Overview – developed by Programancer and Mega Cat Studios in collaboration with publisher Retroware, The Angry Video Game Nerd 8-Bit is the latest adventure starring the foul mouthed internet game critic. The Nerd has found himself at the center of a threat to gaming himself, now he must face his greatest enemies to save gaming. This title will be available on all platforms, with store links where possible at the bottom of this review.
Disclaimer: before I get into the review, I would like to thank Retroware for providing the copy of The Angry Video Game Nerd 8-Bit that was used for this piece. The provision of this software has not influenced the contents of this review, all thoughts and opinions contained within are my own.
Now with the introductions out of the way, let’s get into the review, starting with the story. I will be referring to the game as the shortened name of AVGN 8-Bit throughout the review, this is for the sake of brevity.
Story – The Nerd is in his basement, frustrated by having to play bad games, he decides to play a good game for once. However, while he is trying to decide what to play, he is interrupted by Super Mecha Death Christ who takes over his NES. This incident infects every console across the globe with a virus, which will destroy gaming forever. Through black magic, the Nerd summons the most evil game ever to exist, which he must use to defeat SMDC2K.
Gameplay – AVGN 8-Bit is a 2D platform run and gun adventure, where the player takes the role of the NERD, on a quest to defeat parodies of some of his greatest foes. In order to save Video Games from SMDC, Six stages must be cleared based on the AVGN universe, with themes that are inspired by various episodes of the web-series. Before challenging the stages, the player is able to select which of the bosses they want to fight from the main screen.
When the player has selected a stage, there will be a short in game cutscene, with the Nerd giving some quips and one liners before going into the action. In the stages themselves, the action itself plays out in traditional run and gun action, with the Nerd armed with his trusty zapper. The player can run, jump, shoot and slide as their core move set, with the blaster having rapid burst fire. All of these skills are needed to make it through each of the stages.
The stages are made up of multiple sections, with enemies, traps and pitfalls that will pose a great danger to the Nerd. Throughout the stages, the player must dodge the different enemies, who will try to kill the Nerd with many different attacks. Some enemies will charge the Nerd and others will use projectiles, making for a range of threats to deal with. If they hit the player, the Nerd will be knocked back and have a very brief moment of invulnerability.
While the player makes their way through the sections, there will be instant death pits, as well as spikes that will immediately kill the Nerd if contact is made. There will also be falling platforms, which will drop a moment after the nerd stands on them. If the Nerd is defeated, the player will be sent back to a checkpoint, with several progress points in each world. But if the player gets a game over, retrying the stage will start them off at the beginning.
As the player makes their way through each world, they will come across many items and power-ups to collect. These include zapper upgrades, which will strengthen the attack power that the Nerd will be able to use. The zapper attacks will change as their power increases, going from single shot, to triple spread shots, waves and then a combination attack at maximum power. Then there is the helmet, which allows for an even stronger charge attack to be used.
The player will keep the power-ups as long as they don’t take damage, as any damage from any source will reduce the attack power of the zapper. When playing on the Easy and Normal setting, the Nerd will have a moment to reclaim lost power, as they will fall to the ground before fading. However, if difficulty is set to hard, this is not possible. In the event of player death, all upgrades will be lost and the player will need to start from the bottom.
Then we get to the sub weapons, which can be very effective when dealing with some of the more tricky enemies. Throughout the game, the player will be able to pick up special weapons, which will have a limited number of uses. These weapons include the beer bottle, which is thrown in an arc and the F-Bomb, which will clear the entire screen of enemies. The player can also collect Beer, which will heal some of the damage that has been taken from hazards.
Out of all the special weapons, the most powerful of them is the Golden Shit Pickle, which will be available when the player has only one life left. When using this ultimate power, they will gain a boost in power, the Pickle will attack enemies on screen and provide assistance. The Pickle will drop items with health ups, weapon upgrades and even extra lives if the player waits long enough. The Golden Pickle will be active for the current section before leaving.
Some of the stages will have alternate paths, where the Nerd can challenge tougher sections with more hazards and dangers. Then there are the auto-scrolling stages, with one where the nerd must run across rooftops, as well as riding a hover craft and avoiding hazards. Some of the stages have sub bosses, like an evil cartridge that will attack with diarrhea blasts and balls of fire. These are significantly less dangerous than the main bosses though.
At the end of each stage, the player will encounter a powerful and deadly boss, inspired by some of the iconic episodes of AVGN. These include the Devil who possessed a Super Mario Bros 3 cartridge, the plane from Top Gun and a parody of the Japanese drink mascot Pepsiman. To beat most of these bosses, the player must attack a weak spot, which may be a small point, or the entire body of the boss, which keeps boss fights unique.
Throughout the game, the player will get live action cutscenes, which makes the game feel like an interactive Nerd episode. When the six bosses have been defeated, the player will be able to challenge the final stage. The final stage is a true test of skill, as the player must make their way through a gauntlet of hazards, all taken from the different worlds the player has experienced. Upon completion of the game, the final cutscene will play out.
During the gameplay experience, the player will be able to drop out of the game at any time, returning to the main menu. Then the player will be able to continue, start a new game or enter a password. The passwords are given to the player after clearing each of the stages, allowing the player to record their progress across the different difficulty settings. All of the elements feel right, with the experience of a classic platform adventure.
Now with the gameplay covered, it is time to discuss the other aspects of this release, starting with the controls.
Controls – the control system for AVGN 8-Bit feels just right, with three button settings, but the option for the classic 2 button control of the NES. The game supports a wide range of controllers, with no issues when it comes to input lag, missing presses or inputs not working. This also supports keyboard controls, as well as there is the possibility of Steam Deck support. There is a controller option for all players, making it an accessible game.
Difficulty – When playing in Normal or Hard as Balls, the player will die when making contact with spikes or falling in a pit. Whereas, when playing on Chill as Hell, falling in a pit returns the player to the platform the fell from, and spikes don’t cause instant death. Some of the traps and deaths may feel cheap, or unfair, but they can be overcome. The damage taken also changes based on difficulty, which offers a challenge for players of all skill levels.
Presentation – as the name indicates, this is an 8-Bit platformer made for the NES, with sprite work that looks bold and looks good. There is a good use of color, with the environments making full use of the color palettes of the system. The sound is done well, with music that fits each of the stages, alongside punchy sound effects and digitised voice work. Last is the Live Action Cutscenes, which fell just like they would in an episode of the web-series.
Final Thoughts – I have been a fan of the AVGN web series for many years, having watched it since the character was the Angry Nintendo Nerd. So when I was given the chance to play AVGN 8-Bit, I was very excited, as I had played the previous games and had a lot of fun with them. Jumping in, I had a bit of a rough time getting started, but the more I played, the more things fell into place. It took many hours, but I managed to get the game cleared.
There are no significant issues with AVGN 8-Bit, aside from some of the difficult sections feeling a little cheap or unfair. But all of the mechanics are designed to feel like a classic retro game, so it does come with the territory. The multiple difficulty settings do make it accessible to everyone, with some exploitable mechanics that will further ease the difficulty. With all of that being said, I am very happy to recommend this game to everyone, especially fans of the Nerd.
In the end, I give The Angry Video Game Nerd 8-Bit a final score of 4.5/5. This is a tough and challenging action platformer, with fun as hell gameplay, references to legendary episodes and characters, all wrapped in live action cutscenes that make it feel like an interactive Nerd episode. If you want to check this game out for yourself, you can find a link to steam page below, with links to the other versions to be added when made available.
Link to Steam page to Wishlist (HERE)
Link to Official site (HERE)
Link to Nintendo Switch version (HERE)
Link to PlayStation version (HERE)
Link to Xbox version (HERE)
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