I had joked with a friend that reviewing Angry Video Game Nerd 8-Bit felt like a full-circle moment for my career as a critic. If you’re too young to remember, James Rolfe was one of the OG YouTubers, and his series of The Angry Nintendo Nerd—which later evolved into The Angry Video Game Nerd when he began playing more than just NES games—was arguably the ignition point for the rise of both Let’s Plays and video reviews.
When he started, his videos were scrappy, vulgar and incredibly charming. A filmmaker at heart, James combined some genuinely impressive techniques with an over-the-top character that embodied the feelings so many of us had with the frustrating games of our youth. As someone who grew up with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Friday the 13th and Ghostbusters, his videos resonated with me immediately and became the cornerstone of many late-night watch sessions.
We’ve come a long way since 2006, and The Angry Video Game Nerd has become a well-established name in... Read more