It’s no exaggeration to state that the Angry Video Game Nerd, the internet persona of one James Rolfe, is one of the most important figures in 21st century pop culture. You may think I’m just being dramatic, but just think about it: his Youtube show, which has been going on since (gasp) 2006, laid the foundations for internet retro gaming appreciation, for how gaming Youtubers and streamers behaved in front of a camera. Hell, he was basically the first Youtube superstar, and the fact his channel is still going after nearly two decades is an amazing achievement. He’s even had some actual games bearing his licensed released a few years ago, games which weren’t even that bad.

But to think that the man would, one day, see one of his games being developed with the NES (yes, the actual Nintendo Entertainment System) in mind, and being released for it… I can’t even imagine how he feels about it. The man who kept taking us back to the past is now taking himself back to the past, with his brand new Angry Video Game Nerd 8-Bit, an actual 8-bit game also available on modern platforms.

Once a young lad, now a balding hero.

Before the game begins, we’re greeted with brand new AVGN footage, with the (now balding) Nerd actually wanting to play a good game for a change. Before he can do that, his house is invaded by an actual mechanized version of Jesus Christ with lasers and rocket launchers, hell-bent on killing him. I wish I was joking. His most prized possession, his original Nintendo Entertainment System, is then possessed by this evil entity, and the only way the Nerd has in order to save his console is to hack into it and defeat some bosses in good old 8-bit fashion.

Angry Video Game Nerd 8-Bit is exactly as the title implies, an 8-bit take on his previous games, which were also 2D action platformers. Whilst older games of his were basically Mega Man meets Castlevania, well, this game is pure Mega Man through and through. It’s the same controls, the same level design, and even the same level select system (as in, you can play them in any order). There are autosaves in all modern console ports, but the NES port even features the same grid-based password system used in older Mega Man titles. In essence, this is James Rolfe’s own Mega Man fangame. And that’s not a bad thing, mind you.

A boss battle based on Pepsiman. Though I have to disagree with the Nerd, I love that dumb game.

It’s a simple and limited game because, well, once again, this is a game meant to run on the NES. The color pallette, resolution, amount of enemies onscreen, and even level section size limitations are all hampered by the fact the developers had to make everything run on 2KB of RAM. To be fair, I am very impressed they were even able to cram some of the Nerd’s famous rants into 8-bit noise clips. You’ll hear them every time you die or press Start. The differences between Angry Video Game Nerd 8-Bit and the classic Mega Man games, besides the theming, are mostly quality of life choices to make it less unfair than the stuff we used to play back in the day.

That’s not to say there aren’t some cheap deaths and the occasional clunky platforming section. But for the most part, what differs Angry Video Game Nerd 8-Bit from any other 8-bit game is the fact it didn’t infuriate me. There’s no rock-paper-scissors system with bosses, as there are no side weapons, just a power meter for your gun (a Zapper, fittingly enough). You can basically play the game in any order, without an issue. There are difficulty settings, and there’s even the possibility to get a full powerup boost via the Cheat Pickle (I guess it’s the S*** Pickle’s cousin) if you die often. In essence, James and the devs want you to have fun with this love letter to both the NES and his show, especially when it comes to the level design; all stages are based on some of his most famous episodes.

If you can grab a physical copy of this game for the NES, do so.

Angry Video Game Nerd 8-Bit is part tough-but-fair NES game, part brand new (and highly nostalgic) AVGN episode. Even if it’s painfully short (again, it’s actually a game that can be played on a console from 1985), and even if some deaths felt cheap, I kept playing it with a dumb smile on my face all the time. More than just cheap nostalgia for one of the most famous and important internet celebrities of all time, this is purely and simply a pretty solid 2D action platformer. Granted, your enjoyment will vastly depend on your knowledge of AVGN lore, but even then, it’s a great retro comeback for anyone with even the slightest fondness towards the NES.

Angry Video Game Nerd 8-Bit is available now on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, PC, Switch… and the NES. Yes, really.

Reviewed on Intel i7-12700H, 16GB RAM, RTX 3060 6GB and Asus ROG Ally.

A copy of Angry Video Game Nerd 8-Bit was provided by the publisher.