Nostalgia Critic vs Angry Video Game Nerd [Channel Awesome/Cinemassacre general]

[SolidStateSurvivor]

There are few internet rivalries more fabled than that of Nostalgia Critic (Doug Walker) and Angry Video Game Nerd (James Rolfe). They are some of the longest running series on YouTube so figured might as well have a general thread on them, curious to see what others think of their overall impact on internet culture and current on-goings.

Both have had plenty of ups and downs over the years, but I honestly think creatively Doug is in a better position than James presently. The old Nerd episodes still hold up quite well but Cinemassacre has been a mess since Kyle Bootsy and Mike left (James has a love/hate fandom on par with Howard Stern these days) whereas Doug's kind of just continued to do his own thing through the years and come out of that #ChangeTheChannel controversy rather unscathed.

 

[赤い男]

I never watched nostalgia critic, so i have no opinions about it.


I used to love Cinemassacre when i was a little kid, and even now i occasionally tune in to catch up on the latest content. James comes across as laid-back, and I appreciate that he's managed to steer clear of unnecessary controversies (most of the time). It feels like one of those enduring habits from my youth that I've held onto. As for the perceived decline in quality, it's hard for me to pinpoint significant changes. If anything, the content seems to maintain its essence, though perhaps there's a subtle shift toward a more grounded and less chaotic vibe, which could be attributed to James' age. Regardless, I don't find myself overly concerned about these issues. In the end, it's enjoyable content that I still find entertaining, especially when unwinding at night.

that being said.

JAMES DO A FUCKING TOUHOU REVIEW, YOU GOOFY ASS DID A HONG-KONG 97 ONE YOU HAVE NO FUCKING EXCUSE

 

[Deerhunter]

been watching AVGN pretty much since 2016 as well as his monster madness videos on his website since like 2017. feels weird watching monster madness and AVGN with sponsorships now especially monster madness. i was there when he personally ended it on his own accord only for screenwave to bring it back to life which i never liked and hasn't watched both series since though i understand why he did it given hes father and AVGN has long cemented his legacy on the internet at this point. channel awesome i haven't watched since 2021 and that's mostly cause i didn't like his style of videos writing and comedy wise but also because i was never that big into movies to begin. there rivalry together is funny to look back on but i cant say i see for myself when it was still going.

i honestly remember AVGN's collab with Pat the NES punk more than anything really. does anybody else remember that?

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fs2wczJXETM

 

[Deleted member 0000]

He was robbed

The Angry Video Game Nerd—he's angry. He's rage, he's fury, he's crude, why, he is provocation itself.
Now, the Irate Gamer? He's irate. He is sophisticated in his tendencies toward shit games. He is the thinking gamer's choice.

 

[№56]

I was big into both AVGN and the Nostalgia Critic as a kid, but while I can still get a chuckle out of some of the older AVGN episodes everything Doug made is painfully unfunny in retrospect.
It's weird to think about how big "angry reviewers" used to be. Nowadays "internet celebrities" are just real celebrities, but back in the day they were just grown-up versions of the extra-loud kids who are attracted to high school anime/video game clubs. And people loved it, I don't remember hearing anyone made fun of the Nostalgia Critic, the AVGN, or even the great Linkara for doing potentially embarassing stuff in public until recently. It's a perfect example of how much internet culture has changed.
One of my dream movies is a Spinal Tap-style angry reviewer mockumentary, loosely based on all the stories about the making of Kickassia. I think the idea has a huge amount of potential, both as a parody and as a semi-serious Y2K period piece.

 

[GENOSAD]

JAMES DO A FUCKING TOUHOU REVIEW, YOU GOOFY ASS DID A HONG-KONG 97 ONE YOU HAVE NO FUCKING EXCUSE

erm, actually..........

 

[Amadis]

I'd rather let Fred Fucks take a shit in my ear than listen to Doug Walker try to do anything. His little "beef" with James was one sided for a while it was just him pleading james to come on the show until the collab eventually happened. Doug's greatest achievement was enabling Linkara to produce industrial grade cringe.

 

[Deadchief1175]

usually I like to contribute to threads...
However

View: https://youtu.be/JMwGNRWBh9A?si=_2ZbXcTxPJwDEss8


Edit: Here is another favorite.


View: https://youtu.be/pZ-Sy11mvZU?si=N2d9mKC6UwWykCWC

 

[GothMonk]

WHAT THE FUCK WAS HE FUCKING THINKING WAS HE SMOKING CRACK OUT OF HIS ASS OR SOMETHING. What a pathetic piece of so called comedy I'd rather shove my cock in a toaster and set it off in the bath than watch that miserable wretched filth again!

I mean yeah I get it a parody of the Joker, fine but you gotta be kidding me Melvin? MELVIN? Oh my god, Melvin. Fucking Melvin.

It sucked when it released in 2009 and it still sucks now, what a shit load of fuck! I'm dead fucking serious...

 

[punishedgnome]

I was a really big fan of AVGN and Screw Attack back when they were on gametrailers.com. However, I don't really think AVGN has been watchable for years at this point. I liked James and Mike Mondays, but now that that's gone, I hardly watch any of the guy's stuff anymore. I think it's kind of run its course, but he can't justify ending it because provides a decent living wage .

 

[HammerKoopa]

Back then i could only watch the few videos of them that had spanish subtitles, which at the time the majority of them were Nostalgia Critic and a few sparse AVGN. I used to love the Nostalgia Critic and the whole That Guy With The Glasses expanded universe; Linkara, Snoopy, Cinema Snob, Nostalgia Chick, Film Brain, Jew Wario etc etc etc
It truly was the coolest shit at the time, and the specials felt like an event, i rewatched Kickassia way many more times that i can think of, and i unironically thought it was the funniest most kickass piece of internet media ever!

So following this anime esque pantheon of grown ass geeks, the AVGN felt like the perfect rival. Movies vs Games felt right, (Like Games vs Anime, or Games vs Comics, or Games vs Games. Damn Games they ruined gaming!). I am glad they are still doing their thing, even tho both feel like seeing a washed up celebrity at a convention, which is probably how they are going to be in 30 years under a big "MEET THE ORIGINAL AVGN/NOSTALGIA CRITIC" sign at ComicCon 2054. BUT the truth of the matter is that internet culture changed and we changed with it, they were around at the perfect time at the perfect place to get popular. Godspeed to them

 

[MindControlBoxer]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwbqcxVWfSA

 

[Sketch Relics]

Watched a ton of Cinemassacre growing up, somehow never once heard of the Nostalgia Critic until all of his stuff self-destructed.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYDuy7wM8Gk


Still a classic


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULmOv3AtreE&t=4s


I haven't thought about James other stuff in an eternity, I always thought it was cool he had this on his site.

 

[imnotdeadyet]

Used to love watching James and Cinemassacre, nostalgia critic less so but it's hard to argue that both of them haven't impacted internet culture and culture in general. James spawned a whole genre of angry game reviewers that's still pretty relevant to this day.

But the times have changed. Doug got all egotistical and subsequently got his ego shattered after that embarrassing "the wall" debacle, but arguably recovered and continued to do his own thing. Bames on the other hand lost that AVGN touch and got lazy, letting the slobs at screenwave media run his business. Under their leadership having plagiarism scandals, reading off Wikipedia and calling it a review, doing unironic soylent promotions and much more! What a fall from grace, the AVGN movie falling did a number on him. But even if they hadn't changed it's hard to tell how successful they would be nowadays if you exclude their legacy status, stuff like that would only get big during the older net times and arguably up to 2012-ish. Nowadays many would just call it cringe.

 

[HammerKoopa]

Used to love watching James and Cinemassacre, nostalgia critic less so but it's hard to argue that both of them haven't impacted internet culture and culture in general. James spawned a whole genre of angry game reviewers that's still pretty relevant to this day.

But the times have changed. Doug got all egotistical and subsequently got his ego shattered after that embarrassing "the wall" debacle, but arguably recovered and continued to do his own thing. Bames on the other hand lost that AVGN touch and got lazy, letting the slobs at screenwave media run his business. Under their leadership having plagiarism scandals, reading off Wikipedia and calling it a review, doing unironic soylent promotions and much more! What a fall from grace, the AVGN movie falling did a number on him. But even if they hadn't changed it's hard to tell how successful they would be nowadays if you exclude their legacy status, stuff like that would only get big during the older net times and arguably up to 2012-ish. Nowadays many would just call it cringe.

James expressed many a times that he wanted to be a film director and that he wanted the AVGN movie to be his breakthrough into that, so when the AVGN flopped it must of done a hell of a number on his pride. Can only imagine what it must be like to deal with a shattered dream, Doug also had a similar thing but not to the same extent with demo-reel that went so bad he had to retcon the death of the Nostalgia Critic.
Now a days they are both adult family men and their hard truth is that the remnants of their status is what puts food on the table and keeps the lights on rather than their dream projects.

 

[Jade]

AVGN should have ended with episode 100. The ROB episode was originally meant to be the finale and it works perfectly as such. As other people have said, everything afterwards was a gradual 'fall from grace', where all passion was lost and it became a necessary chore.
Nostalgia Critic, on the other hand, never really had any grace to fall from. His videos have always been bad and he only blew up because he was one of the first to do those sort of skit-based video essays, so the concept alone was novel.

 

[imnotdeadyet]

Now a days they are both adult family men and their hard truth is that the remnants of their status is what puts food on the table and keeps the lights on rather than their dream projects.

I honestly think AVGN movie flopping did more damage to the show then James being busy with family life, but regardless I wish he put it at least some effort still. He has time for Rex Viper but not AVGN? It doesn't really matter all things considered, the audience numbers should have been a wake up call for him if he still cared.

 

[Vitnira]

I totally missed the boat on both of these as a kid (funny how one can avoid some internet phenomena...). I've seen some AVGN as an adult and the angry acting is too fake and cringe for me. I can't stand it.

I guess I'd take it over Let's Plays though?

I'm a Ross' Game Dungeon fan (same dude as Freeman's Mind), and the older JonTron where he actually did game content. Both surely have their entertaining moments raging at content but it's not the whole schtick, and it's genuine.

If I can't stand AVGN would I like Nostalgia Critic at all?

 

[Jade]

I totally missed the boat on both of these as a kid (funny how one can avoid some internet phenomena...). I've seen some AVGN as an adult and the angry acting is too fake and cringe for me. I can't stand it.

I guess I'd take it over Let's Plays though?

I'm a Ross' Game Dungeon fan (same dude as Freeman's Mind), and the older JonTron where he actually did game content. Both surely have their entertaining moments raging at content but it's not the whole schtick, and it's genuine.

If I can't stand AVGN would I like Nostalgia Critic at all?

Game Dungeon is awesome
And Nostalgia Critic has always been bad, if you don't like AVGN, Nostalgia Critic will make you want to die. Even if you do like AVGN Nostalgia Critic is just awful. His older stuff does not hold up and his newer stuff is a complete train wreck

 

[SolidStateSurvivor]

I've seen some AVGN as an adult and the angry acting is too fake and cringe for me. I can't stand it.

The new episodes are like that, but the old ones really shined when it was a combination of informative content mixed with passive frustration and sarcasm. NES accessories and the Atari 5200 episodes are good examples of that.

If I can't stand AVGN would I like Nostalgia Critic at all?

No, I like it but mainly because I'm kind of nostalgic for the series itself. It's this earnest level of cringe that I kind of miss compared to the petty e-drama shit that YouTube has become.