Here we have what has to be one of the weirdest Angry Video Game Nerd episodes, which is saying a lot given the history of this series. In this episode James takes a look at a variety of games based on the Toxic Avenger character or, more critically, the Toxic Crusaders cartoon based on the character and the films from Troma Entertainment.
It’s one of those odd traits of the late 80’s and early 90’s that things that were clearly made for adults winds up with a kids show, and given this was the late 80’s and early 90’s video game adaptation were inevitable, and, of course, they weren’t very good.
In the opening James ponders what the creator of the Toxic Avenger, Lloyd Kaufman, would think of the games? Well, that’s the entire gimmick of this episode – the man himself, Lloyd Kaufman, is in the nerd room for this episode and it, quite honestly, makes for one of the strangest experiences in all of the Nerd series. Still, it’s pretty awesome, given that Lloyd Kaufman is, at least as a character, absolutely fucking crazy! He’s more in character than the Nerd is, and far more obscene. It’s incredible, and is honestly part of the Troma charm.
So, back to the gaming side of things, we start with Toxic Crusaders on Game Boy. It’s your typical side scrolling platformer, nothing special. It’s honestly pretty bland, until you get to Lloyd’s commentary – it takes over the episode with both genius delivery of amazing lines immediately followed by some of the most disgusting lines in any AVGN episode. Oh, it’s amazing but it is pushing the absolute limits of crude comedy. Troma at its finest.
We move on to the Genesis Toxic Crusaders game. This is interesting as it’s a game I actually had as a child, and I absolutely fucking loved it! It’s hard and monotonous but honestly enjoyable for what it is.
The quirks of the game brings up discussion much like the previous title, with the dialog between James and Lloyd getting even crazier. Especially of note is the “make your own blobby” section. Marvelous.
Lastly we hit the NES Toxic Crusaders game, certainly the worst of the bunch. As you can imagine, the commentary between James and Lloyd continues, but there is far more focus on the flaws of this game; losing the mop the moment you get hit, the poor overall controls and, most outrageously, that the select button apparently is your most powerful attack!
Eventually the game pushes both James and Lloyd to their limits, with Lloyd flipping out and in classic nerd style, defecating on the game. The reaction to such causes the Nerd to vomit, resulting in the single most disgusting moment in the entire Angry Video Game Nerd series. Honestly, it’s almost too much and kind of brings the episode down.
Final Rating: 4.0/5
This is a wild one. Honestly, as much as I love Lloyd Kaufman and the Troma style of humor, it’s just a bit much for the Nerd, but damn if it isn’t absolutely hilarious. Lloyd plays the demented old man character incredibly well, and it contrasts with the Nerd nicely. It’s as if James really had no clue what Lloyd would say, and that was the best part of it all – the reactions, much like those in the Ikari Warriors episode, seem quite genuine.
Still, the episode isn’t one to take on a weak stomach. Then again, if you care enough to watch this one you probably already know quite a bit about Troma, and thus nothing here would truly surprise you.
Look at it this way – the episode is Troma meets Cinemassacre, and the results are absolutely wild.