Review: Angry Video Game Nerd 8-bit explained to parents

What parents need to know

Angry Video Game Nerd 8-bit (hereafter abbreviated as AVGN 8-bit) is a retro-inspired game that puts us in the shoes of the famous video game Youtuber as he enters a owned NES tape to defeat Super Mecha Death Christ Version 4.1 Unstable Beta once and for all. To do so, he must face a succession of villains from his story (in parodied version to avoid prosecution, Pepsiman becoming Speziman, for example) in the manner of a classic Mega Man.

Yes, we are aware of it, if you are not familiar with the Angry Video Game Nerd universe, the whole previous paragraph had no tail or head. Don’t worry too much.

Since AVGN is a Youtube series that focuses primarily on retro video games, it’s no wonder that its newest video game is also a retro game. AVGN 8-bit is largely inspired by Mega Man; We run, we shoot, we slip on the ground and we die, often.

By the way, interestingly, 8-bit AVGN is released not only on PC and modern consoles, but also in good old gray tape on NES. Yes, Nintendo’s original console. (But hey, I’ll have to do without the 4K capsules with the AVGN!)

The title is not very long. We are offered 6 levels that can be completed in about ten minutes once you master them, then a final, longer (and difficult) level.

The adventure is interspersed with videos filmed by AVGN himself, which gives us the impression of playing a new episode of the mythical Youtube series that has charmed rabid players since 2006.

Details

Level of experience required

Age	3+	7+	12+	16+	18+
Beginners
Intermediate
Experienced

Violence, fear, horror?     

The game is very violent. Haemoglobin flows freely. There is a horror-themed level. You won’t get too shivering because of the primitive graphics, but the horror themes are still present.

Nudity, sexual content?     

There is no sexual relations or even nudity to speak of, but the Nerd uses a vocabulary… colorful, full of sexual references.

Reading and language level     

You don’t need to know how to read to progress in the game, but the vocabulary is extremely vulgar and not intended for sensitive ears.

Positive messages     

They try to kill Jesus. Well, okay, it’s a corrupt and demonic version of Jesus, but still. That gives you an idea of the tone.

Difficulty and required execution level     

AVGN 8-bit, as we have mentioned several times in the review, is a very difficult game. However, a few additions like the golden Shitpickle make the title more accessible.

Local game modes

Single player mode

Online Game Modes

None.

Expansions/Add-ons (DLC)

The soundtrack will be sold separately, but that’s all for now.

Our opinion

We will say this at the outset; AVGN 8-bit is not a game for everyone. If you’re not a fan of retro games and their sometimes very high difficulty, move on. AVGN 8-bit is obviously a game designed for fans of games from the 80s and 90s, and who have seen others in the past.

If you’re not a fan of AVGN, you may also not completely find what you’re looking for. The game makes many references to episodes of the series, not to mention the cinematics with AVGN which may be disconcerting to say the least if the Nerd’s universe is completely foreign to you.

Now, if you have at least some familiarity with the world of AVGN and you like good action games from NES, then you might love AVGN 8-bit. Platforming, even if it’s difficult, is accurate and fair. You can really master the mechanics of AVGN.

Visually, AVGN is impressive… for 8-bit gaming. Obviously, if you’re expecting a big AAA production for high-end PCs, this is not it. But for a game that runs on an NES, literally, we can only salute the efforts of the artists. The backgrounds are varied, the sprites have personality and the colors on the screen are numerous (when was the last time you read a review that praises the number of colors displayed on the screen, right?).

Plus, we’re offered a bunch of effects and filters to really get the retro experience, with scanlines and options for our favorite pixel layout.

The retro soundtrack is also devilishly effective, perfect for motivating us when we die for the 25th time in a row.

Let’s talk about the difficulty, which we have already mentioned several times. AVGN is a challenging game by modern standards. Okay, the more hardened among you who can complete Contra 3 in your sleep won’t be too unsettled.

But for others, 8-bit AVGN is a tough game. Checkpoints in the levels are rare, and if we exhaust our very limited lives, we have to start over from the beginning (the levels already completed remain so, fortunately). But above all, as soon as you lose a life, you lose all the improvements in your character. Suddenly, we can’t charge our shots anymore and our rifle does as much damage as a pea shooter.

To sum up: if you face a difficult challenge and die, you start over with fewer tools. This is a logic that was normal in the days of the NES, but which seems foreign to us today.

The solution that the developers of AVGN 8-bit have found to make the game accessible seems more or less elegant to us. After a few unsuccessful attempts, the game spawns a golden Shitpickle, a flying pickle that follows us, attacking enemies in our place. In our opinion, the boost is too generous. We suddenly go from a game that gives a lot of trouble to a game that completes itself, literally.

But hey, the golden pickle is optional, so we won’t be too upset about it.

In the end, AVGN 8-bit is a game that knows its audience. In no way (or almost) does the Nerd try to bend to the expectations of the modern public. AVGN 8-bit is a neat retro game, but it will take a lot of effort to master it. You risk, like the nerd, shouting: WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?!

Note: a key has been given to us by the publisher for review purposes. Our opinion is our own.

Our rating : 16 / 20

Trailer