Angry Video Game Nerd I & II Deluxe

The Angry Video Game Nerd is not for everyone.

James Rolfe’s abrasive, vulgar, frustrated gamer character has been around for over a decade, lambasting terrible games from the 8-bit era and beyond. I’ve watched the AVGN for years, savoring his directorial talent and ability to make me want to play a truly awful looking game. The character is mostly parody but has spurned a YouTube generation of “angry” critics or those who have a proclivity for shouting at subpar media.

Still, AVGN is also a celebration of 8-bit and 16-bit games, even the ones that were maddeningly difficult due to developer incompetence or the desire to get a kid to buy a game in full after not being able to beat it during a weekend rental.

In that same vein, the Angry Video Game Nerd I & II Deluxe is not for everyone.

Developed by FreakZone Games, the Angry Video Game Nerd games were meant to be punishing gauntlets of pixelated pain. Essentially, FreakZone wanted to make games that would make the Nerd’s blood boil.

Released in 2013, Angry Video Game Nerd Adventures was an exceptionally brutal action platformer. The game is infamous for its death blocks that would be littered across every level and kill the Nerd with one hit. But the game was also crafted with an obvious love for the series, featuring countless in-jokes and references that fans would latch onto. While the game was incredibly difficult, it was quite fair and included a few safeguards for players who didn’t want to be furiously challenged every step of the way.

Angry Video Game Nerd II: ASSimilation was released in 2016 with a number of improvements to the previous game’s formula. It contained the same crude humor, a nearly identical art style, upgrades for the Nerd, and a world map akin to Super Mario Bros. 3.

So why Angry Video Game Nerd I & II Deluxe? Why are you asking stupid questions?

Deluxe is a collection of both AVGN games and a final chapter made just for this edition. I’m in the camp of players who haven’t touched the first game since it released and have barely played the second. Deluxe is perfect for me because it irons out the issues with Adventures by bringing it in line with ASSimilation.

Adventures told the story of the Nerd getting grabbed by the balls from a hand popping out of his TV screen and pulled into the video game world. Along the way the Nerd encountered characters from the series and played through themed levels that revolved around video game tropes or a joke from AVGN episodes. “Boo! Haunted House” is a parody of “spooky” NES games that peppered players with generic bats and ghosts. “Assholevania” is inspired by Castlevania where “Blizzard of Balls” is a snowy Christmas-themed level. These levels were packed with absurd enemies, hazards left and right, and genuine laughs.

FreakZone made a game any AVGN fan would love but packed in enough everyday humor that anyone who didn’t mind a flood of crude jokes could have fun. When the Nerd dies, a random insult generator would string together a bunch of obscenities to make a quote one might expect out of the Nerd

ASSimilation introduced wall jumping to the Nerd’s talent pool along with gear upgrades that would enhance his abilities. Groups of levels still maintain a theme but are shorter in length to provide more variety. In every sense of the word, it’s a sequel that attempts to add on to the first while preserving what made the original great.

Both Adventures and ASSimilation played closest to the early numbered Mega Man games. The Nerd jumps, shoots, has health indicated by bottles of Rolling Rock beer, picks up powerups like the Super Mecha Death Christ or Glitch Gremlin that destroy everything on screen like, and dies to bottomless pits and horrible traps.

Make no mistake, these games are fucking hard. And I don’t usually cuss in reviews–I’m proper, after all–but it’s the best way to describe the difficulty while keeping with the spirit of the game. The AVGN games are not meant to be conquered without a great amount of effort. FreakZone designed them to be tests of platforming prowess and quick reactions. But there’s a certain amount of enjoyment to be found amongst these razor blades. At first, the games are undoubtedly unfair. Death blocks show up and are meant to kill you when you least expect it. Items are tucked away in agonizingly hard-to-reach spots. But after a few dozen deaths, you’ll learn a level or simply beat it through brute force. My first playthrough of Adventures was brutal. Years later, I still remembered a lot of the tricks and how to avoid them.

For Deluxe, Adventures has received a number of enhancements to keep it line with the updates made in ASSimilation. Both games have received a visual overhaul, making the pixelated colors pop with new life. More importantly, the difficulties have been retooled. A number of death blocks have been removed from the first two difficulties and players are given infinite lives to help them make it through the game with less issues. Additionally, a final chapter has been added called The Tower of Torment which provides a bit more difficulty and allows for a few more newer Nerd references to be thrown in.

Unfortunately, in an attempt to clean up the package, a few changes have been made in Deluxe that longtime fans may not appreciate too much. The random death quotes have been nixed and a lot of characters and enemies have either been removed or redesigned to take out references or prevent licensing issues. I suppose it makes sense in the long run but I think most who have played the originals would have appreciated an option to play those games without the changes.

That being said, Deluxe is an incredible way to experience the Angry Video Game Nerd games. These are extremely solid, entertaining games that provide a consistent challenge throughout. Once most players get past the initial difficulty spikes, there’s an engaging game to be found that feels nostalgic in all the right ways. Many will remember the phenomenal soundtracks in both games and those remain impressive to this day. And again, if you are a fan of this series, you’re going to laugh countless times.

Angry Video Game Nerd I & II Deluxe is the best way to play two classic, tremendously difficult games. The Angry Video Game Nerd and James Rolfe are trendsetters and for several years, fans made games inspired by their love for the AVGN’s hate. FreakZone Games struck gold with their pair of tributes not only because they contain pitch perfect reverence to the Nerd but because they are quality nostalgia-driven romps. Deluxe is simply an enhanced experience that manages not to botch a simple task, making it fodder for the Nintoaster.