Angry Video Game Nerd I & II Deluxe brings the challenging pair of games together in a delightful package, offering some neat (and possibly less lethal) new surprises.
For those unfamiliar with the games, they’re a pair of challenging platformers (with the first being WORLDS harder than the second), each taking the player through ridiculous video game worlds filled with deadly traps and inside jokes for fans of the Angry Video Game Nerd videos (unsurprisingly). Even if you aren’t a fan of the AVGN videos, the games offer some absurd takes on the sillier elements of video games good and bad, offering some playful teases about the industry and classic gaming that add a lot to the game’s charm.
This new collection has softened the difficulty a bit, but I don’t want you to think that means these games are easy in any sense of the word. You may have infinite lives on Easy and Normal, but this game is relentlessly challenging, but completable with patience on those modes. It’s extremely satisfying to pull off some of the things it asks of you, though, hitting that sweet spot right before infuriating. Not that it won’t tip you over the edge here and there, having you raging at a world filled with grinning faces and cheerful creatures at times. Still, the new tweaks in play and respawn rates make this rage a lot less substantial, making the games far more approachable than their initial releases.
Angry Video Game Nerd I & II Deluxe offers some new secrets as well, and includes a new finale, giving players of the originals plenty of reason to come back and give the collection a shot. Plus, you can always play it on higher difficulty levels if you miss the way the old ones brutalized you. It’s a welcome collection of tough, yet fair platformers filled with fun jokes and nods to classic gaming.
Angry Video Game Nerd I & II Deluxe will be made available today on the Nintendo Switch and Steam.
About The Author
