Angry Video Game Nerd 8-bit (8.5/10)
The new house in rural Cambridge wasn't exactly what the Nerd had in mind.
Platform Reviewed – XSX (also available on Switch, PS5, PC)
We’ve been AVGN fans in our household for almost as long as the man himself has been uploading videos to YouTube, and over the years I’ve covered his previous games as well as their soundtracks. The news that another game was on the way was very much welcomed. I also have to say that even though I sort of knew what to expect, there were some very cool aspects around the game itself that blew me away!
From developer Retroware, Angry Video Game Nerd 8-Bit – whilst in the same genre as the previous games – feels a continuation of the genre as opposed to AVGN 1 & 2 a few years ago which came across as more of a highlight reel of it. This means that it feels like a lost game from the NES days as opposed to a purely modern spin on those classics. The music is as chiptune-tastic as you’d expect, and the difficulty ramps up nicely – in a Mega-Man-esque touch, you can also select the order in which you would like to play the game’s six stages, each ending with a boss that will be familiar to fans of the show.
A huge boon here is the games lengthy opening cinematic that is basically a full episode of AVGN, it was such a great – and surprising! - way to kick off the game that I actually forgot I was playing one, and just sat back to enjoy the ‘episode’.
The game is available on all modern platforms with a NES physical edition en route. For fans of the AVGN, this is a no-brainer, and even without that nostalgia, this is a fun and solid 8-bit platformer with some hilarious moments and a challenge that is not shy.
