25 replies to this topic

[Dakota Bob]

I love watching those videos too

[Ratty Randnums]

Great stuff, not as great as the Critic, but good.

What games do you agree are bad and what games you agree that aren't bad?

The only one I really disagree with him on is his first actually. Castlevania 2 is a decent game, not as good as 1 or 3 but at least they didn't just pump out a clone sequel like nowadays the only thing is you have have HAVE to use a guide/walk-through. I think that was Konami's intention in making it so cryptic, to sell more guidebooks in Japan; it's still a fun little adventure though. And I can definitely see how someone going into the game expecting more of the first title would be bitterly disappointed.

Other than that his reviews have always been pretty accurate from what I've played, though sometimes he really misses the point of a feature in a game, CV2 is the only one where he throws out the baby (well, a baby worth keeping I guess? ) with the bath-water, even with that still a funny and fun little review.


PS- Is it just me or does "The Irate Gamer" have no shame? Seems to go nicely with his lack of talent.

[Dakota Bob]

What games do you agree are bad and what games you agree that aren't bad?

Pretty much all of the games he has reviewed are bad but Shaq Fu has to be the worst.

[Anaesthesia]

Meh. Some of the Nerd's earlier stuff is amusing, but his whole "I'd rather eat a fuckin' [insert smelly animal here]'s balls and wash it down with some fuckin' [insert bodily excrement here], what an assfuck load of fuckity fuck!" schtick gets old very quickly. I have a pretty offensive sense of humor, but vulgarity for vulgarity's sake =/= comedy.

I prefer Yahtzee and UrinatingTree/The Fat Man, personally. Both are wittier and have a much more consistent quality in their videos.

[salamander]

Yeah, I gotta go with Yahzee for the funniest video game show. Good jokes and good delivery-a lot of game commentators just don't have the voice and timing for a good audio review.
For making fun of older games, I haven't seen many do it better than Seanbaby. The "Based on Crap" reviews are some of the funniest I've read. I know he's been on a few shows like Broken Pixels, but I usually prefer the written stuff.
There's also a really funny Let's Play of Castevania 64 on this thread. (Can you tell I like British accents?)

[randomizer]

I've watched Yahzee once and never watched this guy at all (never even heard of him). I usually read reviews rather than watch them. Athough I'm not a big fan of game reviews as they are incredibly subjective and even the worst rated games have fans.

[The Man]

I watch him now and then. Getting the power glove right when you're not suppose to is the best. I'm too serious at gaming to attemt anything like that and he might go a little overboard on it. It's only a VG and you know somebody else had to play test it before release(there's my problem).

[Ratty Randnums]

Getting the power glove right when you're not suppose to is the best.

Hm? Is there a part in his review that he gets it to work but doesn't but it trying to cover it up because he's trying to talk about how bad it is? I don't remember anything like that but could have missed it I guess, but then one thing I've never really thought you could fault the Nerd for was his editing.

I'm too serious at gaming to attemt anything like that and he might go a little overboard on it. It's only a VG and you know somebody else had to play test it before release(there's my problem).

I've played a lot of the games he's reviewed and you couldn't tell someone play-tested them a lot of the time or that simply no one cared, still the case sometimes today.

[furrykef]

Hm? Is there a part in his review that he gets it to work but doesn't but it trying to cover it up because he's trying to talk about how bad it is? I don't remember anything like that but could have missed it I guess, but then one thing I've never really thought you could fault the Nerd for was his editing.

I think he's talking about the part where he landed the plane in Top Gun using the Power Glove.

[Jman1236]

I don't care about who does the review, just as long as he/her is likable and funny, I'll watch it. One guy I've been watching is The Spoony Experiment since he does alot of rare and obscure games, especially FMV games for the PC and Sega CD. Also beleve it or not, Yahtzee has said that he is his favortie internet reviewer in this e-mail interview by gamespot.

BTW, The first part of the AVGN's Atari Jaguar review is up on Gametrailers, it's basiclly a short history lesson on Atari and how the biggest pile of f*ing shit console came to be.

[Spade]

The first part of the AVGN's Atari Jaguar review is up on Gametrailers, it's basiclly a short history lesson on Atari and how the biggest pile of f*ing shit console came to be.

I'd say that's part of AVGN's problem these days. Not only has the – could it really be called novelty? – of his act worn off but sometimes his reviews seem to be just that – a history lesson. Not necessarily a bad thing, it's just that he's not all that funny anymore, especially with the aforementioned Yahtzee out there doing far more highly original and downright hilarious game reviews.

[Ratty Randnums]

The first part of the AVGN's Atari Jaguar review is up on Gametrailers, it's basiclly a short history lesson on Atari and how the biggest pile of f*ing shit console came to be.

I'd say that's part of AVGN's problem these days. Not only has the – could it really be called novelty? – of his act worn off but sometimes his reviews seem to be just that – a history lesson. Not necessarily a bad thing, it's just that he's not all that funny anymore, especially with the aforementioned Yahtzee out there doing far more highly original and downright hilarious game reviews.

Oh I agree that Yahtzee is much funnier, but I like them both. And even though I often know more or less what he's going to say the Nerd's history lessons are usually interesting, or at least not really boring. I don't think it's so much that the "novelty" has worn off, as much as the fact that James just doesn't have his heart in it anymore, much as I enjoy regular fixes his work would probably improve with a couple of months hiatus, he's been doing this non-stop for what, 3- 4 years? And there's only so long that you can go at a stretch with this sort of thing and really put any heart in it. After all, the original idea is still solid- watch someone be bad at video games and laugh as they overreact.

I've started re-watching his vids the last couple of days (when I should be working) though and have become fascinated by it, the Nerd is one of the voices of our generation, like it or not. He expresses (though not since his early videos, such as the NES TMNT game, has he put it nearly so bluntly) a feeling I think most of us have whether we realize it or not, an indignation (feeling of betrayal?) at how we were cheated by the corporations that milked him and us in childhood for a quick buck, and the basic dissatisfaction of consumerism. Though I doubt he fully realizes this himself.

[Valerie Valens]

The problem with Yahtzee though is that he's all style and little substance. While Yahtzee is a lot more entertaining, at the end of the day, we learn little more after watching a Yahtzee review beyond the fact that game X sucks/kicks ass.

I guess the AVGN is growing creatively in the recent years now that many imitators have stepped up to the plate. Now he's not only trying to rip a game apart, he is also educating the gaming masses on the history of video games and why some things sucked and entertaining us along the way.

[The Man]

I've seen his Youtube Channel and he has a lot of reviews. I could try to do something like that but I mostly agree with him. I don't mind letting someone else have the spotlight because I've had mine.

We're not going to agree on everything. I saw his review about Friday the 13th. He is right about the way it sucked but I simply made fun of the game. I turned the color around on my T.V. giving Jason 'purple' clothes and we teased him by saying he was in his 'jammies'(bajamas).

[Chaosmaster8753]

Such an awesome reviewer.