The Angry Video Game Nerd
TV Show • 2004 • Comedy
ReportSynopsis
The Angry Video Game Nerd is an adult web television series of comedic retrogaming video reviews created by and starring James Rolfe. The show's format revolves around his commentary and review of older, but unsuccessful video games which are deemed to be of particularly low-quality, unfair difficulty or poor design.
The series began as a feature on YouTube and later became a program on ScrewAttack Entertainment before moving to GameTrailers exclusively. The show was renamed The Angry Video Game Nerd to prevent any trademark issues with Nintendo and due to the fact he started reviewing games from non-Nintendo consoles such as those made by Atari and Sega.
Rolfe's character, "The Nerd" is a short-tempered and foul-mouthed video game fanatic. He derives comic appeal from excessive and inventive use of anger, profanity, and habitual consumption of alcohol while reviewing video games.
A feature-length film, Angry Video Game Nerd: The Movie, is expected to be released between 2013 and 2014.
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Your Triggers
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Needs More Answers
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Does someone attempt suicide?
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255)
122 supporters
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Abuse
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The Nerd's children are never shown on screen, and when he talks about them, he has nothing but love to show for them.
1 comment | Add comment
Is there domestic violence?
National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233)
114 supporters
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Is someone stalked?
28 supporters
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In the horror themed episodes, this is a common trend.
1 comment | Add comment
Addiction
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Does someone abuse alcohol?
26 supporters
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The Nerd drinks loads of "Rolling Rock" beer to cope with the terrible games he reviews
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Animal
Are animals abused?
312 supporters
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Not sure if this counts, but Bugs Bunny is beaten up and then gets defecated on. Its pretty obvious its a man in a bugs bunny costume.
2 comments | Add comment
Does a cat die?
279 supporters
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No cats die in the series, however the real life passing of the Nerd's cat Boo is referenced in the Purr Pals episode.
2 comments | Add comment
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Does a pet die?
264 supporters
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Not in the show, but the Nerd's real life cat Boo passed away, which is referenced with a tribute in the Purr Pals episode.
1 comment | Add comment
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Is there a dead animal?
190 supporters
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Dead animals are referenced in the theme song.
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Are rabbits harmed?
121 supporters
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Bugs bunny gets beat up and pooped on.
1 comment | Add comment
Are there spiders?
75 supporters
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There's Spider *Man*, but no actual arachnids as far as I'm aware
1 comment | Add comment
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Are there snakes?
27 supporters
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The Nightmare on Elm Street episode has snakes as an in game enemy, and a gag where the Nerd slaps around a toy snake.
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Are there sharks?
12 supporters
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In the super pitfall episode.
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Assault
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No, but the Batman episode ends with the Joker getting the games shoved up his butt.
1 comment | Add comment
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The Batman two parter ends with this
1 comment | Add comment
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Is rape mentioned?
120 supporters
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In the Sega 32X episode, and in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Revisited.
2 comments | Add comment
Are there jokes about sexual assault on men?
72 supporters
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Most notable example is the second half of the Batman episode.
1 comment | Add comment
Is someone restrained?
38 supporters
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The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Batman episodes have the Nerd tied up and forced to play s****y games.
1 comment | Add comment
Bodily Harm
Is there eye mutilation?
145 supporters
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The Earthbound episode has the Nerd lose his eyes offscreen. Also referenced in the Drake and the 99 Dragons episode.
1 comment | Add comment
Is there excessive gore?
141 supporters
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A few episode do have gore, but it's very clearly fake. Some games he reviews also have gore.
2 comments | Add comment
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Is there genital trauma/mutilation?
119 supporters
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IIRC, the Nerd kicks Bugs Bunny in the crotch when they fight.
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Is there decapitation?
67 supporters
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In the Nightmare on Elm Street episode
1 comment | Add comment
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Is there shaving/cutting?
55 supporters
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The Nerd's clones are graphically murdered by Freddy Kreuger in a haloween episode.
1 comment | Add comment
Is someone buried alive?
52 supporters
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Kind of? The Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Revisited episode has a gag where the Nerd finds himself in Robert Louis Stephenson's grave.
1 comment | Add comment
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Is someone stabbed?
28 supporters
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In the Nightmare on Elm Street episode
1 comment | Add comment
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Does someone become unconscious?
12 supporters
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The Nerd is knocked out in the "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" and "Shrek: Fairy Tale Freakdown" episodes. Probably other ones too, but I can't remember
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Does someone have a seizure?
1 supporters
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No, but references to characters in games having a seizure when glitching or jokes about flashing patterns in games making the Nerd feel like he's about to have a seizure are made frequently enough
1 comment | Add comment
Children
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Death
Does a non-human character die?
55 supporters
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The Purr Pals episode has a tribute to the Nerd's cat, Boo, who had passed away. An earlier example is episode 100, with the nerd fighting and killing ROB the Robot Kaiju style.
1 comment | Add comment
Does a major character die?
39 supporters
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The nerd himself dies in some episodes
1 comment | Add comment
Does someone die?
25 supporters
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Usually played for over the top comedy
1 comment | Add comment
Disability
Is the r-slur used?
41 supporters
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In the rambo episode, the Nerd says "Now I feel bad. I feel like I picked on a r****d or somethin, like: 'What are you, r****ded?' 'Oh. I'm sorry.'" It's also used in the episode on the Halloween game.
5 comments | Add comment
Drugs/Alcohol
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Family
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Is someone kidnapped?
19 supporters
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Texas Chainsaw Massacre episode has the Nerd being kidnapped during the climax
1 comment | Add comment
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Fear
Are there jump scares?
95 supporters
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The first scene in the nintendo power episode has a pretty funny one.
2 comments | Add comment
Is someone possessed?
22 supporters
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Implied by the Polybius episode
1 comment | Add comment
Are there clowns?
17 supporters
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The batman episode
1 comment | Add comment
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Are there ghosts?
9 supporters
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One of the Christmas specials parodies Charles Dickens' classic tale of Scrooge and his ghostly visitors.
2 comments | Add comment
Gross
Does someone vomit?
172 supporters
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Particularly in the Toxic Crusader episode when Lloyd Kaufman is pooping on a video game cartridge.
1 comment | Add comment
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Is there defecation?
61 supporters
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Particular examples include the Bugs Bunny episodes, Atari Jaguar, Toxic Avenger, and Nightmare on elm Street.
3 comments | Add comment
Does someone wet/soil themselves?
34 supporters
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Frequently, and on other things
2 comments | Add comment
Does someone spit?
22 supporters
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Both, in the rambo review he spits at the cartridge and in a few episodes he defecates on some games.
1 comment | Add comment
Is there farting?
21 supporters
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Anytime someone is defecating there is a sound of flatulence.
1 comment | Add comment
Large-scale Violence
Are there 9/11 depictions?
8 supporters
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Sort of. The intro to the Die Hard episode has the Nerd draw comparisons between the box art (the game was released on the NES) and 9/11.
1 comment | Add comment
Law Enforcement
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LGBTQ+
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Are there transphobic slurs?
74 supporters
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In the AVGN vs Nostalgia Critic video, the Critic calls the Nerd a "cow humping trans******". Worth noting that the Nerd is not trans.
1 comment | Add comment
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Loss
Is a priceless artifact destroyed?
6 supporters
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Played for laughs in the Nintendo Championship episode with Pat the NES Punk, but it is only a prop.
1 comment | Add comment
Medical
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Mental Health
Does someone die by suicide?
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255)
126 supporters
Add comment
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2
In one of the bible games episodes the Nerd rips his heart out for jesus, this very obviously fake.
1 comment | Add comment
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3
Is there misophonia?
48 supporters
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3
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1
The Bart vs the World video has the nerd eating his boxers accompanied by exaggerated eating noises. As soon as he says "F*ck this sh*t, now I'm gonna eat my own shorts," mute or click off.
1 comment | Add comment
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Does someone say "I'll kill myself"?
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255)
41 supporters
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3
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0
In some of the earlier episodes, the Nerd mentions games being bad enough that it makes him want to kill himself.
1 comment | Add comment
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Does someone have a meltdown?
12 supporters
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Almost every episode has the Nerd go into a meltdown after playing a crappy game. They range from vulgar analogies to the nerd defecating on the game.
2 comments | Add comment
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Noxious
Is there shakey cam?
68 supporters
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Sometimes the Nerd will hrab the Camera and shake it.
1 comment | Add comment
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Is there screaming?
20 supporters
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At his angriest, the Nerd sometimes starts screaming with rage.
2 comments | Add comment
Are there underwater scenes?
15 supporters
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In the "Ecco the Dolphin" episode
1 comment | Add comment
Is there obscene language/gestures?
13 supporters
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5
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It's what he's known for, a lot of f-bombs, middle fingers, vulgar metaphors and similes, and rare uses of c**t.
1 comment | Add comment
Paranoia
Is someone watched without knowing?
21 supporters
Yes
3
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0
2
In the "Halloween" episode, Michael Myers watches The Nerd through the window without his knowledge
1 comment | Add comment
Is the fourth wall broken?
16 supporters
Yes
6
No
0
2
Review series with the host directly talking to the viewer.
1 comment | Add comment
Pregnancy
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Yes
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Are there babies or unborn children?
21 supporters
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5
-2
More recent episodes will sometimes have the nerd mention his daughters (one video had him playing some of the Mario Maker levels they made, for example), but they are never shown on screen.
1 comment | Add comment
Prejudice
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Yes
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Yes
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Is there ableist language or behavior?
53 supporters
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4
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The nerd would use the r-slur in earlier episodes, but he's since stopped using that word.
2 comments | Add comment
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Race
Is there blackface?
45 supporters
Yes
2
No
2
2
While not intended as such, Mike Matei does wear brownface when dressed as a Klingon in the "Star Trek" episode
1 comment | Add comment
Religious
Are there demons or Hell?
15 supporters
Yes
3
No
0
2
In the Super Mario Bros 3 episode. The devil shows up. The cartridge also says "your mother sucks c**ks in hell".
2 comments | Add comment
Is religion discussed?
1 supporters
Yes
6
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0
4
In the bible games episodes.
2 comments | Add comment
Sex
Is there bestiality?
119 supporters
Yes
0
No
4
2
Not on screen but in one episode the nerd says "I'd rather f**k a porcupine while shoving a cactus up my ass".
2 comments | Add comment
Are there incestuous relationships?
National Sexual Assault Hotline 800.656.4673
99 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
4
Is there sexual content?
85 supporters
Yes
5
No
0
2
The Atari Porn episode is themed around sexually explicit Atari games
1 comment | Add comment
Are there nude scenes?
69 supporters
Yes
2
No
2
0
There are none, except for the Atari Porn games episode (though its only with atari graphics)
1 comment | Add comment
Is someone sexually objectified?
55 supporters
Yes
1
No
3
-1
There are a few jokes whenever a character is well endowed ("Here comes Mrs. Tits"), but nobody is actively sexually objectified.
1 comment | Add comment
Sexism
Yes
2
No
2
Social
Yes
0
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3
Spoiler
Yes
1
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3
Is Santa (et al) spoiled?
10 supporters
Yes
0
No
4
0
But the FFVI episode has the Nerd beating the stocking (pun intended) out of Santa after he trips and causes the Nerd's tv to unplug.
1 comment | Add comment
Vehicular
Does a plane crash?
23 supporters
Yes
6
No
1
3
In the iconic moment in the Top Gun episode, the Nerd shouts "ASSSS" after failing to land a plane.
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
2
No
1
Yes
2
No
1
Yes
0
No
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Violence
Yes
5
No
0
Yes
1
No
2
Is there gun violence?
41 supporters
Yes
5
No
1
1
In a good number of the games he covers. Some episodes even have him use the NES Zapper and other gun accessories.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
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3
Where to Watch
