How to Make AVGN Great Again

I decided to dig down deep into the Angry Video Game Nerd to figure out why his newer videos are not as enjoyable (for me) as his older ones. Somethings may seem obvious, but it took a while to come up with this list of suggestions. James Rolfe obviously doesn't need my advice, but I thought it was a fun thought experiment; definitely worth doing. Specific episodes I explore/compare are Garfield, Contra How I Remember It, Purr Pals, The Last Ninja, Big Rigs, Double Vision Part 2, The Power Glove, LJN Sports and Marvel Games, Freddy and Jason (Commodore 64), Bugs Bunny's Birthday Blowout, Bugs Bunny's Crazy Castle, and Batman Part I.
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#retrogaming #AngryVideoGameNerd

[@SuperHns]

The problem is that Mike has left since he was helping a lot with directing and writing and I think most of the humor came from him

[@gusramos3620]

The show def got stale way before that

[@LethalBubbles]

he's also like the only "hardcore" gamer among them and is likely where most of the more specific game knowledge came from (especially back in the pre-youtube days). Even the ones that are big collectors won't know about the community knowlege quite like Mike

[@adamwilson1691]

totally agree about the timing of his jokes. they're not terribly funny and he lingers on them and then it just feels awkward. im thinking to myself like "ok, got it, just move on already"

[@Guitarhero1000]

Imagine trying to be as funny/cringe as you were nearly 20 years ago. But in a body of an older adult. It's really hard to do. As you age, your sense of humor changes and your outlook on life changes. I'm not making excuses. He needs better people surrounding him and invigorating the creative juices.

[@adamwilson1691]

@Jani Na well I used to like him quite a bit when I discovered him in 2008 or so and I remember his jokes feeling more natural. nowadays I prefer to watch him as James Rolfe giving his honest opinion rather than the AVGN, which feels played out and somewhat forced to me. just my opinion.

[@Angel-Otk]

It’s just not your type of humor, nothing wrong with that. Realize it’s not for you and move on. Some people think explaining a joke kills it, some think it’s funny. Some people find racist shot funny others find it offensive. Your humor also changes in nearly 20 years u can’t expect him to be as funny to you know as he was when you where a kid, You’ve heard millions of other jokes since then

[@Angel-Otk]

@@adamwilson1691 nah AVGN always felt over scripted and over acted💀and it added to the charm imo🤣

[@adamwilson1691]

@@Angel-Otk lol I already realize its not for me, I dont watch his videos anymore. Im not talking about avgn being over scripted and over acted. im talking about the timing of his jokes. GtS is describing exactly what I mean in this very video.

[@BitestheStuff]

Probably an unpopular opinion, but I always found AVGN's humor to be hit or miss to begin with, and that part has remained consistent. I think the longer the videos have become, the more obvious this has been made.

[@nolmanimates3031]

I've been a fan for a while and I completely agree But it still doesn't make it any less fun, it's just James being james

[@BubblegumCrash332]

Agreed I always gave him a pass back in the day because KZbin back then was more like old access cable television. Now the production and competition has grown AVGN hasn't been able to keep up

[@MrNexor-cj8gs]

AVGN isn't as good as it used to be, but James just sitting and talking about movies he likes is as good as ever.

[@georgieramone]

I don’t think so. Some of his recent movie videos were found to be plagiarized. Also his videos in general don’t seem genuine anymore. He’s lost his passion almost completely at this point.

[@JarethR]

​@@georgieramoneif what you're talking about is what I'm thinking of, that was not his fault at all. It was someone else's job to help with the scripts and they were the ones that copied. And after James found out about the whole thing, he made a video apologizing. I don't remember all the details, but I don't remember it being his fault

[@Chaoitcme]

@@georgieramone I don't blame James for no longer having passion. James says he always wanted to be a filmmaker and I don't think he ever intended to have AVGN go on for so long. Pretty sure going this long as the AVGN character was never James' original plan. I imagine James regrets investing so much time into the AVGN instead of pursuing a career in filmmaking, as now he is middle aged and most likely will never pursue his dreams.

[@tgirltouhou]

@@georgieramone that was mostly just monster madness which yeah that was dumb to be scripted and i dont think he should've unlisted the apology, but i really like his videos where he talks about a films that turned 100 (caligari, nosferatu and hunchback of notre dame) im excited as more famous films turn 100 this decade to see him do a video on them. they feel very genuine to me they dont seem all that scripted. also "vhs memories and what nostalgia means to me" is a great video

[@rentoptional1524]

If only James wrote the episodes, played the games, and edited the videos... Dude has been on autopilot ever since he hired Screenwave and rebuilt the nerd room in his new garage.

[@jiahilmi]

I agree with you 100%

[@VegasAceVII]

It's very true.

[@imposter-hero-2736]

It's pretty simple because its probably difficult and time consuming to do all the filming, the writing, playing, researching and editing on a timely basis when he has 2-3 kids to attend to. It's never easy to get anything done when you have family matters to worry about. If people don't like it nobody is forcing them to watch it especially when there is more than enough retro game content to watch on KZbin.

[@rentoptional1524]

@@imposter-hero-2736 this is James' full-time job. Why does he treat it like a hobby? He works from home. He pulls in $200k-300k easily per year. His wife doesn't work. Many families have 2 working parents and find a way to get by. I have 2 daughters and my wife works too.

[@robertlawrence9000]

Yep and people grow and change throughout the years.

[@TheGoldenJiggy]

Another reason why the old videos from the earlier seasons were very short was because back then, KZbin had a 10 or 15 min upload limit rule per video. Ever since the early 2010's, that rule has changed and now you can upload videos with longer runtimes. Also the poop jokes that you mentioned, yes, no one does those anymore because they are not even allowed on the platform anymore, or else they'll age restrict the videos. Aka, one of YT's dumb rules.

[@standardofexcellence]

Typical overlord bullshit compromising creative freedom

[@Sh4rtL0rd]

Unsure WHY people won't rebel against our overlords

[@tdog3954]

@@Sh4rtL0rd money.

[@Noctaru]

@@Sh4rtL0rd same as why no one rebels against anything. You need to be millions. If one person says they gonna do their videos in another platform. Kay who cares? And nobody wants to do it . Everybody wants to follow but none has the balls nor the will to sacrifice themselves in hope

[@Chaoitcme]

@@Sh4rtL0rd Rebel and go where? There is no other platform that matches the reach of KZbin.

[@PeterMasalski93]

It's simple. The KZbin time limit is very different today than back then. I think back when AVGN started, 10 minutes was the Total amount of type a video could be on YT. Secondly, he went through the games he had most experience with first, it seems that the later games were often games he heard were bad from fans and didn't actually experience as a kid. He ran out of material. Today it feels more like he is analyzing a game as a critic instead of giving his first-hand experience as a kid and the viewer can feel it. His newer episodes aren't bad, they just feel more like a funny review than a rant which was what made him popular. We all had the same anger towards most of those NES Games.

[@BB-te8tc]

The flow of the episodes is very different, too. He covers the game from start to finish, stage by stage, in a way that feels formulaic, and he always reaches the game's ending, even when it's clearly evident he didn't beat the game. In some of the best episodes of the golden age, you'd see him express genuine frustration in not being able to, say, beat the first stage in Dick Tracy, or the gameplay footage was cut in a way that it wasn't always clear what part of the game he was discussing unless you knew the game beforehand.

[@jumentoqueanima]

Yeah.

[@After4th]

Back then when AVGN were originally uploaded to Gametrailers for several years since 2007.

[@JessicaFEREM]

trust me, AVGN if he opens his scope a bit more, you can find so many bad games that he would be set up for the rest of his life.

[@GamingTheSystems1]

I'd love to see him play some online games. Maybe an episode about Fortnite.

[@PrestonGraff]

@@GamingTheSystems1 He said in a podcast that he's never really played pokemon, I think it'd be cool if he played gen 1 pokemon for an episode. I loved his reviews of more popular games like earthbound or majoras mask

[@kirkanos3968]

Too bad after the pedo boys took over and mike left no amount of bad games will bring back the avgn.

[@PhoenIXPhantasies]

He can play all the bad games he wants but if the humor isn't on point anymore it's gonna suck.

[@TheVoidofNothing11]

@Life as we know it It's all constructive criticism.

[@ShroudedHand]

I feel the same way with AVGN as I do with some music I listen to. Some bands improve with age, and their newer stuff is technically way better but theres a certain earnestness in their early work thats hard to replicate once they've found success. The thing I like with early AVGN is, even though James is playing a character, you feel like hes genuinely playing the game and describing the things he hates about it. Theres all these little moments in a game that can be annoying or weird, and he describes them like he's played it a lot. With recent videos its more produced and slick. The skits are better made, but it doesnt feel like he's sat down and played the game to death in order to make the video. Its understandable though, he has a family and probably doesn't want to spend all day playing some shitty game. I still love the new stuff. I just wish Mike was still involved with the channel, he was my favourite character

[@faronsquare]

I just think James is older, a father now, and his heart isn't as in it as it once was. I can relate.

[@comicsdude3166]

I miss Justin playing the nerd song. your constructive criticism are on point.

[@atranfanatic]

The Castlevania, Ghostbusters, Ninja Gaiden, TMNT, Transformers and Paperboy are among my all time favorite AVGN episodes. And good points brought up man.

[@Vegeton]

The segment in Paperboy where he actually tries to break a window with a newspaper was amazing.

[@lemonlateralus]

Remember that the only reason the first few seasons had a shorter runtime is because youtube originally limited all videos to 10 minutes max.

[@dm6905]

Good luck with bringing Kyle back. Kyle hasn't talked to James since 2016 because he was sick of James not willing to pay him for making music and building sets.

[@GamingTheSystems1]

Darn. I need to catch up on the lore.

[@dhi1145]

I have yet to see confirmation on this claim.

[@TrashQueenAndKing]

​@@dav786 source?

[@JohnnyFarang]

​@@TrashQueenAndKing what do you live in a country where they don't have Google? 🤔

[@TrashQueenAndKing]

@@JohnnyFarang Why does asking for a source trigger you people so much? I just get TCT posts about it that don't source it either. I swear that the modern Internet makes everyone hostile even if someone asks in good faith to see where this interview is.

[@tardis9436]

It all changed when he joined Screenwave. They started writing the scripts and they suck. They wanted a piece of of AVGN fame. Also, they look ‘too professional’ if that makes any sense. The old ones looked more ‘raw’ and seemed unscripted.

[@GamingTheSystems1]

Raw is a good way to put it. Regardless of who is doing what, I believe there's always some way to improve.

[@KenMasters.]

The first downfall I noticed is how worn-out Rolfe acts: He went from being the Angry Video Game Nerd to being the Annoyed Gaming Retrospective Grampa.

[@VinePest]

He used to be a passionate indie filmmaker and it showed in the way he crafted his videos. Nowadays he might have other goals or different outlets for that passion than AVGN. Something has definitely changed.

[@MoveitorLoseit2]

The passion he used to have is gone. It ended years ago. He is just trying keep money coming in now, but also knows he needs to hang on to as much of his old fan base as he can. It just feels forced now. Not organic anymore.

[@murkywaters5502]

​@@MoveitorLoseit2 100% correct. He himself is not really a video game person, but rather a movie person, and that shows in the sense that AVGN in general was really just him using video games from when he was a kid as a plot device to tell stories about a nerd who gets angry for comedic purposes. It's clear that he's not passionate about AVGN and that he's just holding onto whatever audience he can because it's kind of like "what else can he do without jeopardizing his income"? I repeat, he was never quite a video game person in the first place and I think that's where the misunderstanding comes from between him and his fans, so naturally, coaxing him into always talking about video games when he's really only kind of interested in some ones he played as a kid is going to get tired quickly.

[@DanJackson1977]

Yeah... he grew up

[@ninjagaiden86]

@@DanJackson1977 for real like everyone is really ridiculous pointing out what they think they know

[@Vfl666]

The biggest problem is he has no time.

[@shroomologist]

While they were cheesy and kind of amateurish, the special effects did add a lot of charm to the old videos. I think that a nice way to help bring the spark back would be to put those skills to good use in the new videos and use them to do something about his hairline.

[@GarlicMonoxide]

Emotional damage.. Been sad to see, but..I guess we're all mortals.

[@MarcoFD]

when mike left, it kinda lost its magic for me.

[@GamingTheSystems1]

It definitely hurt the channel as a whole. He goes well with James.

[@HiNRGboy]

but Mike actually came back a few times recently and it was good again lol

[@miragebangbravern2024]

​@@deiradinnI wouldn't say stole since Mike WROTE the scripts. If anything, James was acting like Mike rather than steal his identity.

[@kevinfromsales9445]

James never needed Mike... The reason the AVGN pilot episodes were successful was because of James' charming personality and his ability to share his thoughts for the games and movies he is passionate about you can feel that it's genuine not him reading some shitty script. Which is why many fans prefer to see James being himself and not AVGN because honestly the Angry Gamer personality has long died off, it's humor and ideas are very 2000's and has been done to death which is why his movie also failed.

[@HiNRGboy]

@@kevinfromsales9445 I disagree a bit, I think the episodes with them together are by far the best, and that's not a knock on James at all. I'm just saying they have great chemistry when doing these episodes together because they're friends and their ideas are both really good when working together.

[@daron9229]

100% agree with your points. He just needs to bring energy and passion into his episodes, move the camera around, change the lighting, actually act as the Nerd. He seems to be going through the motions.

[@89simba57]

I watch the AVGN for over 14 years. I miss the old episodes. Thx for the critic, I feel the same

[@mamearcadeartworkproject4166]

Sometimes he hits the target, his latest Earthworm Jim vid was hilarious (at least I thought so). It seems very hit or miss these days, some are good, some not so much. I agree with others that he is older now and has more responsibilities so of course his heart isn't quite as in it as it once was. Also must be difficult trying to keep coming up with funny ideas for over 200 episodes. But I give him props for keeping the series going for his fans, I'm sure some content creators would have been like nah F this I have a family now, I'm done

[@brokenboy351]

Good stuff, very mature critisism. WE all love James, hope he listens.

[@pharaohosam]

I actually prefer the longer episodes as I watch them to decompress and get away from real life. I hope James continues this show for many years to come.

[@Halauris]

I bet he'll retire when he reaches 50.

[@MrMarrekkk]

I almost forgot about this re-upload and I thought at first that it’s AVGN himself commenting on the video. Excellent work like always

[@jooch_exe]

Batman forever was pure gold.

[@weldin]

I don’t blame him at all for doing sponsored segments since that’s just how things are on KZbin these days. However, I totally agree that they would be much better if they were done in character (if possible, as some sponsors might not like the association with the character).

[@supersayianshrek5455]

I can't believe this guy is ripping off the Irate Gamer.

[@Majuular]

Nice video! Some thoughts as someone who was hugely influences by AVGN: I don't think episodes length is an *inherent* problem. Action 52, Cheetahmen, the Castlevania Retrospective (arguably, although it's broken into segments) are among my favorite AVGN videos. As for the newer videos, Earthbound & Majora's Mask are among fan favorites. To put it simply, if you have 10 minutes of thoughts on a game, then 10 minutes is the right length. If you have 30 minutes of thoughts, 30 minutes is the right length. A lot of his work is now outsourced, so the lack of personal experience & passion is certainly noticeable. Especially to those of us who were around during the Gametrailers/Screwattack era, it's clear that he was HUNGRY back then. He was a young guy who found unexpected success in a totally unexplored medium, it's no surprise his drive & enthusiasm have dipped as that once-novel experience has become a daily grind. It's also true that, with the changing landscape of KZbin, he & his channel management team are trying to adapt. This means gaming the algorithm, as well as finding a new audience to facilitate the revolving door (as older fans stop watching). This is clear with videos like Shrek or Life of Black Tiger, which sort of "cash in" on memes or the current KZbin zeitgeist. I don't begrudge him that, and it was cool to see James interacting with Gilbert Gottfried, but it's clear that he's often delving into a world that he no longer understands or really even cares about. In these cases, it feels like a script was written for him and he's "going through the motions", so to speak. There's not as much personal investment. I appreciate Cinemassacre's need to diversify it's content, but blending old nerd sensibilities with the tastes of younger KZbinrs didn't always land. It is what it is. As for the joke criticism - I hear where you're coming from. They often do not sound like James' voice. To me, AVGN is at his funniest when he's delivering drive-by quips without missing a beat. "I can hardly get this in the cartridge slot. It's like trying to stick your dick in a cheerio". This casual delivery of one of the most hilarious lines ever put to paper for a YT video, and he doesn't even give you time to absorb it before he moves along - amazing pacing. It's also such a uniquely Nerd thought. Some of that is bound to disappear when other people are writing your scripts. I love James, I love AVGN. It's been a huge inspiration to me, and a part of my life for over 15 years. Without James, the "dorks talking about stuff they like on the internet" scene (of which I am a part) would be unrecognizable. He helped pioneer a completely new medium, he became a cult sensation like he'd always dreamed, and he did all of this while taking care of his family. He's got nothing to prove, and I harbor NO ill will towards his change in style. Sometimes I wish things still felt like 2010 - but that's life, isn't it? People change, priorities shift, the people we were at 24 aren't the people we'll be in our 40s. He'll always have a prolific catalogue of amazing episodes we can return to, and I respect his devotion to the channel & the daily grind. May he continue to find fulfillment & success in what he does.

[@GamingTheSystems1]

Thanks for the comments. He is indeed one of the original pioneers of KZbin.

[@UberNeuman]

y'know. Somethings run their course.

[@tawagotoCage]

i love both avgn eras EQUALLY but for different reasons

[@Pichuscute]

I won't lie, I didn't realize AVGN even still did videos. I probably last watched him in like 2015.

[@sensoryoverload6809]

Right!? Last Avgn episode that really made me laugh out loud was Hong Kong 97. Probably came out at around the same time, and I still see it as a new episode when in reality it came out 8 years ago. How time fly’s…

[@casedistorted]

I still watch his videos when they pop up in my recommendations, but that’s not very often these days

[@Darbley92]

You've missed out

[@garnerquillon2181]

CGR was awesome. I miss that series.

[@pescidavid91]

There is something in the tone that has been lost, it wasn't all screaming and whining in those classic 6 or 7 seasons. The snark and low key annoyance was always funny too.

[@FlamespeedyAMV]

I stopped watching AVGN and hadnt a clue why, then rewatched his older videos and loved them compared to anything hes done in the last 3 years

[@eversosleight]

Mark Hamill doing an ad before Star Wars 😂 That was a good one, I like that. Makes sense to do these ads at the end of the video for this exact reason, hampers the enthusiasm.

[@CodingAbroad]

Thing is nowadays we’re getting so many bad games getting released which are unfinished (which eventually get patched) but that could represent some great material for him. Cyberpunk would have been gold considering all the bugs it had

[@Dr_Cosmobyte]

People want Screenwave to go, want James to do this and that... he's been on this for 15+ years. What about making a last goodbye and bury it? He could keep on his movie reviews and if occasionally he felt like doing so, do a guest appearance as the nerd. my cents tho.

[@mamodokod4613]

I still love the AVGN, i know hes a grown man with a family now and hes tired i just hope he keeps going.

[@commonsense8909]

Your points are spot on. I kinda haven't watched him in years because I find his newer episodes (within the past 7 or so years) to be hit or miss, but mostly miss. One of the jokes that I have seen him use a lot is the reaction to something where he says, "wow what an asshole" without any feeling. Just seems like his writing deteriorated, or he's reading another person's script who can't write. The build up angry also comes across to me like it's forced rather than genuine frustration of the game.

[@MAKgargos]

The length itself is not the problem. In fact, it's a good thing that nowadays there are hardly any technical limitations. Videos used to be shorter out of necessity because web space was expensive and he generally didn't have the equipment for complex post-processing. A video should always be as long as it needs to be. But that also means that it doesn't have to be longer than necessary. Recent videos are often really stretched, so yes, they should usually be shorter, but not always. As an example, I have to think of Casino Royale vs. Quantum of Solace. Quantum of Solace was shorter, but in the cinema I thought the movie would be oversized because it just dragged on for so long while Casino Royale was entertaining most of the time.

[@Lucky_9705]

Seeing James padding out his videos reminds me of the time when the Powerpuff Girls went from 11 minute episodes in the first four seasons to 22 minute episodes in the final two seasons.

[@TheMultiGunMan]

I totally agree with you. Your insight is spot on.

[@MonoGrinded]

Great video, these suggestions would probably help a lot.

[@DeadYorick]

Kyle Justin coming back is an impossibility as reportedly Kyle Justin wasn't being paid by James and ghosted him after he kept stalling on paying him. This was also why Bootsy left before him.

[@funnystuff76]

It's hard to see that James seemed to have lost his creative controle over the AVGN. I get that he need time for his familly, but as an hardocre fan since day 1, I miss the real AVGN. And the fact that they are making 5 to 6 episodes a year (it seems like it), they lost the steam.

[@ConspiracyBytes]

these are all excellent points, well done

[@maxstone9999]

Bugs bunny's birthday blowout is probably my single favorite youtube video. I simply wished he just did AVGN episodes and cut out everything else which I never watch.

[@Jath2112]

I...dig your take on this. I... still go back and watch the first seasons...and I still watch the new ones. I'll love that guy forever, and I am just ok with it changing over time. I really appreciate what he has done.

[@OldSchoolCurt]

You just earned my subscription by having ghost n goblins playing in the background!

[@paulnewhouse5126]

I think you really hit it with the Joke timings. Good catch!

[@otakubullfrog1665]

I actually do wish some of his older videos had been longer (particularly during the Screw Attack era when I think he may have pushed himself too hard to keep to a release schedule and occasionally spat out a quickie to do it), but that's a good problem to have as a creator.

[@grimTales1]

This was a good video. I agree about the anger sometimes feeling un-natural, and jokes lingering too long. However, I really liked Last Ninja and Contra - Last Ninja felt like an old classic episode which was excellent. Contra had heart and it seemed like James was invested and passionate about it, as he loved that game in his youth. The speech near the end of the episode was really well done and moving. Good point about the sponsors and how they're done - I never thought of it that way though I don't mind the ads themselves - they're short, and he has to make money somehow. In Rental Reviews they tried to make the sponsor ads funny and silly.

[@donaldxavier2056]

AVGN episodes were better about 10 years ago. The personality is not there, like it used to be. It just seems like nowadays he is providing just narration to a game he is not the pleased with. Older episodes seem more thought out and charming. I still watch the new episodes but it is just not the same. I blame KZbin as well since the ad-pocalypse. Being as raunchy as the older episodes means being demonetized unless the video has a sponsor, and it is annoying having to watch an ad for raid shadow legends when the nerd should be having a total meltdown. AVGN should take the opportunity and go nuclear while having to discuss ads while he is doing his game review!

[@wakachumba4062]

But he plays Raid all the time. He said it himself, it's the one game that keeps pulling him back in!

[@Eidings-Mc]

@@wakachumba4062 So that's why he has no time xD

[@jeffro24]

ive enjoyed watching jame's content grow and change

[@KudoBrothers]

These are excellent suggestions. His show really has changed.

[@ryanyoder7573]

Completely agree. I knew some of this but didn’t know I knew it until watching your video. Well stated.

[@CinemaStormz]

Awesome video keep up the good work!

[@LackaJudgment]

I agree, definitely trim the fat on these newer episodes, and hunt for some more overlooked or obscure games. Miss the days of the Zelda CDI and Plumbers Don’t Wear Ties reviews

[@alpzepta]

Now I know why I enjoy a 2007 AVGN a lot more than a new one

[@JOONBUGFILMS]

Let's put it this way I think that angry videogame nerd has kind of become a KZbin superhero all great heroes need a villain so he should introduce a villain into his mythology

[@WeeabossVA]

In the recent scriptwriting BTS episode James released, he states clearly that for some of the past episodes, he had a first draft sometimes written for him that he'd comb over and add/subtract from (he even uses the Screenwave episodes as examples of this). For the newer ones, he mostly tries to do it himself and still has Mike contribute a couple of jokes here or there if they're on the spot. Tbh, I think the simplist answer now is he's getting older and mellowing out, likely due to having kids that are getting older and the responsibilities that come with that. As a fellow content creator, I can say that your craft is at its best when you can devote 100% of your life to it. But naturally, his family life comes first and therefore, he needs extra help writing and editing whereas before he could mostly do everything himself. Unrelated though, I wish he'd go back to the old shirts. The new ones just bug me aesthetically, idk why.

[@scottwilson3741]

1st video I've seen & new subscriber btw

[@SalveASMR]

As a long timw AVGN fan... I appreciate this video.

[@2mrwario]

Theres as much a chance of James seeing this as Sly seeing James climb a mowdin

[@stevemelo]

All great points! I completely agree.

[@_Baby_Moses_]

The levitating cat joke was pretty funny.

[@FlameLFH]

In my opinion AVGN is at its best is when a series of persistent inconveniences slowly snowball into rage, whether they be bad level design, controls, hardware, presentation, etc. ROB the Robot is a perfect example of this principle done right. The device only supports two games, it's very slow, it's inefficient at picking up & dropping objects, and because it relies on a second controller, you could just press the buttons yourself in far less time than ROB would take.

[@Mingodough]

As harsh as it sounds, everyone has their peak. I think he reached it and that’s fine. Sure I won’t watch the newer stuff but can’t blame the guy

[@redacted2275]

Not the point of the video at all... you not having a problem is absolutely okay but the guy gives some good suggestions here.

[@thousandyeargems4360]

Happy to hear your fsvourite episode is big rigs. While thats up there for me, my favourite era of AVGN is 2013 to 2015

[@brainpump81]

It doesn't need to be restored. Its done. It should be over. It's been 20 years. James isn't the same person he was when recording Castlevania II and TMNT, just like I'm not the same person I was 20 years ago. He made great videos, made us laugh and influenced many others, why can't people just appreciate that? Why do people feel the need to milk that absolute life out of things? Just let things end gracefully. We don't need more TMNT, more Addams Family, more He-Man, more Star Wars... we need fresh ideas. That was what helped make AVGN so great 20 years ago, it was a new idea, we hadn't seen anything like it before. You're actually gonna complain that something has gotten old after 20 years? James isn't the problem (same as TMNT, Star Wars, etc), it's the "so-called" fans that are the problem

[@exodous02]

I've seen a few A.I. deep fake AVGN videos and one was really good. I think he is tired of The Nerd, you can tell with the last few years, he isn't putting as much into them. I understand, he's been doing it for a decade. He tried to diversify but none of his videos are as popular as his nerd videos.

[@yu-anliu4198]

Hey this is my first time watching a video from your channel and I think you did a great job. I've followed AVGN and began watching his episodes since early beginning of cinemassacre. Like many here, I enjoy the early episodes way better. I know my taste and humor haven't changed much because every once in a while I will still revisit his older episodes and found them to be complete breath of fresh air compared to the later ones. Back then not only was the Nerd angry, but also extremely bitter, and could snap at any minute. He knew the games are bad, and is super pissed off even before the cartridges were inserted. But after he started playing his reactions looked like he was experiencing a bad game for the first time in his life. I know this doesn't make much sense, but James has managed to balance "angry reaction during the 1st playthru" and "acting bitter because he already knows the game is bad" perfectly. Watch his Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde re-visit episode and you'll see what I mean. The older Nerd has a lot more whinning, sarcastic laughing, sighing, etc. The longer runtime doesn't bother me that much, but the fact that his reactions are less raw, less bitter, and less explosive, is what makes it less enjoyable to me personally.

[@TehOneTrewIdjut]

Hahaha “Awkward and over analytical host.” I love you dude. You know how to eat the criticism with more class than I’ve ever seen. Edit: I agree about the transition from James the person to James the Nerd. I absolutely agree. He should do them as the nerd, for real.

[@GamingTheSystems1]

I feel like I'm "coming out" when I say that, and maybe other awkward people will be comfortable saying it afterward.

[@TehOneTrewIdjut]

@@GamingTheSystems1 I love you dude. You’re legit the only game channel I watch these days unless I’m digging for something for my Steam deck. I hope all is well. Thanks for the reply. Edit: I lied. I watch metal Jesus too.

[@LdeinerProductions]

I agree that AVGN is getting stale, but I don’t agree with most of the suggestions just being “remember that thing that was funny in 2007? Do that again.” James has gone through, and arguably still is going through, burnout. If we wanna see halfway decent content again, we gotta push to expirement and try new things. He might be able to surprise us and give us something we didn’t know we wanted. He did it once after all.

[@DonellHD]

good advice friend. very good video. you touched very good points!

[@Heptad]

That line about the cat going thru the tire is so much more hilarious out of context

[@CoreyHart13]

This dudes accent just kills me lol... yet also delights me. How he says "Older" as "Odor" is just peak weirdo and I'm 100% here for it. Keep Killin er brother 💯 🤘

[@MoonMagicks]

Lol just like James' 'Wolfman" as "woof man".

[@cloudseven9041]

How does his accent make him a weirdo what

[@Alcoholic_Nerd]

Very well made video and pretty much every single point is exactly what is happening...

[@TPD]

good video. agree with a lot of the points. i do think james should keep sponsors, but as the nerd. integrate them into the video!

[@TLOEric]

Amazing points, and agree on all

[@DancinRic]

I really like this video. Reasonable and accurate criticism. Not dedicating your entire channel to tear down every video he uploads for the most pathetic reasons. I feel like James enough of a following. If y'all think the ads prevent him from being the old James or just don't like the ads. Ask him to start a Patreon or something of the kind.

[@coolbluelights]

Back in the early seasons youtube videos were limited to 10 minutes, so he was forced to fit a lot of content into a short window of time. And yeah I agree he should make the ads in his way, not just read a premade script. one person who does this is MrBallen. he makes the ads funny and entertaining and I never skip them.

[@BB-te8tc]

Your comment about "do something on newer games, not even bad ones necessarily" gave me an idea. We've seen glimpses of AVGN not "understanding" newer games/technology in past episodes. Why not run with that idea?

[@GamingTheSystems1]

I told someone else he should try some online games and included some voice chat.

[@BB-te8tc]

That'd be a bit tricky because the nature of voice chat would require some level of "improv" that I'm not sure he could pull off in character, but I really like that idea.

[@GamingTheSystems1]

I figure he could say about 30 things on the mic, and maybe keep about 3 of them. An old retro gamer playing a modern game could be funny if done right.

[@fernandobanda5734]

​@@GamingTheSystems1 James has expressed that he's terrible improvising. He works much better iterating a lot on the writing before recording. Just turning on the microphone is not going to lead to things being funnier.

[@1977TA]

No matter what positive changes James makes AVGN is never going to be what it was at the height of its popularity. All things run their course and eventually become relics of the past. James is not the kid he was when he started AVGN. He's a middle-aged man with a family and other responsibilities that require his attention. To be honest, he hasn't recovered from the failure that was the AVGN movie. The best thing James can do at this point is end AVGN and start a new series. The pissed off video game critic character type is no longer the novelty it once was. Lastly, AVGN was not intended to be a long running series. It started with a kid just screwing around in front of his camera when KZbin was still in its infancy. As I said before James is no longer that kid. He's gotten everything he's going to get out of AVGN and in my opinion the time has come for him to move on to something else.

[@PrestonGraff]

I noticed your old video was taken down and was wondering what happened to it I like new AVGN but there's definitely a lot of people that agree that their older material was better

[@masteroflight7296]

after the near 20 years of doing thins James hasn't seemed to have learned what does and doesn't work. fans have had the same complaints for years but refused to address them in anyways, in fact he doubles down on them

[@GustavoValdiviesso]

Cool suggestions. I watch The Nerd from basically the beginning (on YT), and most of what you described is just a symptom of James not editing his own videos anymore. He clearly needs a better editor.

[@zubareus]

It looks like AVGN just went from a homemade video to a corporate product

[@FlamespeedyAMV]

Ever since Mike left

[@Aeternuss]

I think it is obvious KZbin have changed and people have to understand the first episode was posted on April 8, 2006... We are lucky James made those all this comedy gold in a time when it was ''You''tube and not ''Advertiser friendly'' tube

[@aaronfoss8956]

pretty solid analysis

[@aquamidideluxe5079]

As an AVGN superfan I see where you're coming from with all of these. There was a period after EarthBound and before last year where most episodes were really rough and something just felt off about them, and this is due to these episodes being largely written by Screenwave Media. He said in a recent Behind the Scenes video that he started writing the scripts by himself again with Commodore 64, and the improvement shows. Especially since The Last Ninja, AVGN is better than it's been a long time. The changes in editing and comedic timing are probably again due to the fact that James hasn't been editing the videos himself for years. For awhile now they've been edited by Screenwave, specifically by Kieran Fallon. Recently Kieran stepped down and a new editor, Sean O'Rourke, edited the Earthworm Jim episode. I definitely feel the improvement as the construction of the video felt just a little more like classic AVGN. The audio mixing in particular is way better than it's been in awhile. More recent episodes had an audio mix that was kinda loud and blown out, but Earthworm Jim had a quieter mic like the old episodes. Or maybe he just got a new mic and I'm reading into it too much, lol. I will say that personally, I really enjoy the videos being longer. KZbin video game reviews in general have gotten longer these days, and it allows him to go a little more in depth with the games. In the old days, sometimes he'd only get a few levels into a game before dipping out. Some of his newer long videos, like Commodore and Contra, have been pretty great I think. But you are right that it's generally better to trim fat when you can. Also the older videos definitely did feel a little more raw and immersive. I kinda wish he would make a Patreon so he could sidestep all the demonetization crap and sponsorships altogether. I feel like plenty of people would donate to him, especially with a cheap lower tier.

[@Bassotronics]

I agree with you 100%!

[@tyguy104]

The greatest NES or SNES rom hack ever? Sim City with top down Grand Theft Auto, that are like Ikari Warriors, like throw grenades and stuff? In the game you can set up military invasions where you have to defend your city. Ploppable RCI colorful zones, like that. Wires can carry a sprite like the amp in Mario. Think of Mario sprites for inspiration like that. Disasters of course, where fire keeps damaging. The SNES disasters were good! The cities require resources to bulid onward. Sid Meier's Railroad Tycoon and Open TTD to set up freight paths for the city?

[@PUCKTHEGREATEST]

definitely agree about the ads. he can totally do them in character, that’s what caddicarus does and it doesn’t seem to hurt any sponsorship opportunities

[@Jamesamong007]

When you brougt up the poop humor and stuff, i think with KZbin's nonsense guidelines he might be toning it down a little bitll, just my guess.

[@ScovellsRock]

For me it's a video quality. I have a theory that high resolution film creates a fake effect that is hard for people to connect to.

[@kamekakarot]

As fellow longtime Nerd fan, I agree with most of your points. This is some good constructive criticism

[@VideoMeltdown]

The Big Rigs episode is 8 years old and I'm fucking elderly

[@MikeDest]

For me the quality went down as the visual quality went up. The transition to HD and playing up the KZbin algorithm and changing of the thumbs. I get it, he tried to improve and generate more income, but the product has suffered as a result.