The Official Angry Video Game Nerd Discussion Thread

[CastlevaniaDude]

The Nerd reviews Milon's Secret Castle

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/44794.html

Good review. I remember my friends mom (who was really good at NES games for some unknown reason) playing and beating this game. It took her ages. She used to leave for work and would pause it and we couldn't play Nintendo all day because there was no save feature.

She beat the whole game without cheating or strategy guides, somehow.

Also glad to see the AVGN focusing on the game over theatrics again.

[Soviet Conscript]

Can anyone tell me the game that's in the intro at :27?

Fantasy Zone

[Tupin]

Fantasy Zone
No, it's the game shown after that.

Only thing that even reminds me of it is Chubby Cherub, and I know it's not that.

Screencap:
http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x28/TUPPYLUVER95/nesgame.jpg

[guitargary75]

I hated Milon's secret Castle.

[Zap!]

Fantasy Zone

I hope he doesn't plan on reviewing that game, becuse it was great.

[kupomogli]

I do agree that Milon's Secret Castle isn't a good game, but man, the nerds videos are just getting boring and repetitive. I'd honestly like to see him release another video that's atleast as good as his Sega 32X video.

I thought I also saw Crystalis in the opening.

*edit*

Yes. Crystalis is in the opening. So is Solar Jetman and Astyanax. All three good games.

[Tupin]

I do agree that Milon's Secret Castle isn't a good game, but man, the nerds videos are just getting boring and repetitive. I'd honestly like to see him release another video that's atleast as good as his Sega 32X video.

I thought I also saw Crystalis in the opening.

*edit*

Yes. Crystalis is in the opening. So is Solar Jetman and Astyanax. All three good games.
What is the game I took a screencap of?

It doesn't look that bad...

[elvis8atari]

It's been said before, the games he shows in his intros are just random shots of games. It doesn't mean they are bad or that he is going to review them.

[Garry Silljo]

What is the game I took a screencap of?

It doesn't look that bad...

Ninja Kid

Edit: Also it reminds you of Chubby Cherub for a reason. Both were released by Bandai arounf the same time and used similar character designs and box art.

[MegaDrive20XX]

LOL Milon's Secret Castle. About time someone spoke up about that piece of garbage!

[Gentlegamer]

Seems like Milon's Secret Castle is an epitome of an old school NES game.

No save, no password. Check!
Secrets without explanation. Check!

Each isn't really so bad but the extreme this game takes it to drives it over the edge from "old school hard" to ridiculous.

[Sabz5150]

Also glad to see the AVGN focusing on the game over theatrics again.

I second this. Some of the theatrics are good (when he broke character during the Indy review, that was classic), but we love 'em for his game reviewing most of all.

[Arcade_Ness]

I thought this review was entertaining, if only for the fact I knew nothing about the game before hand.

[Sabz5150]

Found Milon's at Play N Trade for 3 bucks, so I picked it up for the hell of it. Time to scream some obscenities at my TV :)

[Jorpho]

My question for that game is how did it even make it out of production like that? Where the programmers too far stuffed up their butts to see how how it was to figure out?It seems to have a certain Tower of Druaga vibe about it. And Druaga (http://www.ntsc-uk.com/feature.php?featuretype=edi&fea=Druaga) makes this game seem like a piece of cake. I might also be tempted to invoke Golvellius (http://hg101.classicgaming.gamespy.com/golvellius/golvellius.htm).

By the way, there was also a B&W Game Boy port released many, many years later.

[ryborg]

Found Milon's at Play N Trade for 3 bucks, so I picked it up for the hell of it. Time to scream some obscenities at my TV :)

Go for the full 1987-88 game-playing experience by NOT going to the internet for help when you get stuck (you will). The Nintendo Power issues didn't come out for a couple years, so you wouldn't have had those for assistance either.

That was part of the problem. I got this game as a gift when it was brand new to the US. When you got stuck, that was it. Like the Nerd says, you had to shoot, push or jump on literally every other pixel to advance in the game. That's not fun. That's a chore, even for an eight-year-old who has nothing better to do than play Milon's Secret Castle all day on winter break.

[Zap!]

Ninja Kid

Edit: Also it reminds you of Chubby Cherub for a reason. Both were released by Bandai arounf the same time and used similar character designs and box art.

Were either good? I game very close to getting Ninja Kid in 1987, but chose M.U.S.C.L.E. instead! Big mistake! You can't get much worse than that!

[Garry Silljo]

Were either good? I game very close to getting Ninja Kid in 1987, but chose M.U.S.C.L.E. instead! Big mistake! You can't get much worse than that!

I wouldn't call Ninja Kid a great game, but it's defineately not bad either. I guess if you want a letter grade it's a C. 1-10? ..... maybe 6. Way better than M.U.S.C.L.E., you are correct about that being a mistake.

Chubby Cherub is a very good game for a very young gamer. I bet when my kids are 4 they will think it's great fun. Later on though I think it's too easy to be very entertaining.

[Rob2600]

I'd love to see the AVGN review Tag Team Wrestling for the NES. That's one of the worst wrestling games - and video games - I've ever played.

[Ruudos]

Entertaining review. Interesting fact, he was using the European version of Milon's Secret Castle.

I never played much of Milon's Secret Castle, but I would have reacted much like the Nerd when I realized some of the things further down the line.

He should have at least mentioned that it got a sequel in Japan and that it was way better than this one.


It's the USA-version of the game, it was never released in Europe.

BTW, did he play the first Zelda game? No crack in the walls in that one either.

[Battlehork]

I'd love to see the AVGN review Tag Team Wrestling for the NES. That's one of the worst wrestling games - and video games - I've ever played.

Hey, at least it inspired Strong Bad.

[Gentlegamer]

BTW, did he play the first Zelda game? No crack in the walls in that one either.That's right, but the areas that have to be bombed can be intuited from the way the dungeons are structured. And there's only four possible spots on any given dungeon screen where a bomb could reveal a secret passage.

It's different, of course, for the overworld, but IRC there is nothing necessary to completing the game to be found by bombing. There's at least one found by burning, though . . .

[Tupin]

I wouldn't call Ninja Kid a great game, but it's defineately not bad either. I guess if you want a letter grade it's a C. 1-10? ..... maybe 6. Way better than M.U.S.C.L.E., you are correct about that being a mistake.

Chubby Cherub is a very good game for a very young gamer. I bet when my kids are 4 they will think it's great fun. Later on though I think it's too easy to be very entertaining.
Chubby Cherub is okay at best. Ninja Kid is slightly better than that. M.U.S.C.L.E is tolerable, but you have to put time into it that the game doesn't deserve to learn and overcome the controls.

[Garry Silljo]

Ninja Kid is slightly better than that.

How do you know how good a game is when you couldn't even ID it?

[Tupin]

How do you know how good a game is when you couldn't even ID it?
Tried it out for a while after I heard the name.

[ubersaurus]

That's right, but the areas that have to be bombed can be intuited from the way the dungeons are structured. And there's only four possible spots on any given dungeon screen where a bomb could reveal a secret passage.

It's different, of course, for the overworld, but IRC there is nothing necessary to completing the game to be found by bombing. There's at least one found by burning, though . . .

The second quest would like to have a word with you :P

Dungeon 8! Across a river, you had to bomb. But that was never made clear in the game. I mean, at least you got a clue that you had to bomb spectacle rock to find dungeon 9 in the first quest...

[joshnickerson]

Great review... I remember picking that up a few years ago, playing it for about three minutes and then shelving it.

Got a bit of a technical question... I tried to load the MP4 into my iPod, but I got a message saying it couldn't be transfered to my iPod... all this other videos worked fine... anybody have this problem? My software is all up to date...

[CastlevaniaDude]

I do agree that Milon's Secret Castle isn't a good game, but man, the nerds videos are just getting boring and repetitive. I'd honestly like to see him release another video that's atleast as good as his Sega 32X video.

I thought I also saw Crystalis in the opening.

*edit*

Yes. Crystalis is in the opening. So is Solar Jetman and Astyanax. All three good games.

Ironically, I thought Solar Jetman was horrible. Crystalis was GREAT. Never played much Astyanax, but wasn't too high or low on it. Not a fan, though.

[Jorpho]

That's right, but the areas that have to be bombed can be intuited from the way the dungeons are structured. And there's only four possible spots on any given dungeon screen where a bomb could reveal a secret passage.

It's different, of course, for the overworld, but IRC there is nothing necessary to completing the game to be found by bombing. There's at least one found by burning, though . . .There are some very frustrating moments in Link's Awakening that result from being clueless about bombing an unmarked wall. Not to mention that bit in the first level where you're supposed to push that one block. Sure, it might be an obvious thing to try if you've played the original Zelda enough times, but if you haven't, you're a mite screwed. Fortunately the whole game isn't like that.

[otoko]

There are some very frustrating moments in Link's Awakening that result from being clueless about bombing an unmarked wall. Not to mention that bit in the first level where you're supposed to push that one block.t.

I wonder why the programmers did that in the first place? Did the expect us all to know exactly what they where thinking right off the bat?

For any game I find that unacceptable. Well, unless it's part of something bigger.. maybe...

[Jorpho]

Come to think of it, that's got nothing on that bit in the last level where you're supposed to shoot a statue for no particular reason whatsoever.

[Zap!]

I'd love to see the AVGN review Tag Team Wrestling for the NES. That's one of the worst wrestling games - and video games - I've ever played.

I liked it, but I was a huge wrestling fan in 1987. M.U.S.C.L.E. was the worst wrestling game.

[Zap!]

M.U.S.C.L.E is tolerable...

I'm gonna have to disagree. To me it may be the worst NES game ever.

[Zap!]

How about Athena? Not the worst, but not good.

[chrisbid]

zelda indeed had the same problem, using the flute to find level 7 made almost zero sense "There are secrets where faries do not live" was the only hint. But by the time Nintendo Power was being published, most of the main secrets were out, and issue #1 of NP had a feature on the second quest that gave away most of the hints.

[Daria]

zelda indeed had the same problem, using the flute to find level 7 made almost zero sense "There are secrets where faries do not live" was the only hint. But by the time Nintendo Power was being published, most of the main secrets were out, and issue #1 of NP had a feature on the second quest that gave away most of the hints.

I don't know dude, that one dead lake obviously held a secret. After that it's just a matter of trying everything in your inventory. I was able to figure it out when I was six.

[Sabz5150]

The second quest would like to have a word with you :P

Dungeon 8! Across a river, you had to bomb. But that was never made clear in the game. I mean, at least you got a clue that you had to bomb spectacle rock to find dungeon 9 in the first quest...

And what was up with finding level 7 in the 2nd quest?! That stumped me for the longest time!

[kaedesdisciple]

And what was up with finding level 7 in the 2nd quest?! That stumped me for the longest time!

It's not officially licensed, and slightly OT, but Outlands makes the official 2nd quest look like a cake walk. I won't even ATTEMPT the 2nd quest of Outlands after battling my way through the 1st.

[chrisbid]

I don't know dude, that one dead lake obviously held a secret. After that it's just a matter of trying everything in your inventory. I was able to figure it out when I was six.

you were 6 in 1989, by that point in video games the level seven entrance secret was quaint

in 1987, before strategy guides, nintendo power and the internet, the idea was off-the-wall and didn't compute

[Astrocade]

I liked it, but I was a huge wrestling fan in 1987. M.U.S.C.L.E. was the worst wrestling game.


Since we're on the topic of 1987 wrestling games,how about Titlematch Pro Wrestling on the 2600? Worst. Wrestling game. Ever. Absolutely one of the worst Atari games ever made. Worse than ET and any of the porn titles.

[Zap!]

zelda indeed had the same problem, using the flute to find level 7 made almost zero sense "There are secrets where faries do not live" was the only hint. But by the time Nintendo Power was being published, most of the main secrets were out, and issue #1 of NP had a feature on the second quest that gave away most of the hints.

But for those of us who got Zelda in the Summer of 1987, how did we beat it and find these secrets? Everyoneone I knew who bought it that Summer beat it, without any internet or gaming mags.

[Zap!]

Since we're on the topic of 1987 wrestling games,how about Titlematch Pro Wrestling on the 2600? Worst. Wrestling game. Ever. Absolutely one of the worst Atari games ever made. Worse than ET and any of the porn titles.

Never played it, but let's go up a year to 1988 and talk about Super Pro Wrestling for the Intellivision! Not awful, but not great. Pro Wrestling on the SMS was my favorite ever.

[chrisbid]

But for those of us who got Zelda in the Summer of 1987, how did we beat it and find these secrets? Everyoneone I knew who bought it that Summer beat it, without any internet or gaming mags.


i dont know, in the summer of 87, i only knew a few people with an NES, and i didnt know anyone that had a copy of LOZ. I got my NES in the summer of 88 and LOZ for xmas 88. the first nintendo power came out in october of that year and had a comprehensive guide to the second quest, so i already knew that the whistle could open caves.

from reading older magazines and publications, the level 7 entrance (and the level 7 triforce piece) scratched a lot of heads.

i dont know if i wouldve been able to figure out LOZ without help. i was used to straight forward gaming. the only other adventure game i had played was AD&D cloudy mountain on the intellivision. and while that was a pretty cool adventure for its time, it had zero puzzle solving.

[Zap!]

i dont know, in the summer of 87, i only knew a few people with an NES, and i didnt know anyone that had a copy of LOZ. I got my NES in the summer of 88 and LOZ for xmas 88. the first nintendo power came out in october of that year and had a comprehensive guide to the second quest, so i already knew that the whistle could open caves.

from reading older magazines and publications, the level 7 entrance (and the level 7 triforce piece) scratched a lot of heads.

i dont know if i wouldve been able to figure out LOZ without help. i was used to straight forward gaming. the only other adventure game i had played was AD&D cloudy mountain on the intellivision. and while that was a pretty cool adventure for its time, it had zero puzzle solving.

Well, I was older, so being 14 in 1987 probably helped me a lot. I also played the game not only by myself, but lots of times with one to three friends, so we all helped each other out. It was beaten in a month or so. The second quest is another story. :)

[kainemaxwell]

Another great review.

[elvis8atari]

Here's his Top 13 Friday the 13th Moments

http://www.spike.com/video/top-13-friday-13th/3113517


and just for the heck of it, here's his friday the 13th game review from a few years back..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1raUvGNbZFg

[Gentlegamer]

and just for the heck of it, here's his friday the 13th game review from a few years back..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1raUvGNbZFgOne of my favorites for the dripping sarcasm the Nerd has to use due to Jason's presence!

"There's no logic in this game. And that's a good thing. Logic is for pussies."

[Jorpho]

Wow, that was good. Brilliant, even. I should have watched it earlier.

[Famidrive-16]

He posted this a couple days back:

"

Recently, I put up an NES wish list and I got many donations sent in. Now my NES collection is almost complete. It’s come a long way in a few years, and you should see it reflected in future AVGN videos. One way or another, those games will go to good use."

[elvis8atari]

New "You Know Whats BS" & News on next reviews...

http://www.cinemassacre.com/new/?p=913

[joshnickerson]

Awesome. I think I enjoy his "Bullshit" videos almost as much as his AVGN vids.

[Auzlander]

I hate the fact that people copy him, but he really does show you how frustrating some of those games were. I remember watching AVGN and saying "Ya, that is exactly how I felt playing those games when they came out." The part when he talks about getting your homework done on Friday night so you can rent a game for the weekend and finding out that it sucks.. is classic.

It happened to me and probably some of you out there too ;)

AVGN Keep up the good work.

[Zap!]

The part when he talks about getting your homework done on Friday night so you can rent a game for the weekend and finding out that it sucks.. is classic.

It happened to me and probably some of you out there too ;)

I was a Sunday night at 10:00 homework kid. :)

[elvis8atari]

Hey White Knight does that swordquest airworld game exist?

Anyway, back on topic.. Here's Rolfes review of STAR WARS

http://www.cinemassacre.com/new/?p=936

[Zap!]

Hey White Knight does that swordquest airworld game exist?

Anyway, back on topic.. Here's Rolfes review of STAR WARS

http://www.cinemassacre.com/new/?p=936

If it does, no one has found it yet. It was indeed started though, before Atari put it to a hault. Artwork exists, however.

[Zap!]

Anyway, back on topic.. Here's Rolfes review of STAR WARS

http://www.cinemassacre.com/new/?p=936

I'm gonna nitpick a little, being a mega-Star Wars fan. James claims to be a huge SW fan, yet he said "Jedi's". Whether there is one Jedi or 100 Jedi, it's "Jedi", there is no "'s" at the end. Like "fish", it's one of those words that remains the same, no matter if it's singular or plural.

Sorry, just a pet peeve, and I expect this from the casual fan, not the huge fan. :) Otherwise good video however.

[Gameguy]

Like "fish", it's one of those words that remains the same, no matter if it's singular or plural.
Except for "fishes", which describes a group containing more than one species of fish. ;)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fish#Fish_or_fishes

[Zap!]

Except for "fishes", which describes a group containing more than one species of fish. ;)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fish#Fish_or_fishes

Haha, true. This has got me thinking. There really aren't many words that don't change when adding plural. Sheep maybe?

[Diosoth]

I know I'll catch crap for this... but AVGN > Zero Punctuation.

AVGN, despite being a "character" is able to lay down legit criticisms on the games. He keeps the thing entertaining. Yahtzee, for all his whining about hating AVGN, is so beyond the point of entertainment it's not funny. He's forced to play games on a schedule for a weekly website and he's so focused on being a total jerk that he's unable to do anythign else.

Barring kissing Portal's butt. I'm sure his free trip to Valve had NOTHING to do with that...

His Sonic Unleashed review actually felt like it was about tu turn into a bunch of AVGN swearing for no good reason. Fine, we get it, Yahtzee hates 99% of all games made. His gimmick is stale.

[Gameguy]

Haha, true. This has got me thinking. There really aren't many words that don't change when adding plural. Sheep maybe?
The english language can be interesting to learn about(as other languages can be), it's easy to understand why it can be difficult to learn a new language when there are plenty of unique rules to follow for different situations.

Anyway, here's more words that don't change between singular and plural(with some exceptions).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_plural#Nouns_with_identical_singular_and_p lural

It's getting interesting to read the whole article, but it'll take awhile. :)

[Jorpho]

Yahtzee, for all his whining about hating AVGNDude... he's never whined about hating AVGN.

And the rest of your post doesn't make much sense either.

[ReaXan]

James seems to be tired of the Nerd character and only seems to embrace it at this point because its profitable montetarily just to continue doing the vids. This even though the original magic from season 1 and 2 is long gone. He is also a mini celebrity at conventions because of the Nerd which of course doesn't hurt when your trying to meet famous people as I am sure James isn't opposed to doing. It also might help him in future endevours to reference the Nerd character if he goes onto bigger things so it looks like he is going to pull a Simpsons and produce shows that are lacking in their original magic just to stay in the public's radar.

Some would say that I am dead wrong about the Nerd's quality but you can now tell that making the videos for James are more of a choir now for him than him actually looking forward to doing them. Go through all the videos 1 by 1 and you will see the dropoff start to happen around the Summer of last year.

I think James is a genius entertainer, I just wish he would find some new way to spark the nerd character. I would rather him do Nerd specials every 3 or 4 months then have 2 lackluster shows each month

[boatofcar]

Some would say that I am dead wrong about the Nerd's quality but you can now tell that making the videos for James are more of a choir now for him than him actually looking forward to doing them. Go through all the videos 1 by 1 and you will see the dropoff start to happen around the Summer of last year.

http://stage.web.fordham.edu/images/student_activities/campus_ministries/liturgical_choir92552.jpg

I think if you talked to James, he would hardly say the AVGN videos are a chore. But let the baseless speculation continue!

[ReaXan]

thanks for typing "choir" into google images

why was this not your first choice?

http://www.stdavidchurch.org/Music/images/choir-standing.gif


or this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oev4c5eESt8

[boatofcar]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oev4c5eESt8

Man, that would have been awesome!

[elvis8atari]

http://www.cinemassacre.com/new/?p=945

[boatofcar]

http://www.cinemassacre.com/new/?p=945

Of course, this is old news to most of us, but kudos to James for educating some of his less-informed fans about the different kinds of NES games. I'd love to see him do this kind of thing for all the systems he has. He reaches a wider audience than any of us (my Korean friends watch his subbed videos!) and so he can be a real force of good in the retro community.

[Jorpho]

The "Little Red Hood" thing is news to me. What's the story there?

[Tupin]

The "Little Red Hood" thing is news to me. What's the story there?
I think it was one of those HES games that were brought over from a Sachen title in Australia. The connector on top acted in a similar way to a Game Genie, it used the lockout chip on a licensed cart to play the game.

I also agree with him about games that are really beat up. How does it ever get to be in that bad of shape?

[Cobra Commander]

I like how he wanted to know if anyone wanted to donate a Nintendo World Championship cart.

[Jorpho]

I'm sure the presence of Nightmare on Elm Street on his wanted list is leading to much scratching of heads.

Too bad I don't have that Tagin Dragon cart anymore. But given what I managed to sell it for (and how much I paid for it to begin with), I'm not sure I'd have wanted to donate it.

[Kitsune Sniper]

He wants New Ghostbusters II?

Why not just buy the Japanese version? It doesn't have any Japanese in it, and it isn't PAL. :P

[chrisbid]

I like how he wanted to know if anyone wanted to donate a Nintendo World Championship cart.

why not get a reproduction of a game like that?

[Kitsune Sniper]

He mentioned repros in his video. He basically said "It's impossible to get this game, unless you want a repro."

He didn't ask anyone to donate the game. :P

[Gameguy]

He mentioned repros in his video. He basically said "It's impossible to get this game, unless you want a repro."

He didn't ask anyone to donate the game. :P
Yeah, he did ask. He asked in his blog.


Games needed to complete the collection:

If you want to donate, contact Mike@Cinemassacre.com

6-in-1 1992 Caltron

6-in-1 1992 Myriad

Advanced Dungeons and Dragons: Hillsfar
Adventure Island Classic (aka Adventure Island)
Battletoads & Double Dragon June
Bonk’s Adventure
Bubble Bath Babes
Bubble Bobble Part 2
Castle of Deceit
Cheetahmen 2
Devil World
Dragon Warrior II
Dragon Warrior III
Dragon Warrior IV
Dynablaster
The Flintstones: The Surprise at Dinosaur Peak
Gemfire
Home Alone
Hot Slot
Isolated Warrior
Jurassic Boy 2
Kid Klown in Night Mayor World
Little Samson
Mission Cobra
Moon Ranger
A Nightmare on Elm Street (I borrowed it for the video)
Nintendo World Championship
Nobunaga’s Ambition II
Over Horizon
Panic Restaurant
Parodius
Peek-A-Boo Poker
Power Blade 2
R.C. Pro-Am II
Rackets and Rivals
Rad Racket: Deluxe Tennis II
Rodland Storm
Romance of the Three Kingdoms II
Shadow Warriors 2
Stack-Up
Stadium Events
Street Gangs
Stunt Kids
Taggin’ Dragon
Times of Lore
Ultima V

PAL EXCLUSIVE GAMES

Les Chevaliers du Zodiaque
New Ghostbusters II 


Mr. Gimmick