
The Angry Video Game Nerd is an adult web television series of comedic retrogaming video reviews created by and starring James Rolfe. The show's format revolves around his commentary and review of older, but unsuccessful video games which are deemed to be of particularly low-quality, unfair difficulty or poor design. The series began as a feature on YouTube and later became a program on ScrewAttack Entertainment before moving to GameTrailers exclusively. The show was renamed The Angry Video Game Nerd to prevent any trademark issues with Nintendo and due to the fact he started reviewing games from non-Nintendo consoles such as those made by Atari and Sega. Rolfe's character, "The Nerd" is a short-tempered and foul-mouthed video game fanatic. He derives comic appeal from excessive and inventive use of anger, profanity, and habitual consumption of alcohol while reviewing video games.
The Nerd makes his first ever game review, and tries to tackle Castlevania II: Simon's Quest for the NES, revealing the many flaws and issues that came with it. This is Angry Video Game Nerd Episode 1.In this debut from the character we now all know as The Angry Video Game Nerd, Castlevania II: Simon's Quest is The Nerd's first video game victim. Released on the Nintendo Entertainment System just a year after the first in the series, it should have been equally as acclaimed. Though as it's the focus of an AVGN video, there are of course numerous shortcomings which prevent Simon's Quest from hitting the same highs as the original Castlevania.With horrendous day to night transitions, having to throw holy water everywhere you go, and possibly the easiest boss in video game history; Simon's Quest was the perfect place for The Nerd to start dissecting the crappiest games known to man.Although The Nerd may have a lot to rant about when it comes to Simon's Quest, the Castlevania series as a whole (Particularly Castlevania IV on the Super Nintendo) do hold a special place in his heart. And as a four part Halloween special in 2010, The Nerd revisits Simon's Quest, along with numerous other titles in the series.
It's Christmas, so the Nerd sees how bad a number of unlicensed religious-themed games were on both the NES and SNES, including Super 3D Noah's Ark – a game built on the same game engine as Wolfenstein 3D. This is Angry Video Game Nerd Episode 17.This Christmas, let the Nerd remind you of the Christmas spirit by throwing Baby Moses down the Nile. If you think that's weird, just hop on Noah's Ark, where you can shoot an army of goats with sleeping pills from a slingshot. That's right folks, there's nothing holy about these Bible-based boatloads of sacrilege.Released in 1991 by Wisdom Tree, Bible Adventures was a game that was so poorly put together that it wasn't even sold at major video game retailers. The same could be said for their next title, Bible Buffet, a game as baffling as its title would suggest. And rounding out the trilogy is Super Noah's Ark 3D, a blatant, kid-friendly knockoff of Wolfenstein 3D that was released in 1994. It's so bad that it wasn't even officially licensed by Nintendo!Games this bad shouldn't be legal, so prepare yourself for the terror that awaits you in this episode. This just might by the Christmas that kills the Nerd! So grab your strongest cup of eggnog, because this is going to be a long one.
The Toxic Avenger, 'Toxie' for short, is the brainchild of Lloyd Kaufman of Troma Entertainment, who created 'The Toxic Avenger' series, 'Tromeo and Juliet', and 'Class of Nuke Em' High'. It was low-brow, over the top, violent, and shameless; the stuff of B-movie legends that made 'The Toxic Avenger' a cult classic. Until one day, Toxie decided to premier in a children's cartoon called 'The Toxic Crusaders'. To appeal to the children, he had to tone down the violence while putting an environmental message similar to 'Captain Planet'. What could be more toxic than 'The Toxic Crusaders'? How about creating a series of games that's so toxic, it requires TWO reviewers to clean-up this monstrosity! This is AVGN Episode 111As a special treat from AVGN, Lloyd Kaufman makes a special appearance for this review!
In Angry Video Game Nerd episode 221, The Nerd seeks out his old foe the Glitch Gremlin to help him defeat an even greater threat in A.I. Man, but can they put their past behind them and work together to glitch the ultimate artificial intelligence into submission?
In Angry Video Game Nerd episode 228, The Nerd goes back to the future with a game based on a movie starring Jean-Claude Van Damme as a time-traveling special agent - Timecop!
In Angry Video Game Nerd episode 229, The Nerd celebrates the Christmas season by being good and playing another ET game, this time on PlayStation!
In Angry Video Game Nerd episode 230, The Nerd plays possibly the worst Contra game ever made: Contra Force!
In Angry Video Game Nerd episode 231, The Nerd teams up with Scott the Woz to tackle ToeJam & Earl on the Sega Genesis! It's a game about two alien rappers, random presents, and trying not to fall off the planet. It's weird, confusing, creative as hell, and exactly the kind of game that leaves the Nerd asking, "What were they thinking?!"