The Angry Video Game Nerd/WMG

The Nerd is the victim of a Jackass Genie.
It's the only explanation for his vast collection.

Disappointed with his small video game library, he discovered a genie and wished for every video game ever made, the systems necessary to play them all, and a lot of beer. The genie granted his wish. In the process, the Nerd received so much shovelware that it was impossible for him to locate the games he truly wanted. Furthermore, the genie has trapped the Nerd in the expansive basement created to house his collection; the Nerd has no choice but to play the shitty games that suck ass. The Nerd has contemplated suicide to escape his situation, but the genie has also cursed him with almost total immortality. There is only one way for the Nerd to die, and he can't work up the courage to play Boogie just yet.

Also, the genie is Mike Matei. Bugs Bunny, The Joker, Freddy Kreuger, and Mike Matei's other roles are manifestations of the genie designed to further antagonize the Nerd.


 * What about the Halloween episode, where he left his house to babysit? Or the Texas Chainsaw Massacre episode, where he explicitly buys the game at an outdoor market?
 * It is possible to be futile to let the games get destroyed on their own, so they'd stay new everyday until he dies.
 * Alternatively he got on Calypso's good side during his wish.

Chris Bores is the Nerd's evil clone.
Who else would steal his jokes and his money? It's all part of his plan to take over the world and send the Nerd out of business. The Irate Gamer is evil and must be stopped!
 * Jossed, Irate is just the sophisticated man's way of saying stupid. Therefore The Irate Gamer isn't evil, he's just the Nerd's stupid clone.
 * The Irate Gamer is a Bizzaro clone. The Nerd is somehow capable of creating a Talking Poo clone of himself; perhaps the Irate Gamer was his attempt to make an actual copy.

The Nerd lives in Videoland.
Even though the Christmas episode of Captain S is not canonical for that show, enough clues exist to guess that the AVGN's house is supposed to be in Videoland:
 * At the end of the Atari 5200 review, he orders a joystick from Ebay. The outside of his house is shown as a level from the game Paperboy. The Player Character of Paperboy himself delivers the joystick to the Nerd (and hits him in the face).
 * An official episode of the AVGN (An Angry Nerd Christmas Carol) is a direct continuation of the non-canonical Captain S episode. This implies that the events of that episode Absolutely Happened in the AVGN continuity -- the Nerd was taken back to the past, and he did meet Captain S and save Santa Claus.
 * At the beginning of the fight with the Nostalgia Critic, the outside view of the AVGN's house is shown. It consists of a monochromatic sky with 2D animated images of birds and bugs that could be sprites in a 1990s video game.
 * At the beginning of the Street Fighter 2010 episode, we see the outside of the Nerd's house. Again, it is formed of 2D shapes that could be video game sprites. The Nerd is surprised by the "futuristic" objects that appeared which he cannot identify, but not by the general flatness of the environment, which is evidently how the environment around his house normally looks.
 * At the end of the Game Glitches episode, the Glitch Gremlin has no difficulty in making the Nerd's game room (and even the Nerd himself) glitch out, as if everything was part of a videogame.
 * In the Top Gun Revisited episode, the plane escapes out of the TV and even out of the Nerd's basement.

The Nerd is freakin' rich
Consider how he can own so many games, even the later systems which cost an atom bomb to buy. Then consider the stuff like a real katana (used to bisect a TMNT 3 video cassette), a bow and arrow (which smites a Sega 32 X), and a bullwhip (seen in his Indiana Jones video and making a cameo in his Castlevania marathon). He's got a shitload of money, giving him leeway to get not only the games but also the implements of destruction needed to rid the world of copies of those horrors that don't belong in this world.

That, and he was allowed the weapons because even the most stringent weapon laws are lenient if your mission is honourable: to destroy all shitty games.

Priceless. There are some things money can't buy, for everything else: There's eBay, EB Games, Swap meets, Flea markets, Buy&Sell...
 * A real katana: $57.50. Compound bow: $ 174.99. Bullwhip: $50.00. Not understanding the value of a dollar?


 * Still the combined price of all three weapons (Plus arrows, and the price being $ 282.49) is still mildly expensive, though less when converted to British money. Also I'm British, so yeah.


 * Also, the AVGN has commented that a big part of his collection has been donated by the fans.

The nerd is a Coprophiliac.
We know it's not all just Toilet Humor because of Nerdy Turd. "AVGN: It's like, you think I don't have enough videos to make? or I have nothing better to do?!...like...playing with dog turds... or something..."
 * Barf.
 * From the Ricky 1 review when he was complaining about the NC forcing him to review a nostalgia movie:

I hope he just meant shitty games...

The nerd's super power's come from a deal with the devil
In exchange for them, he has to play all these horrible games that suck ass.

The AVGN's Super Mario Brothers-style reviews will also be parodied by the Happy Video Game Nerd.

 * When this troper first learned of the HVGN, he was a bit put off by the guy's redundancy where the AVGN was concerned - the AVGN HAS reviewed good games on a handful of occasions. Then, the idea came to him: would the HVGN not also parody the times where James reviewed actually good games as well? Only, the HVGN's version of such a review would be of him reviewing a shitty game, which he struggles to find enjoyable parts of, but fails.

The AVGN and the HVGN will be doing a joint review sometime in the future.

 * The AVGN's already done it with The Nostalgia Critic, after all. I'm thinking that they review a highly divisive game, where there are just as many good aspects as there are bad. And no "so-so" features either - the good features are really, really good, the bad features are really, really bad.
 * Or he could team up with Yahtzee
 * ... Oblivion?
 * Maybe they'll do a Love It or Hate It game.
 * Persona 4?
 * We got something close when Board James plays Loopin' Louie with the HVGN. Since that means they know each other in real life, it could add to the chances of him and the Angry Nerd getting together.

One day, The Nerd will make an exemption of the old-games only rule, and will review something recent.

 * Like I Wanna Be the Guy, where the Nerd will have the Heroic BSOD because almost every gameplay flaw that the Nerd complained in his past reviews (One-Hit Wonder and Fake Difficulty specifically) is what makes this game addicting.
 * Became more likely recently, since The Nostalgia Critic has reviewed Battlefield Earth (Barf) recently, and since he's the AVGN's Sitcom Arch Nemesis, he will probably copy this.
 * What do you call his Ghostbusters: The Game review, then?
 * Technically James Rolfe reviewed the Ghostbusters game, not the Nerd - the Nerd being the character. If you notice it was a completely different review style (ie: no Cluster F Bombs), hence the Nerd briefly showing up at the beginning of the review then leaving when he finds out the game isn't terrible.
 * He did briefly knock some modern games in his A Christmas Carol spoof, and he can be seen playing them in two other videos.
 * If so, then could he perhaps review a computer game for a change? I'm burning to see a AVGN review of a Touhou Project game.
 * Oblivion. A game that goes out of its way to discourage accomplishment seems like something the Nerd would "like".
 * It seems a bit odd for him to review good games and complain about their Nintendo Hard. He should only do it selectively.
 * He once said that would do Big Rigs Over the Road Racing, but cant since he has a Mac.

The Nerd and Board James are twin brothers.
Speaks for itself, really.
 * Well, some of the Board James videos take place in the Nerd's room, and James had used similar powers as the Nerd. Maybe the Nerd is the evil twin of Board James (or at least the angrier, more pissed off at the world one).

The Nerd and Board James are clones.
Of the original James Rolfe.He didn't want the frustration of playing those horrible games,so he cloned himself.One dealt with video games,the other with board games.Both contain aspects of his personality.

If James has children any time soon, the world will collapse
Or actually his fans will have a mania fest, be it good or bad in reaction. Also, it will affect his works in some slight way. He has to be a good daddy, so unless he's good at that sort of thing, expect slightly longer delays.

The Nerd is in Purgatory.
It's why he is compelled to continue playing bad games-he is atoning for his sins.It just so happens Purgatory exists in his basement,and God will occasionly let him outside to combat the Critic(who will become the Anti Christ when he goes Mad From The Revelation and turns into Ask That Guy).
 * So I guess Purgatory really is Top Gun on the NES.
 * Jossed, purgatory is getting over the Ape Man. Or beating the Ape Man.

The plane from Top Gun that escaped from the Nerd's TV will return one day.
I forsee one of two circumstances: the plane comes in whilst the Nerd is getting his ass handed to him by Bugs Bunny (or someone) again and saves the day. OR, right as he's about to overcome some obstacle he's spent the entire episode raging over, the plane comes in and destroys something, robbing the Nerd of his victory. Cue Cluster F-Bomb.

The nerd will build a replica of the playground dragon for The Dragon in My Dreams
He doesn't want to forget about the one thing that inspired him to do great things, so he'll make a statue in memory of it.
 * I think his way of honouring that dragon, and the inspiration it gave him, was making that movie.

ET for the Atari 2600, will play a big role in The Movie
It's one of the worst games of all time, and one he has avoided time and time again, so naturally it has to be big deal when he reviews it. 5 bucks saves it will the Big Bad of the film.
 * Confirmed. At the end of his Spielberg Game Reviews, he was confronted with the E.T. game, and it said "To be continued...in the AVGN Movie"

The Nerd is Hikikomori.
Every time he's been seen outside, there have been surreal occurrences, indications that the segment takes place in a bad-game-induced stupor. With the exception times when his house is clearly in shot/nearby (like shooting the game with an arrow).

While cleaning up the buffalo shit from the end of episode 99...
The nerd will find a copy of E.T. in it.
 * Jossed.
 * The actual episode was

The Nerd wants to play these games.
In the ROB episode, the Nerd takes ROB down for getting rid of all the bad games. Even though it was supposed to be a good thing.
 * It was suggested in the Christmas Carol episode too. As much as he complains about it, he just can't live without playing shitty games.

The Nerd is asexual.
There hasn't been a single inkling of sexuality,even to things you think. He barely even commented about Jessica Rabbit's status as Ms. Fanservice beyond comedic effect. It seems he's either not attracted to anyone/thing, or just hasn't found something appealing.
 * Jossed, at least with James himself. He's seen wearing an engagement ring in his DVD Collection video.
 * Jossed for Board James because of this too, he wears the ring in every single episode.
 * Just because someone's asexual doesn't mean they're also aromantic. He could very well be asexual and still be getting married.
 * Also Jossed in Plumbers Don't Wear Ties. At the very beginning with the girl, he seems pretty interested.
 * He also looks eagerly at the door in his Atari Porn Games review, when he things a naked chick might show up. He's disapointed when she fails to appear, unlike the many game characters who have intruded on his reality.
 * Maybe he's just supposed to be too obssesed with videogames to pay attention to anything else. In his cameo appearence in the Piece of Meat video, at first the Nerd looks shocked and almost frightened about a girl so violently hitting on him, but he seems to enjoy it when she starts bitting him on the neck... until she actually bite him on the neck.
 * In The Wizard of Oz video, The Nerd can be seen wearing the ring in the clock scene.

The Nerd is really just a lonely, delusional man.
The Angry Video Game Nerd lives in a normal world, in a normal suburb, has a normal job, but is absolutely miserable. He's treated like shit at work, and barely has any friends or even a love life. But there was one thing that kept him company: video games. However, one night in 2004, he decided to let his rage out on an old NES title, Castlevania II: Simon's Quest, and later on, ripped into Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, finding it the worst game he ever played. In 2006, desperate for some attention and under suggestions from his friends, he uploads them on Youtube, where he's a huge hit. But that doesn't stop there. He starts reviewing more crappy games from the past to continue his popularity, and the ordeal of it all causes him to hallucinate. The first delusions were his fights with Freddy Krueger and Jason Vourhees. There were all in his head. Afterwards, he starts to imagine the Shit Pickle, then Bugs Bunny, then Spider-Man, Leatherface, Michael Myers, and other characters who apparently want to kick his ass. Kyle Justin is in fact a mildly successful musician and friend who pays visits to the Nerd simply to prevent him from succumbing to isolation, and even composes his theme song as a favor. These delusions are now reaching a higher level, with the Nerd imagining his neighborhood to be something from an Atari game, and imagining a ninja training him in Ninja Gaiden. With the review of ET across the horizon, how far will his madness go this time?


 * That would explain why the first videos were more simple and review-like, with him just talking about the games and playing, and the newer ones are more and more complex, he's just slowly sinking into his delusional world. Maybe he got fired of his job for having anger issues, and has just basically become a reclusive that spends all day playing video games, and was encouraged to do his videos as a way to manage his anger in a more creative way. He has slowly shooed away his friends and relatives with his violent delusional outbursts, like the time he took a shit on the trick or treat bag of a child while he was babysitting, or the time he destroyed the cartridges of his collector friend Pat. He doesn't even has a name anymore, he's just "The fucking Nerd", because this character he invented for himself is now more real to him than his actual identity(which is the reason Pat didn't recognize him at first when he called and said he was "the Nerd", because Pat knew him by his real name)... Now I wonder how the Nostalgia Critic fits into this theory :P Well's that's a common Epileptic Tree, if that ever actually happen, that would be a cheap and depressing way to end with the Nerd.

Doug Walker will have a cameo in the Angry Video Game Nerd Movie.
Considering that he and James Rolfe are friends and James, it's not too much of a stretch to assume that Doug would repay the favor by making a short appearance.
 * James was asked this in a convention and answered with a Sure Why Not, saying that he didn't write him in the story but maybe he could get a small cameo and that the door was open for Doug if he was interested. Let's hope he is.
 * Well, it seems that Doug is helping with the casting for the movie in the Chicago area. This makes me believe there are high chances of him having at least a cameo in the film.

The Nerd is a Puer Magi.
His wish, as above, was to obtain every video game and console ever made and have the time to play all of them. His Incubator, sensing that he was irritable, granted it, knowing that playing all the bad games in the world would make him angry, thus producing grief and making the Nerd a good source of energy. His gear made up of NES add-ons that he uses when he has to get into an epic fight is actually his form as a Magical Boy - his Transformation Sequence always occurs off-screen - which is why the light guns are functional weapons. In between reviewing shitty games, he's fighting Witches. However, he turns out to be unexpectedly diligent (and has the advantage of being of legal drinking age) and refuses to give in to despair no matter how mad he gets, so his Soul Gem doesn't go dark until he finally gets senile enough to let it slip, and he was consumed with all the built-up stress and became a Warlock while playing Boogie on the Wii. He thought it was a heart attack because he wasn't familiar with how the system worked, being a loner who never was on a team with other Magical Boys or Magical Girls. Motherfucker Mike might be a shapeshifting Witch or Warlock that takes on the forms of characters from the Nerd's games to torment him.

The Nerd is the kid from The Wizard.
Suggested in the end of the NC's review of The Wizard, when he draws glasses and a pocket on the picture of Jimmy. As he grew up, he realized really bad games were out there, but he's got a compulsion to play them anyway because he's a videogame wizard and vents his frustration through reviews.
 * Not to mention that "Jimmy" is an informal form of "James", as in James Rolfe. While he has stated that he and the Nerd aren't supposed to be the same person, that doesn't mean that they can't necessarily both be named James - in the Nostalgia Critic's Nicktoons review, it's heavily implied that the Critic's real name is Doug, the same as his actor's.
 * In the Winter Games episode, he does try to type the name "JAMES" in the name entry screen, but the game only allows him four letters. So, it's not too farfetched to think that he's supposed to be called James too.
 * In the Spider Man review, Spidey refers to him as James at one point.
 * NERRRDDD!!!!!

The Nostalgia Critic's great revenge would be making the review of the AVGN movie.
It's not a Nostalgic movie, but still... (Maybe he can travel to the future in the Delorean to make it nostalgic enough to review, like he did in the review of The Room).

The Irate Gamer will appear in The Movie.
Not the actual Irate Gamer though, since his ego and jerkassery couldn't take it. Rather, it'll be a Captain Ersatz called "The Furious Gamer", who is essentially the Irate Gamer. And he will be an Ineffectual Sympathetic Villain.

The Nerd's Powerglove is actually Malecite's hand
Only such a magical ancient power could be a reasonable explanation for how The Nerd was able to land the plane in Top Gun... Oh also, destroying Freddy Krugger and beating Zelda II with a Power Glove.

The AVGN Movie will have a giant ET fighting Super Mecha Death Christ.
This seems to confirm that the movie will have miniature city sets wrecked, and involve puppetry and animatronics. Since the movie will be about ET on Atari 2600, the highlight of the movie will be ET grown into a superpowered Kaiju (possibly possessed by Satan or something) and Super Mecha Death Christ will fight him in a model city.
 * Or, have a merger of Donkey Jesus Riding a Puff of Smoke merged with SMDC 2000BC. It'll be called Super-Mecha Death Donkey Christ. The SMDDC will be equipped with firery smoke coming out of its back, cannon barrels, banana-shaped swords, Power Glove fists and lasers. It can also create tidal waves(which it will ride on, since its a Mecha Jesus), generate a mecha-zombie Lazarus, and a cross-chainsaw spitting from its mouth. To combat, Satan will look like Bowser.

The Nerd is a Reality Warper.
It explains why he can throw Sonic Booms and Hadokens, fly, breathe in space, summon Super Mecha Death Christ, fire real lasers from light guns and have his basement return to normal after each episode. The downside is that characters from shitty games sometimes defictionalize and harass him.

The Nerd is a Contractor.
See the Reality Warper entry above, with the added bonus of not being an Emotionless Boy (You don't say!). Playing shitty games is his remuneration.

The Game Glitch Gremlin isn't as harmless as you'd think.
I say this because of two reasons. First, he's able to glitch physical reality. Secondly, since this is part of the Channel Awesome universe(what with the crossovers and all), glitches can produce interdimensional monstrosities. After all, proved to be  Given that the Glitch Gremlin seems to be the creator of glitches, there's a very good chance it can unwittingly summon an army of cosmic horrors to do its bidding. Needless to say, the Nerd should be very careful with the Glitch Gremlin.
 * Although, his full title is "the Game Graphic Glitch Gremlin", which implies he only causes graphical glitches.
 * Yeah, but you want to know something? Missingno, aka 's main effect on the game was graphic glitches. Uh oh.

The plot of the movie will be a treasure hunt

 * For the millions of copies of ET that remain unsold that were rumored to have been buried in a desert in New Mexico. Why would he look for them? Well, they are a piece of gaming history.

The Power Glove is not nearly as useless as it seems
It one-shotted Freddy Krueger, and it allowed the Nerd to accomplish the otherwise impossible tasks of landing the plane in Top Gun and beating Dark Link in Zelda II, despite its reputation for being a non-functional piece of garbage. Clearly, there's something greater about it in the Angry Video Game Nerd universe; perhaps it's a sentient item, a Chaotic Neutral being in the form of a peripheral for the Nintendo Entertainment System, with power enough to win any game but instead considering it funnier to be completely useless and frustrating and to see the Nerd's reactions to its failures, but from time to time shows its true power against an incredibly difficult game situation (perhaps seeing a Worthy Opponent). The incident with Freddy might have been All Just a Dream, but equally likely is that the Power Glove had too much "fun" planned for the Nerd to let Freddy kill him, so it inserted itself into the dream to allow the Nerd's survival.

The Angry Video Game Nerd was the first/one of the first victims of the Entity.
The Angry Video Game Nerd has not only fought off a slew of Hollywood monsters, but is a master at video games(need I remind you of the Nintoaster?) Who else on Earth would be more of a threat to