Angry Video Game Nerd
| Angry Video Game Nerd | |
|---|---|
| Angry Video Game Nerd The AVGN title card as of August 22, 2007. | |
| Genre | Comedy |
| Created by | James D. Rolfe |
| Directed by | James D. Rolfe |
| Starring | James D. Rolfe Mike Matei Kyle Justin |
| Theme music composer | Kyle Justin |
| Opening theme | Angry Video Game Nerd Theme |
| Country of origin |  United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of episodes | 42 |
| Production | |
| Running time | Varies |
| Original release | |
| Network | YouTube, GameTrailers, ScrewAttack |
| Release | April 8, 2006 – Present |
The Angry Video Game Nerd, abbreviated as AVGN (formerly The Angry Nintendo Nerd) is a series of internet retrogaming reviews written by and starring James D. Rolfe, [1] that airs on the GameTrailers website. The shows premise involves the Angry Video Game Nerd's over-the-top rants against particularly bad video games. The series began as a feature on YouTube, and later joined ScrewAttack Entertainment, which would later have three of its features, including AVGN, transfered to GameTrailers exclusively. The series' theme song is played on guitar by Kyle Justin with lyrics by both Justin and Rolfe[2] (Justin also performs additional music in some videos).
The titular Nerd character is an over-the-top foul-tempered and foul-mouthed video game fanatic who tends to treat the games he reviews as the lowest possible things in existence. He derives comic appeal from his loud New Jersey accent, his both excessive and inventive use of profanity, and his heavy drinking of Rolling Rock and Yuengling to "soothe the pain."[3] A particular characteristic are his favorable comparisons of extremely repulsive and/or painful, usually firmly scatological, acts to playing the game (his theme song, for example, specifically states, "He'd rather have a buffalo take a diarrhea dump in his ear/He'd rather eat the rotten asshole of a roadkilled skunk and down it with beer"). The Nerd is not without limits - after touching dead baby comedy at the end of a rant during the video on Bible-based Nintendo games, he called it disgusting. Varying amounts of more elaborate physical comedy is mixed into the verbal abuse.
History
The series began in May 2004 with two short films created and put on Cinemassacre.com.[3] In 2006, The videos were put on youtube in 2006 under the name of "Angry Nintendo Nerd". (ANN) The name was later changed to prevent copyright issues before Rolfe sold his official merchandise.[3] Along with his name change, the Nerd soon diversified, reviewing games on other platforms such as the Atari 2600, Sega Genesis, and the PlayStation, and such things as the Power Glove, the Sega CD, the Sega 32X, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III; along with one video that was entirely a tribute to Nintendo Power.
Rolfe commented on his website Cinemassacre.com that the first videos he made were "just a joke" and had no intention on making them public, instead showing them only to friends. After one of his friends suggested he put it online, Rolfe soon did. His reviews have become increasingly popular and have developed a large fanbase. Rolfe's videos grew longer and more sophisticated, soon turning into an actual series with title cards, an intro song and merchandise.
After his fourth online review on YouTube, he joined ScrewAttack and has since been employed by MTV's Gametrailers.com.[4] At the beginning of 2007, ScrewAttack went into a partnership with GameTrailers.com, therefore making all the Nerd's videos GameTrailers exclusives. Any video made starting with the Atari 5200 review is hosted only on GameTrailers.
As a result, Angry Video Game Nerd videos are no longer uploaded to YouTube with the notable exception of trailers for new videos. Each trailer links to the full length video on GameTrailers. James Rolfe still uses his YouTube account to upload videos that do not contain the AVGN character.
Popularity
YouTube
The popularity of the show can best be seen through its ranking on the popular video website YouTube. Although full episodes are no longer uploaded to that site, the Angry Video Game Nerd still ranks in the top ten most popular series.
As of November 2007[5], the show has the following rankings:
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Opie and Anthony Radio Show
On August 8, 2007, Rolfe's character gained mainstream attention when he was a featured guest on the Opie and Anthony radio show.[6] Since then his videos have been featured on their show multiple times.
The Show
Theme Song
The Angry Video Game Nerd theme song succinctly summarizes the overall theme and attitude of the show. It was composed by independent artist Kyle Justin. The lyrics were the work of both Kyle Justin and James Rolfe. [7]
- He's going to take you back to the past...
- to play the shitty games that suck ass.
- He'd rather have... a buffalo...
- take a diarrhea dump in his ear.
- He'd rather eat... the rotten asshole...
- of a road killed skunk and down it with beer.
- He's the angriest gamer you've ever heard.
- He's the Angry Nintendo Nerd.
- He's the Angry Atari, Sega Nerd.
- He's the Angry Video Game ...
- Nerd.
Normally, only the first verse of the theme is used in the reviews. The full version is only used in the Sega-CD review and is present on the newly-released DVD. For the full lyrics of the theme, please see Kyle Justin's Angry Video Game Nerd webpage.
Fans have created numerous versions of the theme song in every genre from heavy metal to a simulated Nintendo audio chipset. Often these versions are worked directly into the introduction or ending credits of many of the reviews. For instance, the Nintendo audio chipset version was played during the end credits for the review of Halloween (Atari 2600).
Special Guests
Occasionally, "special guests" such as Bugs Bunny, Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, Spider-Man, "Shit Pickle" (an original character), Leatherface and more recently Michael Myers make an appearance. These encounters typically, but not always, meet with unfortunate ends.
Most of the characters were played by Mike Matei, who also illustrates the show's title cards and the Angry Nerd Comix. His roles include Jason Voorhees, Bugs Bunny, Leatherface, and the "insane fan" from the review of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Freddy Krueger was played by James Rolfe with Mike Matei taking on the role when both were in frame. Spider-Man was played by Kyle Justin.
List of Episodes
| Episode Name | Games Reviewed and/or Episode Notes |
|---|---|
| Castlevania 2: Simon's Quest | Castlevania II: Simon's Quest (NES) |
| Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde | Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (NES) |
| The Karate Kid | The Karate Kid (NES) |
| Roger Rabbit | Who Framed Roger Rabbit (NES) |
| Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (NES) |
| Back to the Future | Back to the Future (NES) Back to the Future Part II & III (NES) |
| McKids | M.C. Kids (NES) First use of the theme song by Kyle Justin (albeit still under the name "Angry Nintendo Nerd"). |
| Wally Bear and the No Gang | Wally Bear and the NO! Gang (NES) |
| Master Chu and Drunkard Hu | Master Chu and the Drunkard Hu (NES) |
| Top Gun | Top Gun (NES) Top Gun: The Second Mission (NES) |
| Double Dragon 3 | Double Dragon III: The Sacred Stones (NES) |
| The Anger Begins | Video contains footage of James Rolfe as a child getting irate over various Nintendo Entertainment System games. |
| Friday the 13th | Friday the 13th (NES) |
| Nightmare on Elm Street | A Nightmare on Elm Street (NES) |
| Power Glove | Many NES games are reviewed using the Power Glove. |
| The Angry Video Game Nerd is Chronologically Confused about Bad Movie and Video Game Sequel Titles | The Nerd discusses the confusing naming of movie and video game sequels. This is the first episode that uses the name "Angry Video Game Nerd." |
| Rocky | Rocky (Sega Master System) |
| Bible Games | Bible Adventures (NES) Bible Buffet (NES) Super 3D Noah's Ark (SNES) Spiritual Warfare (NES) King of Kings: The Early Years (NES) |
| Wii Salute: (History of Video Game Wars) | The Nerd re-enacts competition between video game companies (primarily between Sega and Nintendo). |
| Top Ten Nerd Moments of 2006 | Ten best moments from the previous year of episodes. |
| Atari 5200 |
Atari 5200 Game System |
| Ghostbusters | Ghostbusters (NES) |
| Ghostbusters: Follow-Up | Ghostbusters (NES) Ghostbusters (Atari 2600) Ghostbusters (Sega Master System) |
| Ghostbusters: Conclusion | Ghostbusters II (NES) Ghostbusters (Sega Genesis) |
| Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3: Part 1 of 2 | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III (Movie) |
| Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3: Part 2 of 2 | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III (Movie) |
| Spider-Man | Spider-Man (Atari 2600) Spider-Man: Return of the Sinister Six (NES) The Amazing Spider-Man (Game Boy) Spider-Man 2 (Game Boy Advance) |
| Sega CD | Sega CD This is the only episode where the full, 3-minute long introduction is used. |
| Sega 32X | Sega 32X |
| Silver Surfer | Silver Surfer (NES) |
| DuckTales (Video Game Vault) | DuckTales (NES) |
| Die Hard | Die Hard (NES) |
| Independence Day | Independence Day (PlayStation) |
| The Simpsons Double Feature | The Simpsons: Bart vs. the Space Mutants (NES) The Simpsons: Bart vs. the World (NES) |
| A Very Nerdy Non-Canonical Captain S Christmas | Home Alone (NES) |
| Bugs Bunny's Birthday Blowout | The Bugs Bunny Birthday Blowout (NES) |
| Atari Porn | Custer's Revenge (Atari 2600) Beat 'Em & Eat 'Em (Atari 2600) Bachelorette Party (Atari 2600) Bachelor Party (Atari 2600) Gigolo (Atari 2600) Philly Flasher (Atari 2600) Cathouse Blues (Atari 2600) Night on the Town (Atari 2600) Jungle Fever (Atari 2600) |
| Nintendo Power | Nintendo Power Magazine |
| Fester's Quest | Fester's Quest (NES) The Addams Family (Sega Genesis) |
| Texas Chainsaw Massacre | The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (Atari 2600) |
| Halloween | Halloween (Atari 2600) Haunted House (Atari 2600) Frankenstein's Monster (Atari 2600) |
| Dragon's Lair | Dragon's Lair (NES) |
DVD
On November 18, 2007, the first Angry Video Name Nerd DVD set was released. It includes all of the episodes up to Bible Games. Some copyrighted material, such as movie clips from Back to the Future and Rocky, were removed and replaced with new material. Also included are special features such as an original documentary and deleted scenes, as well as most of the videos posted exclusively on Screwattack.com.
In less than a week, Rolfe said the initial pressing of the DVD had sold out.[8]
References
- ^ James Rolfe (July 10, 2006). "7/10/06". Retrieved October 8.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|Publisher=ignored (|publisher=suggested) (help) - ^ Kyle Justin. "Kyle Justin's AVGN Music Page".
- ^ a b c "Nerd FAQ". The CineMassacre Productions. no date. Retrieved November 25.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=and|date=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ James Rolfe. "James Rolfe resume". Retrieved August 14.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|Publisher=ignored (|publisher=suggested) (help) - ^ "Angry Video Game Nerd". YouTube. April 6, 2006. Retrieved June 10.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ James Rolfe (August 8, 2007). "Opie and Anthony". Retrieved August 14.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|Publisher=ignored (|publisher=suggested) (help) - ^ Kyle Justin. "Kyle Justin's AVGN Music Page".
- ^ James Rolfe (November 24, 2007). "AVGN DVD SOLD OUT!". Retrieved November 24.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|Publisher=ignored (|publisher=suggested) (help)
- Skog, Oskar (2/2007). "Angry Nintendo Nerd". +N (in Swedish). p. 13.
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