Get ready for the ultimate dose of NERD RAGE this fall. Philly-based developer and publisher Retroware is taking players back to the past with The Angry Video Game Nerd 8-Bit, coming to modern consoles and Steam on October 23, 2025.
Developed by Programancer (known for Prison City and The Transylvania Adventure of Simon Quest) and Retroware, the modern version of AVGN 8-Bit features all-new live-action cutscenes starring James Rolfe himself, to make it feel like you’re in control of an actual AVGN episode.
“Playing AVGN 8-Bit feels like you’re entering my subconscious mind as the Nerd, encountering all the enemies and stages that I’ve reviewed on the show.” said The Angry Video Game Nerd, James Rolfe. “It’s an amalgamation of all your NES dreams and nightmares. From Retroware, teaming up with Mega Cat Studios and Programancer, this is sure to bring back all those retro memories of gripping the controller, screaming and fist pumping.”
Alongside the current-gen release, a physical NES version is being produced by Pittsburgh’s Mega Cat Studios. Pre-orders for both the current-gen physical editions and NES version will be available from Limited Run Games at a later date.
To celebrate the release date announcement, Retroware has dropped a brand-new gameplay trailer, narrated by the Nerd himself. Watch as The Nerd fights his way through an assortment of punishing pixel-art stages, including a ghoul-infested graveyard, a killer cyborg factory, ultraviolent Victorian villages, and more.
“As a child playing NES, I never would have imagined one day I would be in an actual NES game,” Rolfe continued. “Retroware teamed up with Mega Cat Studios and Programancer to trap me inside of a cartridge, as the Nerd, plowing through several maddening stages inspired by the games I’ve reviewed on the show. They bring you the full Nerd experience into your own hands, as you grip the controller with insanity, reliving every crazy 8-Bit battle from your dreams.”