Pretty much every slightly agitated video game critic on YouTube owes their career to the Angry Video Game Nerd. Well, the Angry Nintendo Nerd, actually. It wouldn’t be until a few episodes in where James Rolfe would rebrand both his character and the show from the Angry Nintendo Nerd into the Angry Video Game Nerd, allowing him to focus on a wider breadth of games.
With a little over 20 episodes away from hitting episode 200, it perhaps goes without saying that the Angry Video Game Nerd has had quite the history. With episodes dating all the way back to 2004, the Angry Video Game Nerd has cemented his place in video game & internet history.
10 Ep 33: Nintendo Power
Even though the Angry Video Game Nerd more often than not reviews video games or the technology around video games (consoles, accessories, you name it,) he’ll often dig into the context surrounding said games and the culture around them. Nintendo Power is one of the Nerd’s first big attempts at tackling such a subject matter, and one of his best.
The episode is more James Rolfe than it is AVGN, but that in itself gives it so much charm. The Nerd dives into both his history with the publication, and the rise of Nintendo Power in the United States. This was such an integral part of the medium back in the day, and the episode honors that perfectly.
9 Ep 55: Battletoads
Teaming up with the theme song’s composer for the episode, Battletoads sees the Angry Video Game Nerd working with Kyle Justin, aka the Guitar Guy, working together to play through one of the hardest co-op games of all time. This episode is like sitting down with a good friend and just doing your best to survive the games you grew up with.
In hindsight, there’s a very modern “Let’s Play” quality to Battletoads, but obviously more refined thanks to actual editing and episode structure. Funny with a unique back and forth dynamic that Nerd rarely indulges in, Battletoads is a great (now) early episode in the Nerd’s long career.
8 Ep 74: Plumbers Don’t Wear Ties
It’s always a treat when the Angry Video Game Nerd dives into tech, and while his CD-i retrospective is a great deep dive into what is arguably the worst video game console of all time, with an equally horrific library, there was one glaring omission: Plumbers Don’t Wear Ties. An utterly bizarre interactive movie-game with an emphasis on raunchy, sexual humor.
The game’s Choose Your Own Adventure elements outright punish and belittle the player for selecting certain options, something the Nerd highlights to hilarious effect. Full of charm and youthful energy from the Nerd, Plumbers Don’t Wear Ties is prime AVGN.
7 Ep 79 - 82: Castlevania Retrospective
Although the Angry Video Game Nerd is very much a character who James Rolfe plays, it’s clear that the games the Nerd plays are rooted in Rolfe’s personal history. No episode (or episodes, rather) showcase this better than his Castlevania retrospective. Spanning the course of four episodes, the Nerd reviews the first four Castlevania games while sharing his history with them before diving into the entries he missed growing up.
Not only is the personal insight into James refreshing, his passion for Castlevania carries all four episodes. While other retrospectives may offer more information, James approaches the series with such a specific mindset. He was truly there as they were releasing and his understanding of the series’ core design is reflective of that fact.
6 Ep 88: Swordquest
Originally developed for the Atari 2600, the Swordquest series has a lot of history behind it. Ultimately incomplete, three of four planned games were released. Not only is this one of the earliest examples of a full on franchise in the video game medium, a rather interesting contest was tied to the release of the first two games.
The episode itself focuses mainly on the contest and the history surrounding Swordquest. It isn’t as funny as the Nerd’s other episodes, but it’s far more informative and dense with video game knowledge few will naturally be privy to. That alone makes Swordquest one of the Nerd’s better episodes.
5 Ep 90: Action 52
While the Angry Video Game Nerd is a genuinely humorous personality in his own right, one could argue that the real appeal of the series was crafted by James’ penchant for genuinely thoughtful analysis. Even from the earliest episodes, the Nerd displayed a clear understanding of the video game medium.
Focusing on an unlicensed NES game featuring 52 “games,” Action 52 is an excellent dive into the history of game manufacturing during the 80s, and the perceived value of games at the time. All the games featured on Action 52 are a mess, but they all lend a hand in creating one of the Nerd’s landmark episodes.
4 Ep 108: Ghosts N’ Goblins
When one takes into consideration James Rolfe’s love of the horror genre, Halloween suddenly becomes a very exciting time for fans of the Angry Video Game Nerd. More than revelling in Cinemassacre’s Monster Madness, Halloween is an opportunity for fans to potentially watch the nerd take his crack at a horror themed game.
His Ghost N’ Goblins episode sees the Nerd tackling a game rooted in his own personal history. While GnG is by no means bad, it’s an insanely difficult game, and results in one of the Nerd’s funniest and most insightful reviews. Watching the Nerd beat the game only to realize he needs to beat it again makes the whole episode worth it.
3 Ep 136: Seaman
Although the Angry Video Game Nerd is arguably at his most endearing when he’s reviewing or playing games he has a genuine attachment to (pretty much all his early videos,) there’s something to be said for when James comes out of his comfort zone and even stretches his “retro” criteria to consoles like the PS1, N64, or Dreamcast.
Released exclusively for the Dreamcast, Seaman is a “seaman” raising simulator where you use a microphone to speak to your seamen and nurture them. It is insane, and the Angry Video Game naturally makes the most of the game, resulting in one of the craziest (and most unique) episodes in the series.
2 Ep 142: Berenstain Bears
In a world where Board James is more or less over, it’s always a treat to see James inject some of his trademark horror into an episode of the Angry Video Game Nerd. Focusing on the Mandela effect associated with The Berenstain/Berenstein Bears, the episode strives to set a mood and live in its own atmosphere.
This is less a video game review and more of an atmospheric short movie discussing, but there’s plenty of talk on retro gaming and the tech associated with them. Berenstain Bears is just as creepy an episode as it is informative, making it an engaging watch all around.
1 Ep 156: Earthbound
One of the more recent episodes in the Angry Video Game Nerd’s catalogue, his episode on Earthbound is a reminder that the Nerd’s quality may dip, but he’ll always have these spikes of passion. More than just playing out like a solid episode of AVGN, however, Earthbound is almost a love letter to the whole process of playing and reviewing a game.
The connection James builds with Earthbound is an intimate one, but he doesn’t let this stop him from criticizing the game fairly. All the same, his video recognizes that he himself recognizes the charm in Earthbound, styling the episode after the game. No matter how much time passes, the Nerd is still able to produce high quality content.
NEXT: The 10 Best NES Games That Never Left Japan
