The Official Angry Video Game Nerd Discussion Thread

[Famidrive-16]

"Adventure Island Classic (aka Adventure Island)"

I have an extra boxed copy of this somewhere. I'll have to shoot him an e-mail.

[FxMercenary]

i can sed him nintendo world championship and dragon warrior 4.

[Zap!]

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

Sounds like a porno. :)

[elvis8atari]

Here's his second review of the Star Wars movies. This time the special editions and the prequels..

http://www.cinemassacre.com/new/?p=959

[Rickstilwell1]

Yeah I have my own copies of Dragon Warrior 2, 3 and 4 I could have sent him, but unfortunately I can't let those go, especially for the good prices I picked them up for. ($20 for DW 4 with a big crack on the cartridge, still plays and saves and doesn't come apart as the crack is under the label)

I am a true AVGN fan, but I just can't as I am also a big Dragon Warrior fan too.

The guy at a local game store has All four Dragon Warriors selling as a set for a ridiculous price, as well as an R.C. Pro-Am II selling for a similar very high price ($100 or $200?) as well. I'm not sure about his Mega Man set though. I think he finally let somebody go and buy individual games out of that stack of all 6 to complete their Mega Man collection.

I am also wondering if the AVGN has collected the Aladdin Deck Enhancer and its carts? He didn't show them.

[Zap!]

Here's his second review of the Star Wars movies. This time the special editions and the prequels..

http://www.cinemassacre.com/new/?p=959

Rating Return of the Jedi "a 10 out of 10" and calling Darth Maul "useless" shows me he's no hardcore Star Wars fan.

[boatofcar]

Rating Return of the Jedi "a 10 out of 10" and calling Darth Maul "useless" shows me he's no hardcore Star Wars fan.

Because he doesn't agree with you? Oh boy...

[c0ldb33r]

Rating Return of the Jedi "a 10 out of 10" and calling Darth Maul "useless" shows me he's no hardcore Star Wars fan.
I'm not a huge Star Wars fan, but it always bugged me that before Episode One came out, they were pimping Darth Maul like there was no tomorrow. Then he dies in the first movie!?! WTF?!?

[Zap!]

Because he doesn't agree with you? Oh boy...

Because he doesn't agree with the overwhelming majority of SW fans. Darth Maul having to fight two Jedi (yes, I said "two Jedi", NOT "two Jedi's" like the Nerd would say, proving he's no real fan) is not "useless".

Return of the Jedi was in no way a 10 out of 10 like he said. ANH and ESB were though, and that's the accepted veiw by the hardcore fans and critics alike.

[Zap!]

I'm not a huge Star Wars fan, but it always bugged me that before Episode One came out, they were pimping Darth Maul like there was no tomorrow. Then he dies in the first movie!?! WTF?!?

Yeah, that was a big mistake. In 1999, I idolized DM so much he was all over my house.

[ryborg]

Because he doesn't agree with you? Oh boy...
Because he doesn't agree with the overwhelming majority of SW fans........and that's the accepted veiw by the hardcore fans and critics alike.

This is the second dumbest thing I've read on these forums recently, second only to your reasoning behind scamming buyers on ebay (http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1517174#post1517174).

Being a fan of something is not objective. It is not a science where there's a right and wrong way to feel. People who say things like "Well, he's not a *TRUE* fan because..." are worthless elitists.

Who cares, anyway? Is it that important that the Angry Video Game Nerd shares the exact same opinions as you?

[Sonicwolf]

I'm not a huge Star Wars fan, but it always bugged me that before Episode One came out, they were pimping Darth Maul like there was no tomorrow. Then he dies in the first movie!?! WTF?!?

They did the same thing with general grevious. He was hyped up and killed in no time.

[Daria]

Yeah, he did ask. He asked in his blog.

I used to debate whether or not to include high profile titles like Panzer Dragoon Saga on my want lists when I didn't have anything worth trading in return. In the end I ended up adding the games to help me keep track of everything I was missing, realistically obtainable or not.

That's how I see his list. He's not necessarily asking for every game posted, just letting us see every game he's missing.

[Zap!]

This is the second dumbest thing I've read on these forums recently, second only to your reasoning behind scamming buyers on ebay (http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1517174#post1517174).

Being a fan of something is not objective. It is not a science where there's a right and wrong way to feel. People who say things like "Well, he's not a *TRUE* fan because..." are worthless elitists.

Who cares, anyway? Is it that important that the Angry Video Game Nerd shares the exact same opinions as you?

I am a self-proclaimed SW fanboy. I'm sorry if it offends you, but I must state my case when another fan bashes Darth Maul. I agree I should let it slide that he called ROTJ a "10", but it was a combination of things. Saying "Jedi's" would get him corrected by any hardcore SW fan. That is not opnion like ROTJ. It is SW fact it remains Jedi.

Let it go about the eBay. I out beat a scammer low life, not some innocent guy.

[kainemaxwell]

I'm not a huge Star Wars fan, but it always bugged me that before Episode One came out, they were pimping Darth Maul like there was no tomorrow. Then he dies in the first movie!?! WTF?!?

Bothered me too, and I'm also a SW fanboy. Such is life.

[Nescollector]

I can't stand the guy, f this every other word out of his mouth does not make for a good reviewer, or that entertaining for that matter. Isn't there anybody out there that has any class? I'm finding some good reviewers on youtube slow but sure.

[Sonicwolf]

I can't stand the guy, f this every other word out of his mouth does not make for a good reviewer, or that entertaining for that matter. Isn't there anybody out there that has any class? I'm finding some good reviewers on youtube slow but sure.

The gratuitous swearing is a part of the character. Its hard in this modern world to get the point of complete anger across without swearing like a sailor. People just dont catch it as interesting or realistic if there is little cussing involved.

[Nescollector]

Sonicwolf.....ok good point....

[Zap!]

They did the same thing with general grevious. He was hyped up and killed in no time.

Yeah, but with the General, he was outclassed. Maul lost by being arrogant and toying around with a young Obi rather than finishing him off. I personally never liked Grievous. Dooku was alright, but Maul was outstanding. Imagine if there was no Maul in Phantom Menace.

I believe the Nerd also said the final fight with Maul and the two Jedi was "pretty good" or something like that. I know it's opinion and I'm sorry if I seem like I'm ripping him, but 99 people out of 100 rank that fight as absolutely outstanding, in the top two duels in the entire series (Obi vs. Anakin being the other amazing one).

[c0ldb33r]

Imagine if there was no Maul in Phantom Menace.
I'd rather imagine if there was no Jar Jar or Anakin. But seriously, would the movie be all that different without Darth Maul? Keep in mind I've only seen the movie once, but he didn't seem all that central to the plot, just a marketing device.

[Cryomancer]

Yeah, I never liked Maul, probably at least partially BECAUSE of the over-marketing he recieved and the mini cult of personality he ended up with because of it. That said however, I think Star Wars really fucked itself over in the villians department. They had one really good villian in Vader back in 77, then we get what? Some old guys, some guy with face paint, and then three movies hammering home that now Vader sucks too because his personal history makes it impossible to ever think of him as threatening anymore. Blarg. The bounty hunters are better villians now.

[boatofcar]

Yeah, I never liked Maul, probably at least partially BECAUSE of the over-marketing he recieved and the mini cult of personality he ended up with because of it. That said however, I think Star Wars really fucked itself over in the villians department. They had one really good villian in Vader back in 77, then we get what? Some old guys, some guy with face paint, and then three movies hammering home that now Vader sucks too because his personal history makes it impossible to ever think of him as threatening anymore. Blarg. The bounty hunters are better villians now.

Well said!

[Gameguy]

In episode 3 Anakin kills off a bunch of kids because they would later become Jedi(s), in episode 6 you see he's dead and all happy with Yoda and Obi-Wan. So they're just ok with him now that he's good again? He killed a bunch of kids, how are they just all right with all that? Nevermind him destroying a planet too, though that was in the original trilogy. They could be a little less happy at the end.

Plus with all the editing of the movies over the years most of it's appeal is lost(for me at least). Some changes for movies are accepted pretty easily(like directors cuts, or cuts with added footage), but most people don't like the changes with these films.

[Zap!]

In episode 3 Anakin kills off a bunch of kids because they would later become Jedi(s), in episode 6 you see he's dead and all happy with Yoda and Obi-Wan. So they're just ok with him now that he's good again? He killed a bunch of kids, how are they just all right with all that? Nevermind him destroying a planet too, though that was in the original trilogy. They could be a little less happy at the end.

Plus with all the editing of the movies over the years most of it's appeal is lost(for me at least). Some changes for movies are accepted pretty easily(like directors cuts, or cuts with added footage), but most people don't like the changes with these films.

I agree. In the original trilogy, I looked at Vader as someone who wasn't truely bad, and someone who I could forgive. Now, after seeing how he killed kids (Killing Sandpeople doesn't bother me much, they just killed his mom) who looked up to him, he's no longer someone I forgive. Sidious wouldn't even kill kids.

[Jorpho]

Ah, Internet Star Wars debate.

[Garry Silljo]

Sidious wouldn't even kill kids.

Didn't Sidious tell him to do it?

[Famidrive-16]

Jaguar Part 1

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/46723.html

[Tupin]

Pretty good, can't wait for the second part. As a Jaguar owner, I can say the worst thing about the system is the lack of good, original games. I need to get Zool 2, as Tempest 2000 and Iron Soldier, while decent, aren't worth hooking the system up.

Oh, and Zool 2 on Jaguar looks better than the original on SNES, but its not 64-bit.

[Jorpho]

What's that at 3:42? Eternal Champions? Time Killers?

[boatofcar]

Does anybody else have a hard time getting GT movies to reliably load?

[Jorpho]

Does anybody else have a hard time getting GT movies to reliably load?That's why I use their handy download links.

[Solertia]

Ah, Internet Star Wars debate.

For some reason this made me laugh hysterically XD

[Gabriel]

Pretty good, can't wait for the second part.

I can't wait for the second part either. But I didn't think this first chapter was very good at all.

For one thing, AVGN really betrays his nature as a Nintendo Power educated fanboy. That just comes with the age his childhood resides in, and he may be exaggerating it for comedic effect as he always does. However, it's just all too common for the NES generation to be as dismissive of what came before as he is in this video.

The next thing that really got me was the comparison of Checkered Flag's visuals to F-Zeros (SNES) and the Nerd's ruling that the SNES game has superior graphics. Seriously, WTF??? Only someone who was wearing their rose colored glasses too tightly would find F-Zero's visuals even remotely passable. He has a point with Cybermorph versus Starfox, but the F-Zero statement just reeks brainless Nintendo favoritism.

All in all, I found this chapter extraneous. There weren't any good jokes. There was just the standard Nintendo fan "Look at how much Atari sucks! Har, har!" I suppose that kind of start could prove to be the set up for a punch line of "these games kick ass!" But I really doubt that's coming. I've played Jaguar games, and beyond a few outstanding titles, most everything else kinda reeks. It will be entertaining to see those games ripped apart Nerd style. I just wish this needless preamble hadn't been there.

[Drixxel]

What's that at 3:42? Eternal Champions? Time Killers?

Yes indeed, Eternal Champions. RAX vs. Shadow!


The next thing that really got me was the comparison of Checkered Flag's visuals to F-Zeros (SNES) and the Nerd's ruling that the SNES game has superior graphics. Seriously, WTF??? Only someone who was wearing their rose colored glasses too tightly would find F-Zero's visuals even remotely passable. He has a point with Cybermorph versus Starfox, but the F-Zero statement just reeks brainless Nintendo favoritism.

That comparison struck me as a little weird at first, but ultimately he seemed to be comparing visual appeal here, not graphical muscle. Throughout part 1, the point is made that the Jaguar was a difficult beast to develop for and that effort was lacking in the vast majority of releases, which I think is what he's getting at with the F-Zero/Checkered Flag contrast. I would agree that F-Zero is a more aesthetically pleasing game to watch than Checkered Flag in spite of it being sprites on a mode 7 track, but this is admittedly an odd pair of games to compare. Genesis Virtua Racing would have made a lot more sense.

[Tupin]

The F-Zero/Checkered Flag comparison was more like, "Sure, the Jaguar game LOOKS better, but which one is more fun to play? F-Zero."

[Gentlegamer]

The next thing that really got me was the comparison of Checkered Flag's visuals to F-Zeros (SNES) and the Nerd's ruling that the SNES game has superior graphics. Seriously, WTF??? Only someone who was wearing their rose colored glasses too tightly would find F-Zero's visuals even remotely passable. He has a point with Cybermorph versus Starfox, but the F-Zero statement just reeks brainless Nintendo favoritism.Single color polygons and choppy frame rate vs highly colorful sprites and smooth mode 7 scaling: F-Zero wins!

[A Black Falcon]

Yeah, absolutely agreed. F-Zero still looks amazing, with great sprite work, a great sense of style, flawless framerate... not to mention the fantastic gameplay, great controls, and great music, too. ":) Checkered Flag? Haven't played it, but going by that video, it looks pretty doubtful that it holds up... though comparing it to something 3D, like Stunt Race FX or Virtua Racing (Genesis)/Virtua Racing Deluxe (32X) would make more sense, really, than comparing it to a Mode 7 game.

I do agree, though, that he should have mentioned the serious framerate problems in 3d Super FX SNES games like Star Fox. That above all else makes those games barely playable today... the ones that aren't polyagonal are tolerable (Doom, or Yoshi's Island of course), but Vortex, Star Fox, Stunt Race FX, etc... the low framerates are just brutal. It's very hard to get used to how slow they are.

As for Zool 2, it's a PC/Amiga platformer port... fine game, but yeah, definitely not "next-gen". It's odd that the game wasn't on SNES or Genesis like the first one was, just Jaguar as well as the computer platforms.

[guitargary75]

I can't wait for the 2nd part. It's going to be hilarious!

[CelticJobber]

I felt the first Jaguar video was pretty disappointing as his "comeback" video after being away for a couple of months. Maybe the second part will be alot better though.

[klausien]

In terms of what the Nerd usually puts out there, Atari Jaguar Part 1 was definitely a bit lacking. It wasn't as humorous as his other work, and he didn't highlight that the system was really a European creation, but you can't hit a home run every time. BTW, any and all criticism I make is meant to be entirely constructive (though opinionated!).

[Also, the Lynx may have been a giant, battery-draining beast, and ultimately lost the battle for portable gaming supremacy miserably in its day, but I would argue that it is the greatest hidden gem in the world of portables. The library, with its focus on Atari's arcade titles of the age, is quite excellent and has aged incredibly well... but I digress...]

Back to topic; the video was a synopsis of the system's history, rather than the normal evisceration of a craptastic game or series of games, but everyone is correct in that games he chose for comparisons in Part 1 seemed cherry-picked (intentional or not). Of course 2 Amiga ports are going to look "16-Bit"! Tempest 2000, Missile Command 3D, Rayman, Super Burnout, and many other Jaguar games are much more advanced visually than (almost) anything on the Genesis or SNES.

Take Raiden for instance. Yes, it has a Euro border, but it is a better version of Raiden than any previous port, save maybe the PCE version (pales in comparison to the later PSX port though).

What about Doom or Wolfenstein 3D? Both are vastly superior to their SNES versions, entirely due to hardware power.

Rayman is an infinitely better comparison for Mario and Sonic than Zool 2. He might as well have thrown Bubsy in there!

Iron Soldier had no business being flogged for its graphics. It is one of the best looking games on the system.

Cybermorph and its far superior Jag CD sequel are much more advanced in almost every way when compared to the original StarFox. I love StarFox, don't get me wrong, but it is a rail shooter with a ship made of a couple triangles pasted together. Most of the backgrounds are completely barren of any topography as well. Cybermorph is fully gouraud shaded, and consists entirely of "open world", ground-level stages like those later added to the aborted StarFox 2 & StarFox 64. Yes, it lacks background music during gameplay (one of the reasons Battlemorph is better), while StarFox has an epic score, but come on with the "StarFox looks better than Cybermorph (and Iron Soldier)" stuff.

That said, Checkered Flag has a sh!t frame rate that makes it totally unplayable, while F-Zero is a true neo-classic. He was right on the money there, but one could easily argue that Super Burnout is more spectacular visually than F-Zero.

Oh, and (on a side note) AVP on the Jag also has an awful frame rate, which means it has aged poorly. It is better than any FPS on the other 16-Bitters, but that's not saying much. Most overrated Jaguar game, easily (anyone who thinks T2K takes that title is fooling themselves).

I admit that I am quite fond of the underachieving Jaguar, but I wouldn't consider myself biased towards it. There are probably more poor games for it than good ones (I'm a fan, but also a realist), and the CD add-on is only vital for music fans interested in the absolutely killer VLM (or Battlemorph). The controller gets a bad rap generally, though they should have just gone with the extra, less-mushy buttons of the Pro Controller in the first place. The Jag has its faults, but to say it pales in comparison to the Genesis and SNES from a technical standpoint is just a bit, well, ridiculous.

When all is said and done, of course James has his own opinion/bias, and I respect that. No matter what, it's always nice to see someone shine a light on a cool obscurity like the Jaguar. Looking forward to part 2!

[Rob2600]

The Jag has its faults, but to say it pales in comparison to the Genesis and SNES from a technical standpoint is just a bit, well, ridiculous.

I think the AVGN's point was that Atari hyped the Jaguar up as an awesome new monster 64-bit machine...Do the math!...yet, the graphics were barely better (sometimes worse) than the older 16-bit SNES. What happened to the extra 48 bits??

[swlovinist]

As an owner of a Jaguar(among many other consoles), I liked part 1. I think that AVGN could have totally just ripped on the system but instead made are more educated video on explaining why the Jaguar failed. I thought that it was pretty good and look forward to part 2. AVGN reviews are either loved or hated. Reviewing the Jaguar is kind of like Reveiwing the Neo Geo stuff...some of hardcore obscure fanboys of these systems will get pissed off if not done a certain way.
-

[Graham Mitchell]

I think it's important when watching videos like this to keep in mind that a) taste is subjective and b) this is for entertainment purposes and not really meant to be informative (even if it is indirectly).

The nerd has ripped on stuff I actually think is underrated, particularly Dragon's Lair on the NES. I used to get all uppity and try and defend this stuff because I had the delusion that I was smarter than everyone else and/or that others opinions were wrong. As difficult as it can be, I try to keep that in mind.

That said, Jaguar, like NES Dragon's Lair, has some problems. It has some good points as well, but people who can forgive its faults are likely to defend the system while those who can't...won't. It's subjective.

[Tupin]

Speaking of Neo-Geo, that's the other video of his that I've been looking forward to seeing.

Oh, and it sucks that his Jaguar CD is broken, the few games on the system would make for a great video. Speaking of the oddly built Jaguar, it LOOKS like it uses off the shelf parts, but I guess not. Maybe the off the shelf parts end at the VGA-style controller ports.

[Jorpho]

stuff I actually think is underrated, particularly Dragon's Lair on the NESBuh? Please elaborate.

[jcalder8]

It's not a bad start but I hope he pulls out all the stops for the second part.

[A Black Falcon]

Buh? Please elaborate.

Maybe he's referring to the twice-as-fast-speed European version? It doesn't seem that just faster play would save it from being one of the most frustrating things ever, though...

[Gameguy]

The nerd has ripped on stuff I actually think is underrated, particularly Dragon's Lair on the NES.
Okay, you just lost your credibility right there. I played the north american version and it's truly horrible. There are games that I just don't like but are still playable, just not my taste. Dragon's Lair for the NES isn't one of them, I'm really glad I sold it off. I actually blocked my memories of this game, but your post reminded me of them. Thanks for that. :bawling:

[boatofcar]

I'd love it if the AVGN ripped the Neo Geo. The amount of nerd rage would be epic.

[Zap!]

I'd love it if the AVGN ripped the Neo Geo. The amount of nerd rage would be epic.

And for good reason. :) I hope he reviews the RCA Studio II.

[Sonicwolf]

Okay, you just lost your credibility right there. I played the north american version and it's truly horrible. There are games that I just don't like but are still playable, just not my taste. Dragon's Lair for the NES isn't one of them, I'm really glad I sold it off. I actually blocked my memories of this game, but your post reminded me of them. Thanks for that. :bawling:

I have found myself actually liking one of the games he shat on horribly. (Literally) Nightmare on Elm street. I find it pretty fun, challenging and he really made it look a lot worse than it was. Its not as frustrating as he made it out. (Although the bosses are ridiculously impossible as you progress)

[A Black Falcon]

I have found myself actually liking one of the games he shat on horribly. (Literally) Nightmare on Elm street. I find it pretty fun, challenging and he really made it look a lot worse than it was. Its not as frustrating as he made it out. (Although the bosses are ridiculously impossible as you progress)

I liked TMNT 1 (I had the PC version of the NES game, specifically) when I was younger... of course, I never beat the second level (the dam level, that is), but it was Ninja Turtles, so I liked it anyway. :) I sure could tell that it was nowhere near as good as the arcade games, though... but of course, they were pretty much my favorite arcade games ever at the time. :)

[Graham Mitchell]

Well, Dragon's Lair on the NES looks damn good for one thing, and I have a feeling that what they were going for is some kind of simulation of the arcade version's gameplay. For some reason everybody remembers the arcade game fondly, but to the uninitiated it's a frustrating mess where you're shown the same 10-second scene over and over again because you can't figure what the hell you're supposed to be doing (the very first level with the drawbridge took me forever to figure out when I was a kid.)

That frustration comes from the fact that you literally have to memorize every scene, and that's exactly how the NES version works. It looks deceptively like a platformer, but it's not in some ways. Certain aspects of the gameplay don't follow the typical platforming formulas (for example, you must continue walking on floating platforms or they slide right out from under your feet.)

With a little practice, Dragon's Lair on the NES can be fun and interesting because the game totally makes up it's own rules--you have to throw out most of what you learned from Super Mario Brothers. You cannot use reflexes or timing to beat that game. You have to figure out what it wants and do it with precision. Some games still operate this way today, like Mirror's Edge. A lot of people hate that concept because it IS frustrating, and it will arrest your progress through the game until you can figure out exactly what you're supposed to do. But once you get it right, and you can duplicate it over and over, it's pretty rewarding, and you start to have a lot of fun.

But, that's me, that's my taste. I like the feeling of being challenged and overcoming the obstacles, and that's just the way I look at things. I don't expect everybody to agree with me, but maybe you didn't think about the game in this way before.

[mnbren05]

I agree with most of what he said about the Jaguar. I always thought the games would be more interesting but when I played them for myself I did not find a single one appealing. I also dislike the shape of the carts and the fact that none of them have end labels.

[Graham Mitchell]

I agree with most of what he said about the Jaguar. I always thought the games would be more interesting but when I played them for myself I did not find a single one appealing. I also dislike the shape of the carts and the fact that none of them have end labels.

Not even Tempest 2000? That's the one I always liked...

[Tupin]

Not even Tempest 2000? That's the one I always liked...
That and Iron Soldier are the best games on the Jaguar.

[Gentlegamer]

I'd love it if the AVGN ripped the Neo Geo. The amount of nerd rage would be epic.Yeah! Mucho lulz right there.

[CelticJobber]

As a huge Mortal Kombat fan in the mid-90s, the only games on Jaguar that ever really interested me were Kasumi Ninja (which I heard was horrible) and Thea Realm Fighers (which was never released).

[A Black Falcon]

That and Iron Soldier are the best games on the Jaguar.

Tempest 2000 is one of the best games of the generation, really. It is too bad that beyond that the system doesn't have a whole lot, and that so many of the first-party games were awful... but it does have the best version of Tempest 2000, at least. :)



Well, Dragon's Lair on the NES looks damn good for one thing, and I have a feeling that what they were going for is some kind of simulation of the arcade version's gameplay. For some reason everybody remembers the arcade game fondly, but to the uninitiated it's a frustrating mess where you're shown the same 10-second scene over and over again because you can't figure what the hell you're supposed to be doing (the very first level with the drawbridge took me forever to figure out when I was a kid.)

You are right, the arcade game sort of plays like that too... the difference is though, at least there all you need to memorize is which direction to press the buttons at each action point. The NES game is a lot more complex, and frustrating... and anyway, the arcade game really isn't all that fun. I mean, if it actually gave you a hint or something... but just pure memorization... I don't find it at all fun, at least. The animation looks great, but once you get beyond that there's nothing there to keep me wanting to play.

[Gameguy]

Well, Dragon's Lair on the NES looks damn good for one thing, and I have a feeling that what they were going for is some kind of simulation of the arcade version's gameplay. For some reason everybody remembers the arcade game fondly, but to the uninitiated it's a frustrating mess where you're shown the same 10-second scene over and over again because you can't figure what the hell you're supposed to be doing (the very first level with the drawbridge took me forever to figure out when I was a kid.)

That frustration comes from the fact that you literally have to memorize every scene, and that's exactly how the NES version works. It looks deceptively like a platformer, but it's not in some ways. Certain aspects of the gameplay don't follow the typical platforming formulas (for example, you must continue walking on floating platforms or they slide right out from under your feet.)

With a little practice, Dragon's Lair on the NES can be fun and interesting because the game totally makes up it's own rules--you have to throw out most of what you learned from Super Mario Brothers. You cannot use reflexes or timing to beat that game. You have to figure out what it wants and do it with precision. Some games still operate this way today, like Mirror's Edge. A lot of people hate that concept because it IS frustrating, and it will arrest your progress through the game until you can figure out exactly what you're supposed to do. But once you get it right, and you can duplicate it over and over, it's pretty rewarding, and you start to have a lot of fun.

But, that's me, that's my taste. I like the feeling of being challenged and overcoming the obstacles, and that's just the way I look at things. I don't expect everybody to agree with me, but maybe you didn't think about the game in this way before.
The arcade version is way different. I have it on PC, and I played through it. Same with the sequel Time Warp. I actually liked those games, though once they're beaten there's really no other reason to play it. I actually have the port on the Gameboy Color, it plays just like the arcade version though some scenes are edited shorter.

That's why I wanted the NES version, because I liked the arcade version. It's completely different and I just didn't like it at all. There are walkthroughs of it on youtube, it's about 5-10 minutes long. The reasons you mention for liking it are the same reasons why I don't like it, it's just random as to how to survive through it(keep walking on floating platforms, makes up it's own rules, etc).

[Graham Mitchell]

You are right, the arcade game sort of plays like that too... the difference is though, at least there all you need to memorize is which direction to press the buttons at each action point. The NES game is a lot more complex, and frustrating... and anyway, the arcade game really isn't all that fun. I mean, if it actually gave you a hint or something... but just pure memorization... I don't find it at all fun, at least. The animation looks great, but once you get beyond that there's nothing there to keep me wanting to play.

At the risk of going off the rails here, one game that I find frustrating for a similar reason is Sonic the Hedgehog, particularly the first one. The whole game doesn't play this way, but there are parts where you're going so fast that if you don't have the level memorized you're fucked. And it's so punitive...one hit at the wrong time can be the difference between the proper ending and the shitty ending. And you have to restart the whole game to do the one level correctly.

Anyway, I admit that Dragon's Lair is far from perfect, but I don't know why I'm able to accept some of the shortcomings and others aren't. I mean, it's not like the game is broken (ie--Impossible Mission on the 7800 or stuff like Super Pitfall). But I feel it's at least in the same class of game as Deadly Towers and Legacy of the Wizard--hard as hell, but not without rewards if you look hard enough. My 2 cents. Anyway, back on topic...

[Sonicwolf]

Sorry to say, personally, I felt that his next video would have been something more after such a long hiatus between video releases. Heres hoping for part 2.

[guitargary75]

I thought it was good. It was the intro, it isn't supposed to change your life.

[elvis8atari]

Good video on the Jaguar. The part where he's describing explaining what bits are to your parents was funny. Look forward to part 2.

[VG_Maniac]

Sorry to say, personally, I felt that his next video would have been something more after such a long hiatus between video releases. Heres hoping for part 2.

It was pretty short for being the first video he's made in awhile. He probably should have just released part 1 and part 2 together as one video...but oh well.

I remember seeing the old Jaguar commercials on TV and thinking the same thing the AVGN brought up, "How is this much different from Star Fox on my 16-bit system?".

[mnbren05]

Not even Tempest 2000? That's the one I always liked...

I had Tempest 2000, Iron Soldier, and AVP. I thought the graphics in T2000 and Iron Soldier were blocky and uninspiring. Game play was so-so overall. AVP was a different story, nicer graphics and decent game play. None of the Jaguar games lead me to believe they were excellent though. If they could have waited to release the Jaguar another 3 years they may have had something that was competitive in the market.

[elvis8atari]

According to his website
http://www.cinemassacre.com/new/?p=1008
Jaguar part 2 will be out wednesday

[guitargary75]

I can't wait!

[Greg2600]

Glad to see the Nerd back at it. Great to hear him on XM radio also, even though the other guy seemed to drown him out. I did watch his Star Wars retrospective, and was fairly surprised he liked the prequels at all.

[Famidrive-16]

Part 2 is up.

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/47108.html

[jcalder8]

I just watched part 2. I definitely enjoyed it more than part 1.

Are the CD add-ons that prone to failure? I don't know much about the Jag.

[Trumpman]

That was pretty funny. I don't like the animated segments, and I wish he had talked about more games, but I still liked it. I knew the Jag sucked, but I didn't know it sucked that much. The Jag CD was hilarious, though, and I wonder the same thing about their failure rates.

[A Black Falcon]

Both the Jaguar and Jaguar CD are well known for their unreliablity, actually... their reliability records are poor at best. Just look at the base Jaguar -- the signs of cheapness are everywhere. Note the lack of cart door, open back connections, etc. Add a CD drive full of moving parts to that and it's no surprise that a lot of them don't work. Just check Atari-Age, there's plenty more on it there, and likely help for those broken Jag CD drives of his, too.

Anyway, pretty good episode... not perfect, but pretty good. Too bad about the Jag CDs though, hopefully something can be done, with how much they cost and how few of them there are! :)

[VG_Maniac]

I saw his comparison of the Jaguar CD attachment to a toilet seat coming from a mile away, as just about everyone has pointed out that's what it resembles. I really got a kick out of when he used it as a toilet at the end.

That sucks that he paid over $200 each for two of them...and neither work. It still baffles me to this day how they released an add-on to a system that flopped.

[Gentlegamer]

LOL at the kitty chasing the Jaguar-cube and the Jaguar-commode!

It looked like AVGN has been eating corn . . .