James Rolfe / James D. Rolfe / Angry Video Game Nerd (AVGN) / Rex Viper and Cinemassacre / Screenwave - Now with not much grieving about a 41-year old man still making videos on YouTube. We're the balls on the dick.

[NomineNemo]

I assume Mike is the source of most of the footage.

Spoiler: Seems like a safe assumption per usual

 

[Pepe Cortisona]

I miss the camera work of his older videos. It made them more engaging and better presented, despite the limitations of the equipment he used back then. I also preferred the analog footage he used to capture the games over the crisp image output he's using now; it had a certain charm and added a lot to the retro experience. I also think his videos that were under 10 minutes were overall better, with some exceptions, such as the Ikari Warriors episode ("where did the hair go?"), and the very solid two-part episodes on Action 52 and the Atari Jaguar.

Now he is just another aging guy in a room full of video games reminiscing about said video games. And because of that, I would be ok if he just retired the character, because he is no longer what made him The Angry Video Game Nerd

 

[Eyesore City]

Unless Rolf has some money saved up, the Nerd won't be retired anytime soon. His other content gets ~200k views. Good numbers but his AVGN content gets 1.5-2million views. His movie reviews are pretty terrible. He kind of just rambles low tier movie trivia and kind of chuckles adding "and I think that's pretty cool" type commentary. Same can be said about Angry Joe.

Not hating on the guy because he found a good meal ticket. The funny thing is that, in the beginning he made his name by capitalizing on nostalgia. Now he himself has become the nostalgia and we all click on his video thinking about the old days.

 

[Sicko Hunter]

I am seconding the theory this video was rushed out because of the low performance of the last nerd episode which hasn't even broke 600k views on over two weeks.

 

[crunchy bits are the best]

Edit: the video is just a re-review of several Castlevania titles and includes one for Chronicles on the PSX. James say's something very perplexing when he realizes that Rondo of Blood has secret levels and he decides to bitch and say that's just like the cryptic bullshit in Castlevania 2. And no, that's wrong. The difference is that you need to know the cryptic bullshit in order to complete Castlevania 2. Not knowing cryptic bullshit doesn't lock off the ending to Rondo of Blood. If anything, it's more like the branching paths in Starfox 64.

This is another video that 'feels' like it could be the last one but we know better. It even ends with yet another montage of past AVGN's. How many videos has there been that's either an anniversary or celebration of the character? There has to be at least 4-5 videos like this now. Now it's just pretentious to watch.

I thought I was the only one who thought what the Nerd implied about "branching paths in Rondo of Blood being cryptic" was weird. It's more of just jerking off to Super Castlevania 4 again. Lame.

Not hating on the guy because he found a good meal ticket. The funny thing is that, in the beginning he made his name by capitalizing on nostalgia. Now he himself has become the nostalgia and we all click on his video thinking about the old days.

I remember when online angry reviewers were a thing in the mid-late 2000's and it was funny back then. Trying to pull that shit today is lame nowadays. Nostalgia has a finite lifespan just like the online YTbers who are growing older, sadly.

 

[D.Angus]

I am about half way through the twenty year episode and all I have to say is;

James Rolfe considers himself a film maker.

 

[xXx: State of the Union]

It's more of just jerking off to Super Castlevania 4 again. Lame.

Pretty much my biggest take away. Sure, it's "authentic" I guess, but it's so fucking boring. It's the worst of boomer gaming where it's just him constantly going "If it doesn't let me whip diagonal in all directions, is slightly difficult or makes me think, it's not good cause Castlevania 4 is the bestest ever."

And I'm not going to lie, basically saying "If only SOTN was a *real* Castlevania and let me play as a Belmont the whole time, it'd be good." annoys the fuck out of me and makes me wonder why the fuck *anyone* wants him to look at anything made past 1995.

 

[crunchy bits are the best]

Pretty much my biggest take away. Sure, it's "authentic" I guess, but it's so fucking boring. It's the worst of boomer gaming where it's just him constantly going "If it doesn't let me whip diagonal in all directions, is slightly difficult or makes me think, it's not good cause Castlevania 4 is the bestest ever."

And I'm not going to lie, basically saying "If only SOTN was a *real* Castlevania and let me play as a Belmont the whole time, it'd be good." annoys the fuck out of me and makes me wonder why the fuck *anyone* wants him to look at anything made past 1995.

At least I did play Super Castlevania 4 in the past when the Nerd recommended it in one of his videos and I can say up to now that I had more fun playing SOTN.....hell, I had more fun playing both Castlevania Chronicles and the 3D remake of Rondo of Blood for the PSP too than picking up SC 4 ever again in my opinion. Not enjoying the other Castlevania games just because "you can't whip in 8 directions, durr-hurr" comes off as his form of cope at this point. That and his receding hairline must be taking a toll on his psyche. Nerd should just rename his video to "Why SC4 is better than post SC4 games" since at least it's all about jerking off to that one game anyway.

 

[Captain Gomez]

Pretty underwhelming for a 20th anniversary episode, they propably rushed it just to shill V Rising, every gaming youtuber is shilling the fuck out the game this week.

 

[TVB]

fuck yeah, top-tier. I also love the Double Vision ones, the Sega CD & 32X. can watch the ones y'all have listed and those ones on loop, so much fun and they've aged so well.

For me, my favorite AVGN episodes consist of Ghostbusters games, Silver Surfer, Virtual Boy, Wizard of Oz, Plumbers Don't Wear Ties and Tiger Electronics

 

[CreamyHerman’s]

Spoiler: Seems like a safe assumption per usual

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Honestly this is one of the worst-kept secrets of cinemassacre. I would have much more respect for cinemassacre/slobwave as a whole if they just embraced the fact that Mike plays the games and James mumbles about them and they revamp AVGN content to be more of that style, whereas Mike tardrages and the Nerd looks on in abject horror.

 

[xXx: State of the Union]

Honestly, this was done so quickly after the failure of the horse video I have to question if these are even James actual thoughts on any of these games.

Like he just happened to find the time to replay Castlevania 4, SotN and Rondo of Blood at the exact same time that Mike did as well?

I have to ask, did anyone watch Mikes streams of playing these games and did he echo similar thoughts to James?

 

[BrunoMattei]

At least I did play Super Castlevania 4 in the past when the Nerd recommended it in one of his videos and I can say up to now that I had more fun playing SOTN.....hell, I had more fun playing both Castlevania Chronicles and the 3D remake of Rondo of Blood for the PSP too than picking up SC 4 ever again in my opinion. Not enjoying the other Castlevania games just because "you can't whip in 8 directions, durr-hurr" comes off as his form of cope at this point. That and his receding hairline must be taking a toll on his psyche. Nerd should just rename his video to "Why SC4 is better than post SC4 games" since at least it's all about jerking off to that one game anyway.

I always thought Castlevania 4 was pretty 'meh.' From the color palette being pretty dull, the music being sometimes good, and because it's a pseudo remake of the original it has that "been there done that" quality about it. I hated the gimmick with the 3D room too. Looks neat but the gameplay is mediocre. IMHO, best Castlevanias:

Linear:

Rondo of Blood
Bloodlines
3
1
The Adventure 2 (on GameBoy)
Rebirth

Metroidvania:

Aria of Sorrow
Symphony
Circle of the Moon

 

[BullfrogBill]

I always thought Castlevania 4 was pretty 'meh.' From the color palette being pretty dull, the music being sometimes good, and because it's a pseudo remake of the original it has that "been there done that" quality about it. I hated the gimmick with the 3D room too. Looks neat but the gameplay is mediocre.

I really love the soundtrack and graphics in Castlevania 4, it's just too damn easy.

As for the other games, the anime aesthetic RoB and the metroidvanias adopted Really ruin them for me. Especially RoB, great gameplay except when I have to go through cringe cutscenes between levels with cutesy animals and waifus. Really takes me out of it, it's like the game is making fun of the player or something and makes me feel like i'm Radical Reggie or some shit playing that. The gba games are almost as bad, Aria of Sorrow I didn't even get to gameplay before I turned it off because everything looks so gay.

 

[Enig]

Aria of Sorrow I didn't even get to gameplay before I turned it off because everything looks so gay

Oh boy wait until you see the DS sequel where the SotN style portraits are dropped entirely for animu shit and the plot gets even more obtuse

 

[skykiii]

This is another video that 'feels' like it could be the last one but we know better.

I was about to comment exactly this. It's weird how this has become a trend for the AVGN.

A part of me hopes he might do like Matpat and hype up his retirement but I'm not so stupid as to think that's at all realistic.

This video convinced me I need to finally play Rondo of Blood, so there's that.

 

[Jason Wynn]

Eh, new episode was ok but you can really tell James has no idea what he’s talking about when it comes to vidya, and can’t stand anything that involves the slightest amount of difficulty.

Dracula’s Curse was always my favorite of the old school Castlevanias. The knockback really isn’t that big a deal if you’re not a complete tard. Beat the game when I was 9. Super Castlevania is fun and really showed off what the snes was capable of back in the day, but looking pretty is about all it had going for it. Pretty easy game, good for a rainy afternoon but you’ll get no challenge from it.

His whole argument being “durr I can’t whip in all directions! Game sucks!” is just sad. Seems like if the game won’t hold his hand throughout the run, he shits on it.

 

[crunchy bits are the best]

Dracula’s Curse was always my favorite of the old school Castlevanias. The knockback really isn’t that big a deal if you’re not a complete tard. Beat the game when I was 9.

His whole argument being “durr I can’t whip in all directions! Game sucks!” is just sad. Seems like if the game won’t hold his hand throughout the run, he shits on it.

Same here, Dracula's Curse rules. Trevor/Sylpha is my favorite tandem.

I've said it again, Nerd should just rename that video to "Why SC4 is better...." He's just bitching now like a bitter, old man who can't adapt to change.

 

[Near]

Man, I just can't swing in those 8 directions. Symphony of the night might be a good game, but it's not a good CASTLEVANIA GAME. Balls on the dick.

 

[AlmightyMagichan]

Castlevania has been there since the beginning. Those games really do bring out the anger in all of us.