Those familiar with the legendary Angry Video Game Nerd character will know that his speciality is going “back to the past” to play the worst of the worst, but how about taking you back in order to play something good for once? Not only is this AVGN collection a brilliant love letter to the long-standing web series, but it’s also a more than competent 2D action platformer, bringing to light some of the frustrations and rage that the Nerd has felt over the years but in the right way. Well, mostly.
Sucked into the ‘game world’ and forced to run, jump, and shoot his way through an onslaught of game references, the first Angry Video Game Nerd title in the collection is similar to Mega Man in its setup, providing eight themed levels and a cavalcade of the Nerd’s mortal enemies to tackle as bosses – from Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, to ‘Bimmy and Jimmy’ (aka Freddy and Jason), to even Skylar, an obscure floating head character from a couple of Atari Jaguar games. These boss battles get even more extravagant and ridiculous in the second game, and the pop culture/gaming references are sure to humour even those that aren’t familiar with AVGN.
The unlockable characters in the first game mimick Mega Man‘s powerups, each having their own benefits and drawbacks that could help or hinder you, depending on the situation. The 8-bit NES inspired visuals are enough to attract any retro fan, with the animations and popping colours standardised between both versions for consistency. The level designs in the first game are fairly samey under the hood, with some enemies merely palette-swapped between worlds, but the themes do enough to keep it fresh.
A full version game for Windows‚ by FreakZone Games. Angry Video Game Nerd Adventures is a full version software only available for Windows, belonging to the category Games with subcategory Action and has been created by FreakZone Games. If you're looking for action, this is your game. More about Angry Video Game Nerd Adventures. Original lyrics of Angry Video Game Nerd Theme song by Kyle Justin. 31 users explained Angry Video Game Nerd Theme meaning. Find more of Kyle Justin lyrics. Watch official video, print or download text in PDF. Comment and share your favourite lyrics. The Angry Video Game Nerd (abbreviated as AVGN and originally known as The Angry Nintendo Nerd) is an American retrogaming review comedy web series created by and starring James Rolfe. The series centers on Rolfe's fictional character 'the Nerd', a short-tempered and foul-mouthed gamer who delivers commentary on retro games of poor quality.
The second game, ASSimilation, improves on the formula, adding more levels, each with their own themes and unique platforming challenges, and featuring a Super Mario Bros. 3-esque overworld. This time you’ll upgrade the Nerd with different pieces of kit that he’s worn over the years, switching out the Zapper for the Super Scope, or using the Power Glove to smash through blocks and find hidden collectables.
This sequel steps closer to the top class retro-inspired platformers out there on Switch such as The Messengeror Super Meat Boy, providing a memorable element to each individual level, and doing more creative things with platforming than the first game. This isn’t to say that the first one feels outdated or inferior by comparison, but when played as a collection, the two complement each other well, with the sequel’s approach giving a modern change of pace from the classic, eight-level hard-as-nails slogfest.
Of course, the Nerd is known for his bouts of rage, and this game really does manage to instil within you some of the same sentiments. There are some decisions that can get the blood boiling, and while they are often purposeful from the developer as a cheeky way of infuriating the player, they can cheapen the experience here and there. These include things like placements of death blocks meant to catch you off guard, fading into screen quickly as you run along, forcing you into a trial and error loop. It’s a shame, as the controls are tight and the platforming satisfying, so, for the most part, you’re blaming yourself rather than the level, meaning these tactics weren’t needed to keep players engaged.
These setbacks to the flow of gameplay aren’t too much of an issue, luckily; this new release has shortened the respawn time to get you right back into the action, and the sheer amount of difficulty settings mean it’s up to you how angry you get. I’d just about managed to get through the first game on the ‘Old Skool’ setting – which gives you 20 lives and changes all spike obstacles to instakill death blocks – but decided to tap out in favour of the normal setting after fearing I was getting too close to the Nerd himself in temper.
Finish both games and you’ll also be treated to an additional few stages, based around the Nerd’s memorable experiences with Bugs Bunny and his Crazy Castle line of video games. Overall, with the improvements and touch-ups made, and the presentation of the games alongside each other, this doesn’t just feel like both titles thrown together in a package, but rather the definitive way to play going forward. With close involvement from the folks at Cinemassacre, and as many game references and homages as you can think of when it comes to a web series that has existed for ages at this point, the AVGN collection is a must-buy for any fans that haven’t yet played either on another console.
Not only that, but for fans of old-school, retro-inspired 2D platformers, this collection is also more than worthy of your time, if you can handle the abundance of f-bombs and poop jokes (which admittedly aren’t as funny in text-form as they are in the show itself). While the saying goes that you can’t polish a turd, it seems Screenwave media have done just that with this improved, complete collection of games that form the perfect love-letter to the Nerd.
Summary
A must-play for any fans of the long-running web series, Angry Video Game Nerd 1 & 2 Deluxe is also enough of a hardcore platforming challenge to interest fans of the genre looking for a tongue-in-cheek throwback to NES days.
James Rolfe is one of the most notorious YouTubers on the platform. Best known for his character the Angry Video Game Nerd this persona often plays awful retro titles for review and entertainment purposes, with the figure being translated into many video games over the years. The Angry Video Game Nerd 1 and 2 Deluxe packages the original AVGN Adventures into 1 game with new difficulty options, quality of life improvements, and a brand new campaign. Not only is it a playable tribute to the long history of the Nerd but offers a challenging retro experience full of funny moments that will appeal to fans and retro gamers.
The collection comes packages with both The Angry Video Game Nerd Adventures and its sequel The Angry Video Game Nerd Assimilation along with a third campaign for beating the 2 games. Before selecting a file the player can choose from several difficulty options ranging from easy to 1 life and no progression saved. This goes for all 3 games so you can’t choose separate options for each of the games.
The first game, The Angry Video Game Nerd Adventures, has the nerd attempting to escape Game Land, a virtual reality that he and his friends are sucked into. The Nerd is armed with his NES Zapper and must travel through 9 worlds based on popular retro games. The story is basic and ends on a low note but the gameplay makes up for this shortcoming.
Each world is themed with distinct elements that fit the environment. There’s a level based on Castlevania stage teeming with Medusa heads, a happy land where everything is smiling, and much more. Each stage ends with a boss fight, usually taken from the Nerd’s show and repurposed for the adventure. Such as Skylar, a nickname for the green head that appears in Cybermorph and Battlemorph for the Atari Jaguar. The game is full of AVGN references along with various easter eggs from retro games and popular movies that I had a joy searching for.
Graphically the game is colorful with a lot of visual variety. Stages sometimes use the same assets such as bloody spikes but mostly every stage has unique assets and enemies. Animations are smooth and enemies burst into an array of parts. The musical score is terrific with a lot of great tracks that get you excited for the upcoming stage.
Every stage has 4 NES cartridges that spell out NERD, collecting 1 but dying afterward will reset it. Checkpoints are fashioned after the AVGN’s Nintoaster and if triggered after getting a collectable will save its collection. There are also unlockable characters with unique attacks and cheat codes to complete the retro game atmosphere.
Controls are simple enough, the Nerd has 1 default speed and can shoot in 8 directions. Shooting can become annoying when enemies are inside the dead zone since the Nerd does not have full 360 motion when shooting. Platforming ranges from avoiding basic obstacles to 1-hit death objects such as Death Blocks and lasers. Thankfully checkpoints are ample but the player is rated based on their time and how many times they died. These are mostly cosmetic but completing a stage without dying is challenging as the game can become unforgiving. You can tackle any stage in any order but I found the stages got harder as you moved down the list.
Damage can be fickle. The invulnerability period between damage is very short and getting hit sends up back a flying back. On small platforms this usually means death. However, seeing this game was to capture the intensity of classic titles and the Nerd’s rage towards these mechanics in a way benefits from this in terms of presentation.
The Nerd will have access to temporary powerups such as the Super Scope, kegs that regenerate the Nerd’s health, the Glitch Gremlin, and Super Mecha Death Chris 2000 B.C. Version 4.0 Beta. These are 1-time powerups and getting another will overtake the previous item.
Next up is The Angry Video Game Nerd Adventures II: ASSimilation. After a beam from space turns everyone into monsters and the world into a terrible game The Nerd wakes up to find that Fred Fucks has returned and is attempting to locate the Fucks Capacitor for some reason. This is a major change from the original game. The original title had the Nerd facing against the Nostalgic Critic but now has been changed to Fred Fucks from the first game due to legal issues. It isn’t a big deal but facing a weaker version of Fred compared to the first game is repetitive since he follows the formula of popping out of nowhere, insulting the Nerd, and fighting using the same tactics.
The world select screen has been remodeled to reflect Super Mario World 3, with each section having 3 stages and ending with a boss fight. The final boss encounter for each set of levels is separated into its own stage, allowing you to instantly fight the boss without having to go through a level like the first game. Boss fights have been increased with some stages including a mini-boss fight. These fights, like the first game, are taken from the AVGN show and some are remodeled after iconic characters such as Dracula.
Angry Video Game Nerd I & Ii Deluxe Official Soundtrack
The Nerd still has the same moveset from the previous game but can now collect upgrades hidden in certain stages. The first upgrade is mandatory and gives the Nerd the ability to slide on walls like Mega Man X but doesn’t have the same level of control. The grip when sliding is strong but attempting to leap from this action takes a bit of getting used to since the Nerd drops like a cement block. Other upgrades include a more powerful weapon, gliding, finding hidden paths, and more. Each one is modeled after an item from the Nerd’s show such as the Turbo pad and Super Scope. Once you collect them you can exit the stage immediately and keep the upgrade. Collecting all of these is necessary to get the game’s true ending but this ending only adds a couple of new scenes making it a poor reward.
Like the first game, the sequel is challenging. There are a lot more 1-hit death obstacles here and you’re rated based on time complete and deaths. With 4 optional NERD NES cartridges scattered in each stage except the boss levels. Getting these can range from annoying to simple. Checkpoints are plentiful and restarting is quick but some obstacles can be frustrating such as the portals and the ghost blocks that only reveal themselves when you’re close to them. You can also find certain obstacles placed just to make certain sections harder and break up the game’s momentum. Forcing the player to wait for a chance dying, and having to wait again for that moment despite restarting being so quick. That 2-3 seconds before you get the opportune time after death is upsetting.
The stages are as visually pleasing as the previous game with locations based on popular games and movies. You have a sewer stage that takes reference from NES Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, an entire set of levels based on Board James, and more. The game ends with a boss fight against an original character. Like the first game, the ending for the sequel is lacking, especially the Good Ending which only adds 2 sets of dialogue. It would’ve been more ideal to provide access to the upgrades as part of story progression instead of making them optional given how the reward for obtaining them is so poor.
The Angry Video Game Nerd Assimilation is a decent sequel that builds on the original’s strengths and provides a challenging retro experience. A lot of the aspects that made the first game fun are here and the short stages make it just as appealing to play in short bursts.
After completing both games the player gains access to a new campaign with 3 new stages and a brand new boss fight. These take all the challenges from the previous games and just throws them at the player. With the opening stage being a collection of the hardest obstacles. The second and third levels take on distinct identities by providing unique challenges to overcome such as the truck from Big Rigs Over the Top Racing speeding across the stage and a level that takes the Castlevania system but adds a new mechanic. Where the player heads to one side of the side and pops out on the other. This is used in clever ways as you use the perspective to hit switches and find the correct path.
The final boss fight is against a notorious enemy of the Nerd and offers a new challenging boss fight. However, like the previous games, the ending is poor. Things just end with the final boss defeated and the Nerd in a certain place I cannot say for spoilers.
The Angry Video Game Nerd 1 and 2 Deluxe is a great remastering of these titles. It offers enough new content for veterans to enjoy and challenging levels based on the popular YouTube show and retro gaming mechanics. The title is mostly geared towards fans of the AVGN, those not interested in the character will likely be turned off by the humor. Ultimately, The Angry Video Game Nerd 1 and 2 Deluxe is a quality pixel adventure based on the AVGN that delivers a solid retro experience full of great boss fights and colorful levels. It sticks to what works and benefits for it, using the Nerd’s personality to help amplify the experience as you control him through his hell of being part of bad video games. The Angry Video Game Nerd 1 and 2 Deluxe is a great platformer and an excellent game for fans of the Angry Video Game Nerd.
Angry Video Game Nerd I & Ii Deluxe
Adam Siddiqui,
Managing Editor, NoobFeed
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