Players can now select characters who have their own special powers, save other characters in the process, and unlock more powerful vehicles and weapons. You no longer need to play out each character until they all die and start over again, and you can choose four different weapons in one gameplay.

The graphic design is also much better than in original version. The apocalypse-themed music from the Flash version has also been replaced with more upbeat music. The game is now more fun and suitable for all ages.

Getting people hooked

I like how the team tries to get new players hooked on playing the game even more. New players will get to use free power ups in the beginning, and they will also be able to rent out a few powerful weapons like the fart bazooka during that time. That renting feature is interesting as it lets new players get the feel of using more advanced weapons early in the game.

Being a typical Gamenauts portfolio game, the game offers a free weapon and a free vehicle if players tweet about this game. This is a similar approach I encountered while playing Gamenauts’ other game Ninja Fishing.

Where is the Android version?