GamesRadar+ Verdict

Pros

+
The graphics
+
Lightning's secondary fire mode
+
The music

Cons

-
Some weapons break difficulty
-
Not very long
-
Selecting weapons with thumbs

Why you can trust GamesRadar+ Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about our reviews policy.

You know how Forrest Gump's momma told him, "Life's like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get"? She never played Nanostray. This old-school 2D shooter shows you its goods right there on the front of the box. Spaceship. Laser beams. Explosions. Any questions?

This isn't a complaint; it's simply a statement of fact. Nanostray knows what it wants to be, and it goes for it. It looks hot, with 3D ships that gracefully spit hot plasma around each of eight 2D battlefields until they're lanced into a fireball by one of your four primary weapons: basic blue lasers, yellow lightning lasers, guided pink lasers, and sideways green lasers. Each weapon also has a secondary fire mode (usually a bigger blast) powered by an energy meter, and you have a few mega bombs to really dish out the paincake - which you'll need because Nanostray has giant boss mecha-monsters to blow up at the end of each stage. It's Shoot 'Em-Ups 101.

CATEGORIES

I was the founding Executive Editor/Editor in Chief here at GR, charged with making sure we published great stories every day without burning down the building or getting sued. Which isn't nearly as easy as you might imagine. I don't work for GR any longer, but I still come here - why wouldn't I? It's awesome. I'm a fairly average person who has nursed an above average love of video games since I first played Pong just over 30 years ago. I entered the games journalism world as a freelancer and have since been on staff at the magazines Next Generation and PSM before coming over to GamesRadar. Outside of gaming, I also love music (especially classic metal and hard rock), my lovely wife, my pet pig Bacon, Japanese monster movies, and my dented, now dearly departed '89 Ranger pickup truck. I pray sincerely. I cheer for the Bears, Bulls, and White Sox. And behind Tyler Nagata, I am probably the GR staffer least likely to get arrested... again.