{"id":120061,"date":"2020-10-30T18:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-10-30T18:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/reviews\/switch-eshop\/angry_video_game_nerd_1_and_2_deluxe"},"modified":"2020-10-30T18:00:00","modified_gmt":"2020-10-30T18:00:00","slug":"review-angry-video-game-nerd-1-2-deluxe-a-double-dose-of-accomplished-platforming-action","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/2020\/10\/30\/review-angry-video-game-nerd-1-2-deluxe-a-double-dose-of-accomplished-platforming-action\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: Angry Video Game Nerd 1 &amp; 2 Deluxe &#8211; A Double-Dose Of Accomplished Platforming Action"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"media_block\"><a href=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/8871188fd3243\/large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/8871188fd3243\/small.jpg\" class=\"media_thumbnail\"><\/a><\/div>\n<div id>\n<aside class=\"picture embed\"><a title=\"Angry Video Game Nerd 1 &amp; 2 Deluxe Review - Screenshot 1 of 3\" href=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/109653\/large.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/109653\/900x.jpg\" width=\"900\" height=\"506\" alt=\"Angry Video Game Nerd 1 &amp; 2 Deluxe Review - Screenshot 1 of 3\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Captured on Nintendo Switch (Docked)<\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p>There\u2019s a reason that James Rolfe\u2019s <strong>Angry Video Game Nerd<\/strong> character has outlasted and out-performed so many imitators \u2013 the veneer of showmanship and the pantomimed, goofy, insincere anger are worlds apart from the genuine venom spewed by those he seems to have influenced. The Nerd isn\u2019t a dangerous, hateful entity \u2013 he\u2019s <em>funny<\/em>, he\u2019s <em>silly<\/em>, because James understands that it\u2019s <em>absurd<\/em> to get mad about video games.<\/p>\n<p>With such popularity and longevity, it was inevitable that The Nerd would see a videogame outing of his own, and Freakzone\u2019s <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/3ds-eshop\/angry_video_game_nerd_adventures\">Angry Video Game Nerd Adventures<\/a><\/strong> hit Wii U and 3DS in 2013 to a decent reception. An accomplished, confident quasi-masocore platformer, it was a short but sweet piece of AVGN fanservice with solid level design and a nice line in hidden content. Still, it was a surprise when sequel <strong>Angry Video Game Nerd 2: ASSimilation<\/strong> hit PC exclusively in 2016. Much improved from the original, we felt it was a shame that this superior follow-up never hit consoles \u2013 until now.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"picture embed\"><a title=\"Angry Video Game Nerd 1 &amp; 2 Deluxe Review - Screenshot 2 of 3\" href=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/109650\/large.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' viewBox='0 0 900 506'%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" width=\"900\" height=\"506\" data-original=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/109650\/900x.jpg\" alt=\"Angry Video Game Nerd 1 &amp; 2 Deluxe Review - Screenshot 2 of 3\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Captured on Nintendo Switch (Handheld\/Undocked)<\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p>So here we have <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/switch-eshop\/angry_video_game_nerd_1_and_2_deluxe\">Angry Video Game Nerd 1 &amp; 2 Deluxe<\/a><\/strong>, containing both games with a host of upgrades and extras. Most prominently, the original game has been massively overhauled with the far better graphical style of its sequel \u2013 the colours look superbly vivid \u2013 and copious improvements to the level design.<\/p>\n<p>We can\u2019t stress this enough; it\u2019s so much better here, it\u2019s like a totally different game in places. The continuous appearance of \u201cdeath blocks\u201d \u2013 disappearing and reappearing obstacles that instantly killed you \u2013 has been swept aside, 99 percent of them replaced by spikey balls that merely do damage. This reduces the challenge, yes, but in a meaningful way that simply makes AVGN Adventures <em>better<\/em>. There are also new secrets and some superb overhauled music. We let the game sit on the level selection screen <em>just<\/em> to listen to the excellent remix of the AVGN theme.<\/p>\n<p>Sequel <strong>ASSimilation<\/strong>, then, is new to Nintendo fans, and it\u2019s a welcome sight. There\u2019s just one problem \u2013 <em>it\u2019s no longer better than the original!<\/em> While ASSimilaton is very good (and has also seen tweaks from its original form), the improvements to the first game render it, in our opinion, a superior experience. It\u2019s a bit of an odd situation to be in, but it\u2019s best to look at AVGN 2 as an example of sequel escalation in every way. Much harder, it adds a clutch of new mechanics such as <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/snes\/mega_man_x\">Mega Man X<\/a><\/strong>-style wall-jumping, and similarly-inspired unlockable upgrades (based on NES accessories such as the Power Glove) that grant The Nerd new powers; use of these abilities evens the odds a little, but the game still wants you dead with stages full of instant-death traps like the beams in Area 51, or the aforementioned \u201cDeath Blocks\u201d appearing out of nowhere in the Monster Madness-inspired stage.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"picture embed\"><a title=\"Angry Video Game Nerd 1 &amp; 2 Deluxe Review - Screenshot 3 of 3\" href=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/109649\/large.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' viewBox='0 0 900 506'%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" width=\"900\" height=\"506\" data-original=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/109649\/900x.jpg\" alt=\"Angry Video Game Nerd 1 &amp; 2 Deluxe Review - Screenshot 3 of 3\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Captured on Nintendo Switch (Handheld\/Undocked)<\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p>Despite this difficulty, the bite-sized stages don\u2019t outstay their welcome, and checkpoints are placed liberally. It\u2019s tough, and can be frustrating (have stages with limited visibility EVER been fun?), but it\u2019s very compulsive \u2013 you\u2019ll often die within sight of the next marker, driving you to succeed. There are numerous difficulty options, too, and the lower ones (including default) grant infinite lives, making things much more palatable \u2013 if perhaps a little rote in places without the tension that limited tries bring to the table. Higher difficulties will also bring back the \u201cDeath Blocks\u201d, for the masochists among you. The main difficulty <em>we<\/em> had was with RSI \u2013 mashing the fire button to blast away at bosses got downright painful and we wished in vain for a rapid-fire feature.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s an absolute smorgasbord for Angry Video Game Nerd fans, with a metric ton of references, gags and nods to classic episodes of the show. Being based on the show that brought us \u201cdiarrhoea dumps\u201d and \u201cthe Nerdy Turd\u201d, you can expect a lot of scatological humour, but much of it works well \u2013 the boss of the Monster Madness stage is genuinely funny. Clearing both included games \u2013 they\u2019re not very long, so this is very much achievable with perseverance \u2013 unlocks a brand new final world, replete with the gimmicks from the previous ones and some more contemporary AVGN episode inspirations \u2013 watch out for the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/megadrive\/dynamite_headdy\">Dynamite Headdy<\/a><\/strong>-inspired Big Rig.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"conclusion\">\n<h2 class=\"heading\">Conclusion<\/h2>\n<p>Well-produced and undeniably fun, Angry Video Game Nerd 1 &amp; 2 Deluxe will definitely lose something for non-fans, but it\u2019s a world above the turgid likes of <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/switch-eshop\/poopdie_-_chapter_one\">PoopDie<\/a><\/strong>. This re-release elevates the workmanlike original to the point that it almost outshines its formerly-leagues-better sequel, but both games are good stuff. It\u2019s comfortably the best &#8220;YouTuber game&#8221;, and this edition polishes it up in all the right places. If you\u2019re a fan of the AVGN, it\u2019s a must-buy. If you\u2019re not, you\u2019ll probably still enjoy yourself \u2013 Freakzone has crafted a meaty, responsive and rewarding pair of platformers that genre enthusiasts will get a kick out of. If you\u2019ve already played both games, the extra chapter isn\u2019t lengthy enough to demand a double-dip, but it is a nice inclusion regardless, and this version is undeniably the better option. (Whoops, we almost forgot the best news of all \u2013 the Nostalgia Critic has been <em>entirely removed<\/em> from ASSimilation. Let joy be unconfined!)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Captured on Nintendo Switch (Docked) There\u2019s a reason that James Rolfe\u2019s Angry Video Game Nerd character has outlasted and out-performed so many imitators \u2013 the veneer of showmanship and the pantomimed, goofy, insincere anger are worlds apart from the genuine venom spewed by those he seems to have influenced. The Nerd isn\u2019t a dangerous, hateful [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-120061","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-nintendo-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120061","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=120061"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120061\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=120061"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=120061"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=120061"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}