The Official Angry Video Game Nerd Discussion Thread

[Kitsune Sniper]

I stopped watching AVGN because of Mike Matei.

[treismac]

I get the exact opposite impression of him, he's doing the same thing the Nostalgia Chick does. Neither are "playing a character". They are just being their normal selves and are trying to present it like it's something special. But it's not special. It just comes off as horrendously annoying.

I've only watched 2 or 3 videos with him, so I could be miles off with my hunch. Perhaps he is truly being himself. Either way...

[camarotuner]

I've only watched 2 or 3 videos with him, so I could be miles off with my hunch. Perhaps he is truly being himself. Either way...

After being around him for several hours at the last tmg convention I can say that's pretty close to his actual personality. I rather liked the guy he seemed quite pleasant.

[Edmond Dantes]

Im just curious about the times James has been wrong about things. I watch his videos all the time, so Im wondering what he got wrong in them.

To be fair, "wrong" is a point of view.

For example, his Sega CD video is full of inaccurate facts (it was meant to compete with the PC Engine CD, not the SNES, and there are a lot of good reasons it wasn't its own console like he claims it should've been, and he trots out the classic "most of the games are FMV garbage" line), but that can be seen as just him reflecting what a Nintendo Fan growing up in the 1990s thought of it, rather than an attempt to be accurate.

In Bugs Bunny Crazy Castle, he doesn't seem to realize red Sylvesters move when you do, and thinks it just randomly decided to stop. Although this could be meant to showcase a first-time player being confused, rather than him simply not knowing that.

This may be nitpicking, but the map in Friday the 13th isn't near as confusing as he makes out. Again though, could be just an act.

And this isn't technically a mistake on his part, but during an aside in his Street Fighter 2010 video, he plays Fighting Street for TG16 and says "I'm sure the arcade version is better." I've seen people take this at face value and just assume its a terrible port. From what I've seen, its actually true to the arcade (yes, even down to the terrible controls)

I'm sure if I looked around enough, I could find a genuine, no-holds-barred mistake or research failure. But I'm just not inclined to. I'm more interested in telling fans of Angry Nerd to watch the Happy Nerd instead.

[treismac]

I'm more interested in telling fans of Angry Nerd to watch the Happy Nerd instead.

YES! Derek (HVGN) rocks! His commentary and analysis are worlds apart from most reviewers. On top of that, his music with Starship Amazing kicks ass too. This album... this album, Scoops the Robot, is transcendent:

http://music.starshipamazing.com/album/scoops-the-robot

[c0ldb33r]

Agreed. HVGN rocks. I've watched his sweet home review a few times and might watch it again tonight :-)

[Melf]

HVGN just seems to be an AVGN ripoff to me. Watching his Metalstorm review was just like AVGN's Karate Kid review, I know he did it intentionally, and that's the problem. If his biggest claim to fame is copying AVGN, then I'll just stick with the original.

[JSoup]

HVGN just seems to be an AVGN ripoff to me.

[The Dord]

I stopped watching AVGN because of Mike Matei.

I just stop watching Mike Matei videos. Works for me.

[IHatedSega]

About HVGN: I really enjoyed the Earthbound video they made, but maaaaan that Chrono Trigger video after it was unwatchable. Another reviewer I like generally did a good Trigger review though.

When James was asked by a puppet if hed do a video with them at a Q and A everyone in the crowd kinda gave "uhh....we dont need to see that video." reaction.

[Melf]

The problem is that it isn't a funny one. He should drop the schtick and concentrate on just reviewing the games. His reviews are much better when he stops pretending to be Rolfe.

[treismac]

What a wonderfully apropos Simpsons' reference. Thank you. I needed that.

[Edmond Dantes]

The problem is that it isn't a funny one. He should drop the schtick and concentrate on just reviewing the games. His reviews are much better when he stops pretending to be Rolfe.

Ummm... Derek dropped the AVGN imitation shtick YEARS ago. Seriously, he only used it in like his first six or so videos, and then its only readily apparent in Metal Storm, Star Tropics and Nightshade.

[Melf]

Ah, well, then that would make me actually watch more of his stuff. Ironically, Metalstorm and Star Tropics were the two videos I saw, and I wasn't eager to go back. If he did indeed drop the copy act, then I'll check out his other videos.

[Edmond Dantes]

His videos nowadays tend to focus more on just talking about the game and being informative. I think "Nightshade" was the last really skit-centered episode, although Neckbone makes a brief appearance in his Rescue Rangers overview.

[Flam]

I will say that I watched AVGN's review of Ghosts n' Goblins last week and it really wasn't that bad. It was pretty informative and he didn't overplay the "angery nerd" part, he was calm for most of it. His jokes are still not that funny though.

[c0ldb33r]

I really liked the ghosts and goblins review. I like the AVGN reviews when he's more calm.

[Urzu402]

The AVGN doesn't review games for accuracy, he reviews them for comedy. He even stated that some of the games are good that he reviews and he just makes them out to be bad. Like the two Bugs Bunny games they're actually good, but the way he reviewed them makes them seem like absolute garbage. His reviews aren't meant to be taken factually serious.

[Greg2600]

The AVGN doesn't review games for accuracy, he reviews them for comedy. He even stated that some of the games are good that he reviews and he just makes them out to be bad. Like the two Bugs Bunny games they're actually good, but the way he reviewed them makes them seem like absolute garbage. His reviews aren't meant to be taken factually serious.

Exactly. What I have always enjoyed about him is that he's basically putting production into video game folklore/urban legend. He's just a gamer. His recent video of James, Mike, and Kyle Justin talking about old video rental stores was very good, because these are the things my friends and I talk/joke about all the time. Now some folks like Flam don't find him funny, but perhaps he just doesn't get all the in-jokes. AVGN is built on gaming in-jokes, particularly from the 80's and early 90's. If you didn't live it, I guess I can see how you may not get his humor. I don't care for the shit jokes, like the little kids do, I prefer when he does stuff like show how useless and bad the Power Glove was. Or the non-stop chatting required in Simon's Quest.

[Flam]

Now some folks like Flam don't find him funny, but perhaps he just doesn't get all the in-jokes. AVGN is built on gaming in-jokes, particularly from the 80's and early 90's. If you didn't live it, I guess I can see how you may not get his humor. I don't care for the shit jokes, like the little kids do, I prefer when he does stuff like show how useless and bad the Power Glove was. Or the non-stop chatting required in Simon's Quest.

I was born in 1978 so I get the gaming "in-jokes". And as far as the shit jokes, those are what I'm refering to as that is 80% of his humor