Okay, I have to admit that I found out about That Guy from an interest in The AVGN. I'm not really as into video games as I used to be, so most of my interest lies in old platforms (I didn't intend on going passed PS2 or N64, but we found a Wii relatively cheap) and a few fighting games. I found a link to the Nostaglia Critic's rant from looking up stuff by The AVGN and was immediately interested in what all the fuss was about. The fictional rivalry had me laughing my ass off. To hell with chatspeak, I'm spelling that out.

I've now seen all of AVGN's reviews and all of That Guy's NC videos and 5 second movies. There are very few similarities outside of unfavorable reviews of old school entertainment. It's kind of hard to compare the two. Even after watching similar subject matter (The Wizard and TMNT), they're still radically different. If you watch AVGN's review of The Wizard, it's not even about the movie. It's about the video games found in it and the inaccuracies in those video games featured. The NC focused his attention on what a shitty movie it is. One of the few things they both touched on is it being one big commercial. Watch both back-to-back, it's like they're reviewing two different things.

Which critic comes out victorious in keeping my attention nowadays? I'm not sure I would have the balls to post this review if the answer were the AVGN. Both still make me laugh my ass off, but The AVGN's nonsensical outbursts involving shit fall a little short against The NC's more comprehensible humor. Really, that may be an unfair generalization since both have a lot of videos and the majority of them are hilarious. Some of AVGN's videos are more entertaining than some of That Guy's and vice versa.

I think That Guy's website is where he really wins out over The AVGN. It's more personal with a lot more fan involvement and it seems he's become a lot more prolific. 3 videos a week is a lot of work for anyone. It all keeps my attention enough to check the site daily whereas I only see new videos from The AVGN 2 or 3 times a month.

In conclusion, both have above average narrating voices, both tackle content I grew up with, both are absolutely hilarious, but I find myself going to That Guy's site more often than any of The AVGN's.

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written by Prodigs , June 08, 2008

I almost find it a source of daily entertainment looking at the humourless idiots that criticize the Nostalgia Critic, either calling him a rip-off or simply an inferior comedian who wants to ride of his fame.

Well on the first point, your blog entry says everything, but what also matters is the difference in the styles of their reviews. The AVGN is more personal, he reviews the game with the viewer, and I think a lot of the actual reviewing isn't really pre-planned.
The NC is obviously more satirical, where all the jokes and other comments are written beforehand.

And as for the 'riding the fame', all the NC ever got for his AVGN rant videos was a couple thousand views and about a 100 angry Angry Video game nerd fan comments. Bingo, internet celebrity.

What they miss is those videos were made for their enjoyment, and the only reason they were made was because they have a very narrow sense of humour, and thus they made illogical comparisons.

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written by Nick , June 08, 2008

True, there is a certain sense of spontaneity to The AVGN's videos. I think he puts forth quite a bit of effort, but he's been tackled with so much attention it's impossible for him to really be as involved with the people watching the videos.

As for the angry fans, it's always nice to have people to laugh at.

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written by Film Brain , June 08, 2008

To be fair, I don't love the Angry Video Game Nerd. Yeah, I watch his videos, but I find them to be very patchy. Some moments can be hialrious, while his Teenage Mutant Ninja Tutrtles III review was boring, as was his Wizard review. I feel that when AVGN tries to branch out like that, it doesn't fit with his style.

The Nostalgia Critic on the other hand makes me laugh constantly and consistently and that's more of what I'm after. I have to admit that I had never heard of the Nerd before the "Fued" and decided to check him out, thinking him to be in the exact style as the Nostalgia Critic. Naive of me, but there you go.

But at the end of the day, as people have said, the comparison isn't exactly fair due to their review styles. I take Nostalgia Critic because the gags are sharper.

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written by Richard Klosterman , June 09, 2008

I liked the Nerd and Thatguy pretty much the same. It's kind of like comparing apples and oranges to me.

I wish that the Nerd had "fired back" in his videos...just to show that these guys have a respect for each other and show it by taking pot shots, but unfortunately the Nerd wrote on his forum that as much as he'd love to get into a fake fued with Thatguy (much like he did with Captain S) he just doesn't have the time these days.

Maybe one day though...we can always hope for some Critic on Nerd action!

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written by Estefan Ellison , June 09, 2008

I agree that there's no comparison between the two.

The Nostalgia Critic makes me laugh all around.

The Angry Video Game Nerd only makes me laugh when he comments on the game's graphics. But when he critiques the game play, I feel that he's just a terrible player at video games. His random shouts of profanity aren't funny either and just comes off as him thinking that just swearing like somebody with Tourette's will make somebody laugh.

So I think it's plainly obvious who I prefer, though I have nothing against those who like the Nerd more than the Critic.

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written by Nick , June 09, 2008

The Angry Video Game Nerd only makes me laugh when he comments on the game's graphics. But when he critiques the game play, I feel that he's just a terrible player at video games.

I'd put his abilities at average at best during reviews. He intentionally plays at less than his best for comedic purposes. Though there is a lot of truth to what he says...

If you want something with more substance, then watch his movie reviews. I was very impressed with his Cinemassacre's Monster Madness series.

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written by Richard Klosterman , June 10, 2008

I'd put his abilities at average at best during reviews. He intentionally plays at less than his best for comedic purposes. Though there is a lot of truth to what he says...

If you want something with more substance, then watch his movie reviews. I was very impressed with his Cinemassacre's Monster Madness series.

I agree. While I do find his game reviews extremely entertaining, I like his movie reviews just a tad bit more. Have you seen his homage to the Rocky series? It is extremely well done...more in the form of a documentary than anything else.

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