Talk:Angry Video Game Nerd/GA2

GA review

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Nominator: 1timeuse75 (talk · contribs) 14:21, 20 July 2026 (UTC)

Reviewer: Monathephantom (talk · contribs) 14:23, 13 August 2026 (UTC)

Fourth GA review! I'll begin looking into this tonight. Monathephantom (talk) 14:23, 13 August 2026 (UTC)

GA review (see here for what the criteria are, and here for what they are not)
It is reasonably well written. a (prose, spelling, and grammar): b (MoS for lead, layout, word choice, fiction, and lists): It is factually accurate and verifiable, as shown by a source spot-check. a (references): b (citations to reliable sources): c (OR): d (copyvio and plagiarism): It is broad in its coverage. a (major aspects): b (focused): It follows the neutral point of view policy. Fair representation without bias: It is stable. No edit wars, etc.: It is illustrated by images, where possible and appropriate. a (images are tagged and non-free images have fair use rationales): b (appropriate use with suitable captions):
Overall: Pass/Fail:
· · ·

Comments

There is a problem with File:Angry Video Game Nerd theme.ogg. As it stands, it does not follow the WP:SAMPLE guidelines as it needs to be 10% of the length of the original song. The sample is 20 seconds, and the original song is 47 seconds. Monathephantom (talk) 12:11, 14 August 2026 (UTC)

@Monathephantom Since 10% of 47 seconds is just about 4 seconds, I don't think it's enough time to demonstrate its "appeal to video game nostalgia, and its use of off-color humour" as the caption says. I did attempt to shorten it down, but in the end I just decided to remove the file. 1timeuse75 (talk) 15:17, 14 August 2026 (UTC)

@1timeuse75 Thanks for responding to my feedback! I'll finish my review of the article now. Monathephantom (talk) 15:19, 14 August 2026 (UTC)

Spotcheck

This table lists all 106 passages in the article (containing 124 inline citations from 65 unique sources). Reference numbers refer to this revision. Generated with the Veracity user script. Monathephantom (talk) 12:39, 17 August 2026 (UTC)

Reference #	Letter	Source	Archive	Status	Notes
Angry Video Game Nerd revolves around the Nerd's commentary on shovelware and retro video games that he deems to be of particularly low quality, unfair difficulty, or poor design.
1		allmediany.com	web.archive.org	⏳
Rolfe's character, "the Nerd", is a basement dweller,
2	a	kotaku.com	web.archive.org	⏳
foul-mouthed video game collector who reviews old video games in a form reminiscent of insult comedies such as Mystery Science Theater 3000.
3	a	tft.ucla.edu	web.archive.org	⏳
The Nerd plays the game while picking apart its various technicalities, design flaws, and abnormalities in an effort to warn his viewers against playing the game.
4		Enevold, Jessica et al. Game Love: Essays on Play and Affection. McFarland (January 14, 2015). pp. …		⏳
Other episodes have the Nerd reviewing consoles and peripherals, such as the CD-i and NES Accessories.
5	a	dvdtalk.com		⏳
The reviews often give the game's history and development, interspersed with sketches and comedic rants, among various other scripted elements. Sometimes the Nerd will give positive reviews for games while giving critiques, such as the Earthbound episode.
6	a	gamespark.jp		⏳
Dressed up as a stereotypical nerd, the Nerd reviews the game with his trademark glasses, white shirt with buttons, high khaki pants and loafers, while sometimes being bombarded by guest characters from video games and popular culture as well. These guests often provide additional commentary on the games, mock the Nerd's anguish, and act as parodies of the characters from which they had been derived. In response to them and to the games, the Nerd derives comic appeal from excessive and surrealistic use of fantasy scenarios, anger, and consumption of Rolling Rock beer while reviewing video games.
3	b	tft.ucla.edu	web.archive.org	⏳
7	a	theguardian.com		⏳
In many cases, the Nerd dresses up as other popular characters while reviewing their games, such as Batman
1		youtube.com	ghostarchive.org	⏳
and Indiana Jones.
5	b	dvdtalk.com		⏳
Other characters in the show include the Nerdy Turd
8		nintendolife.com		⏳
and Shit Pickle,
9	a	destructoid.com		⏳
the Guitar Guy (played by Kyle Justin, co-writer of the show's theme song),
10	a	apptrigger.com		⏳
and an assortment of others, while also the occasional guest appearance by other video game reviewers such as Pat the NES Punk,
11	a	destructoid.com		⏳
12		makeuseof.com	web.archive.org	⏳
Doug Walker, and Scott Wozniak.
13	a	mb.com.ph		⏳
The show has also had special guests, including Lloyd Kaufman of Troma Entertainment while the Nerd was playing various Toxic Crusaders-based games,
14		kotaku.com	web.archive.org	⏳
Macaulay Culkin of Home Alone fame assisting the Nerd in playing games based on the movie series,
15		polygon.com	web.archive.org	⏳
16	a	hollywoodreporter.com		⏳
and Gilbert Gottfried co-starring as a faux lead developer of Life of Black Tiger and the Nerd's arch-nemesis Fred "Fucks" (Fred Fuchs), while the Nerd reviews said game.
17		movieweb.com		⏳
In May 2004, James Rolfe made the first two episodes, which were intended as "a little joke", with no intentions of making them public.
2		cinemassacre.com	web.archive.org	⏳
Rolfe created his first on-camera game reviews, utilizing insult commentary with exaggerated bewilderment to two games—Castlevania II: Simon's Quest and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde—which would later become the signature of the Nerd character. At the time, the series was hastily titled Bad NES Games.
3	c	tft.ucla.edu	web.archive.org	⏳
18	a	nydailynews.com	web.archive.org	⏳
Rolfe explained later in an interview for Daily News that the joke was just how upset one obsessive gamer could get over these games that were already 20 years old.
18	b	nydailynews.com	web.archive.org	⏳
Although the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde review was intended to be the last, Rolfe's friends, who enjoyed the previous "Bad NES Games" reviews, encouraged him to create another.
3	a	youtube.com	web.archive.org	⏳
Collaborative friend Mike Matei begged Rolfe to make more videos and according to Matei "eventually he caved."
2	b	kotaku.com	web.archive.org	⏳
Matei would later helped in producing and publishing the videos on Cinemassacre,
13	b	mb.com.ph		⏳
Rolfe’s film production company.
7	b	theguardian.com		⏳
Rolfe previously released outside of the website as part of a four VHS tape set called the "Cinemassacre Gold Collection".
3	b	youtube.com	web.archive.org	⏳
In 2006, Rolfe began making the episodes available on video streaming platform YouTube. Soon, Rolfe released a review of The Karate Kid game that was the first episode where Rolfe's character is introduced as "The Angry Nintendo Nerd". Naming these videos "The Angry Nintendo Nerd Trilogy", Rolfe posted them on Cinemassacre.
3	d	tft.ucla.edu	web.archive.org	⏳
Matei, suggested the videos the name "Angry Nintendo Nerd", which would later be change the title into the Angry Video Game Nerd to prevent trademark issues with Nintendo.
13	c	mb.com.ph		⏳
Rolfe does almost all of the work for each episode.
7	c	theguardian.com		⏳
Rolfe diversified the reviews of platforms and products such as the Atari 2600,
19	a	dvdtalk.com		⏳
13	d	mb.com.ph		⏳
Super NES,
6	b	gamespark.jp		⏳
16	b	hollywoodreporter.com		⏳
Master System,
20		tubefilter.com		⏳
and Sega Genesis
16	c	hollywoodreporter.com		⏳
video game consoles, the Power Glove,
19	b	dvdtalk.com		⏳
21		watson.ch		⏳
and the LaserScope peripherals,
22		jeuxvideo.com		⏳
films such as The Wizard,
23		mediacommons.org		⏳
and the Nintendo Power magazine.
6	c	gamespark.jp		⏳
He would eventually branch out even further, reviewing games like Sonic '06 on the Xbox 360,
4		cinemassacre.com		⏳
and Big Rigs: Over the Road Racing on PC.
6	d	gamespark.jp		⏳
24		cdaction.pl		⏳
Angry Video Game Nerd first became a viral phenomenon in 2006, after Craig Skistimas of Rooster Teeth began posting the videos on his website ScrewAttack.
7	d	theguardian.com		⏳
Angry Video Game Nerd videos were also available on video game news website GameTrailers.
11	b	destructoid.com		⏳
25		tubefilter.com		⏳
Rolfe's series received mainstream attention when his review of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles went viral on YouTube.
26	a	mtv.com	web.archive.org	⏳
In an article by writer Alex Carlson, he explained that before 2004, video gaming criticism was mostly reserved for the larger game magazines and websites. He went on to state that the opinions of the professional writers and journalists who were writing the reviews didn't entirely correspond to the opinions of the average gamers; and that "everyone with a webcam and Fraps can now become a critic and don a characterized mentality, spouting profanities at will without getting censored."
27	a	hardcoregamer.com	web.archive.org	⏳
Since then, the show has increased substantially in quantity, production value, and fandom.
28		books.google.com		⏳
Rolfe began infusing various episodes with emphasis on homemade special effects and narratives. The first of these cinematic episodes was a review of the 1989 Friday the 13th game in October 2006, featuring better lighting and different camera angles to highlight its horror themed narrative in which the Nerd is attacked by Jason Voorhees for reviewing the game. Later episodes would fluctuate between normal game reviews and more narrative-focused episodes, with Rolfe pointing out information about the game or gaming console in a style resembling a documentary. When asked if the Nerd is going to make reviews in the current generation of video games, Rolfe replied that the "show is all about nostalgia," adding that he's "mostly a retro gamer."
3	e	tft.ucla.edu	web.archive.org	⏳
In April 2010, Rolfe announced that he was suffering from burnout as a result of continuously making two episodes a month. This resulted in Rolfe cutting down to only making one episode each month. It also allowed Rolfe more time for other projects, including the Angry Video Game Nerd: The Movie. In September 2010, Rolfe announced the show would be put out of production for a short while so he could work on the AVGN movie. The show eventually resumed production in late summer 2012.
5	a	cinemassacre.com	web.archive.org	⏳
Since then, he has self-released Nerd videos on his Cinemassacre website and YouTube account in a very sporadic manner in order to balance his personal life with the other projects he continuously works on. By 2013, the show garnered more than 900,000 subscribers and over 400 million views on YouTube.
29	a	kotaku.com	web.archive.org	⏳
In February 2014, Rolfe named the 100th episode, about Rob the Robot, as one that he is proud of, with It taking him over 122 hours to complete.
7	e	theguardian.com		⏳
In 2014, Rolfe stated that the show "got popular right around when YouTube got popular."
18	c	nydailynews.com	web.archive.org	⏳
In January 2013, the YouTube channel was suddenly shut down due to claims of severe violations of YouTube's terms of service. YouTube later reinstated the channel.
29	b	kotaku.com	web.archive.org	⏳
In December 2020, Rolfe announced on the main Cinemassacre YouTube channel that longtime collaborator Mike Matei would be leaving the channel in order for Matei to focus on his Twitch career.
6		mikematei.com	ghostarchive.org	⏳
In 2026, Matei said the EarthBound episode was "the best example of a great thing with a different style of video."
6	e	gamespark.jp		⏳
The opening song of the show, simply entitled The Angry Video Game Nerd Theme Song, is a staple of the series since its earliest conception.
7		kylejustinmusic.com	web.archive.org	⏳
The song was written by Kyle Justin. Rolfe originally met Justin in college, which led him to be cast in Rolfe's projects. When AVGN started, Justin and Rolfe discussed the idea of doing a theme song.
30		ign.com		⏳
The song was first introduced in the M.C. Kids episode. Randy Miller of DVD Talks called the theme song "infamous".
19	c	dvdtalk.com		⏳
Over the years, the song had different variations to correspond with specials. Programmer and musician Lachlan Barclay published a soundtrack album based on the web-series in 2011.
8		lachlanbarclay.bandcamp.com	web.archive.org	⏳
Another compilation album was released in 2013 containing the music derived from the Angry Video Game Nerd Adventures video game. Developed also by FreakZone, the album was released by ScrewAttack Entertainment LLC as a digital download.
9		brawlcustommusic.com	web.archive.org	⏳
An album based from the movie was released in 2014 composed by Bear McCreary, who had previously worked with Rolfe on the webseries Christmas special. The film's music was composed of rock-and-roll, heavy metal, a symphonic orchestra, and synthesized musical elements from various gaming systems such as NES, SNES, and Sega Genesis.
31		soundtrack.net	web.archive.org	⏳
Angry Video Game Nerd made James Rolfe one of the most popular Internet celebrities even before the advent of YouTube.
18	d	nydailynews.com	web.archive.org	⏳
32		sunstar.com.ph	web.archive.org	⏳
Angry Video Game Nerd was voted Best Online Web Series in Mashable's 3rd Annual Open Web Awards on December 16, 2009.
33		mashable.com	web.archive.org	⏳
Peggy Rajski describes the origin of the show's success stemming from the correct use of the internet as well as the crowdfunding system. Rajski further said that "[Rolfe] already cultivated an audience that cared about his prior work. When he asked them to step up, clearly they were willing to."
18	e	nydailynews.com	web.archive.org	⏳
Fellow filmmaker and internet celebrity Doug Walker dubbed the Nerd the "greatest video game critic of all time".
10		youtube.com	web.archive.org	⏳
Jacob Rich of Michigan Daily described the Nerd as the "pioneering internet 'gamer' show", adding that "pretty much every major game review show online today has 'AVGN' to thank for establishing its format".
34		michigandaily.com	web.archive.org	⏳
The 2009 French show Joueur du Grenier was based on Angry Video Game Nerd.
35		france.retrogaming.fr	web.archive.org	⏳
Poch Eulalia of Manila Bulletin said "Since his first video, James' channel has grown to become a mainstay among Internet pop culture."
13	e	mb.com.ph		⏳
Zach Whalen described the show's presentation of retro gaming into contemporary gamers as "a process of looking back to an unattainable past and trying to bring that past into the present".
3	f	tft.ucla.edu	web.archive.org	⏳
Rolfe also commented during an interview with The Guardian of the show's impact in the current generation of the video game industry, saying that they "still relate to it and they like learning of the past". In the same article, reporter Luke Langlands also noted the show's influence of inspiring the creation of other independent online shows.
7	f	theguardian.com		⏳
The Nerd's success as an independent celebrity outside of the commercial mainstream of pop culture, popularized the notion of making lifelong careers online. In a survey published by Mediscape, a number of people admitted to being inspired by the Nerd to create and submit their own content in various online spaces, including YouTube, DeviantArt, SourceForge, GameFAQs and ScrewAttack,
3	g	tft.ucla.edu	web.archive.org	⏳
influencing the likes of those such as the Nostalgia Critic, Irate Gamer,
3	h	tft.ucla.edu	web.archive.org	⏳
Angry Joe, and JonTron, among others.
2	c	kotaku.com	web.archive.org	⏳
27	b	hardcoregamer.com	web.archive.org	⏳
In his analysis of the show and the character, writer Alex Carlson of Hardcore Gamer dubbed Rolfe's character "The Nerd Who Changed Gaming Culture Forever". In his written article, he described the Angry Video Game Nerd as "one of the most recognizable figures in gaming culture". Carlson added that:
27	c	hardcoregamer.com	web.archive.org	⏳
In September 2006, Rolfe's review of the Back to the Future games was reported in an MTV segment called "Viral Videos Infect the Mainstream".
26	b	mtv.com	web.archive.org	⏳
On November 2, 2008, his videos and personality were featured on the nationally syndicated radio show Opie and Anthony.
36		"Interview with Rolfe," The Opie and Anthony Show, November 2, 2008 Sirius XM Satellite Radio		⏳
The Nerd has also become the subject of Howard Stern and David Arquette in an episode of Stern's SiriusXM show, in which Stern commented negatively on the show's format as well as the gaming community in general during a TooManyGames 2011 convention in Philadelphia.
37		1up.com	web.archive.org	⏳
Rolfe himself appeared as the Nerd at various gaming and internet conventions.
38		syracuse.com	web.archive.org	⏳
Both the Nerd and Doug Walker as the Nostalgia Critic made a unofficial background cameo appearance in the 2013 anime Unlimited Psychic Squad.
39		cbr.com		⏳
The film focuses on the Nerd trying to debunk the Atari video game burial (pictured).
40		popwatch.ew.com	web.archive.org	⏳
41		nytimes.com	web.archive.org	⏳
On July 21, 2014,
42		tubefilter.com		⏳
an independent film based on the series, entitled Angry Video Game Nerd: The Movie, was released online as well as limited theatrical releases,
43	a	hollywoodreporter.com		⏳
with DVD and Blu-ray versions released in September 2014.
44	a	usatoday.com		⏳
The film's plot focuses around the Nerd seeking to prove that over 1 million copies of the proclaimed "worst video game of all time", E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial for the Atari 2600, were not buried, after being pressured by fans to review the video game. In his quest to prove this to his fans, the Nerd finds himself being pursued by federal authorities who believe he is investigating Area 51 and the crash of an unidentified flying object.
44	b	usatoday.com		⏳
The film began development in late 2006, following the popularity of the Angry Video Game Nerd web series, with James Rolfe serving as its director, producer, and co-writer, and reprising his on-screen role as The Nerd. The movie's script was designed to pay homage to the character finally reviewing the E.T. video game, though filming required Rolfe to balance his schedule with that of his online series and other works. The screenplay was completed by 2008,
5	b	cinemassacre.com	web.archive.org	⏳
with the film's budget of more than US$300,000 raised entirely from crowdfunding.
18	f	nydailynews.com	web.archive.org	⏳
As part of its development, Rolfe asked for the show's fanbase to provide webcam footage of themselves fictionally reacting to the Nerd's webseries, to be used as an intro to the film.
11		cinemassacre.com	web.archive.org	⏳
Over 30 artists worked on all the visual effects shots.
7	g	theguardian.com		⏳
Although Rolfe has not ruled out the possibility of a sequel to the film, which would have involved the lost Swordquest treasures, he regards it as highly unlikely due to the amount of time spent developing and filming the Angry Video Game Nerd: The Movie and his focus on other film projects.
12		youtube.com	web.archive.org	⏳
It received mixed reviews from critics.
43	b	hollywoodreporter.com		⏳
The Nerd appeared in the 2010 mobile video game Texting of the Bread produced by ScrewAttack.
45		nintendolife.com		⏳
46		gamezebo.com		⏳
In April 2013, an official video game titled Angry Video Game Nerd Adventures was announced.
47		polygon.com		⏳
Developed by FreakZone Games (creators of Manos: The Hands of Fate), it was released on September 20, 2013, on Microsoft Windows via Steam.
9	b	destructoid.com		⏳
The game follows the Nerd, playing a horrible game when suddenly, he is sucked into the Nerd's television set.
48	a	nintendoworldreport.com		⏳
The Nerd uses a NES Zapper as his main weapon.
49	a	nintendolife.com		⏳
Throughout the game's 9 levels, each based around a certain style or gaming trope,
49	b	nintendolife.com		⏳
he faces enemies with his Zapper.
48	b	nintendoworldreport.com		⏳
On July 12, 2014, it was announced that the game would also be released on Wii U and Nintendo 3DS.
13		twitter.com	web.archive.org	⏳
The Wii U version was released in North America on April 2, 2015, and released in Europe on December 10, 2015,
50		hardcoregamer.com	web.archive.org	⏳
51		nintendo.co.uk		⏳
with a 3DS version being available for the Nintendo eShop in June 2015.
52		nintendolife.com		⏳
53		ign.com		⏳
According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Angry Video Game Nerd Adventures received "Generally Favorable" based on a weighted average score of 77 out of 100 from 7 critic scores.
54		metacritic.com		⏳
On July 17 of the same year, during ScrewAttack's annual SGC convention, FreakZone announced a sequel, Angry Video Game Nerd II: ASSimilation,
55		techraptor.net		⏳
originally due for release in Winter 2015,
56		gamereactor.eu		⏳
but delayed to March 29, 2016.
57		gameinformer.com		⏳
A remastered version of the first two games, The Angry Video Game Nerd I & II Deluxe, was released on October 30, 2020, for Nintendo Switch and Steam,
10	b	apptrigger.com		⏳
58		nintendoworldreport.com		⏳
with ports for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One following in 2021.
59		pushsquare.com		⏳
60		kotaku.com		⏳
On Metacritic, The Angry Video Game Nerd I & II Deluxe received "Generally Favorable" based on a score of 75 out of 100 from 13 critic scores.
61		metacritic.com		⏳
In October 2025, Angry Video Game Nerd 8-bit was released for the original NES, alongside modern platforms and personal computer through emulation, developed by Mega Cat Studios.
62		gematsu.com		⏳
63		timeextension.com		⏳
On Metacritic, Angry Video Game Nerd 8-bit received "Generally Favorable" based on a score of 84 out of 100 from 5 critic scores.
64		metacritic.com		⏳
Outside of the Angry Video Game Nerd, Rolfe and Matei would make additional content on the Cinemassacre channel, including Board James, You Know What’s Bullshit!?, and James & Mike Monday. In 2014, Rolfe would release a Christmas special, The 12 Days of Shitsmas, in which the Nerd reviews twelve of his most requested games.
65		uwmpost.com		⏳