Angry Video Game Nerd Season 3 Episode 2 The Wizard of Oz

The episode titled "The Wizard of Oz" is the second episode of season 3 of the popular web show, Angry Video Game Nerd. In this episode, the titular character, James Rolfe, takes a look at various video games based on the classic children's novel, The Wizard of Oz.

The episode starts with the Nerd introducing the topic and giving a brief history of the book and its adaptations across various media. He then dives into the first game, a 1985 text-based adventure game for the Commodore 64. The Nerd finds the game frustratingly complex and confusing, with many of the puzzles requiring very specific and obscure solutions. He notes that the graphics are basic and the sound effects are annoying, but the main issue he has with the game is its lack of direction and user-friendliness.

Next up is a 1993 game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, titled The Wizard of Oz. The Nerd notes that this game is much more visually appealing than the previous one, with colorful graphics and characters that resemble their counterparts from the movie. However, he finds the gameplay to be repetitive and uninspired, with the player controlling Dorothy as she moves through various environments fighting off witches and collecting items. The Nerd notes that the game is not particularly difficult, but it does get tedious after a while.

The Nerd then moves on to a 1996 game for the Game Boy, also called The Wizard of Oz. He notes that this game is a departure from the previous two in that it is a platformer. He finds the graphics to be poor and the sound effects irritating, but he acknowledges that the developers tried to incorporate more elements from the book than the previous games. However, he still finds the game to be frustratingly difficult, with tricky jumps and enemies that cannot be defeated.

The fourth game the Nerd looks at is a 2000 game for the Game Boy Color, titled The Wizard of Oz: Beyond the Yellow Brick Road. This game is a more modern take on the story of The Wizard of Oz, with the player controlling a new character named Praire, who teams up with Dorothy and Toto to save Oz from a new villain. The Nerd notes that the game is visually impressive for a Game Boy Color game, with charming graphics and smooth animation. He also praises the game for its use of a crafting system, which allows players to create new items to aid them on their quest. However, he notes that the game can be quite challenging, even for experienced gamers.

Finally, the Nerd takes a look at a 2005 game for the PlayStation 2, titled Oz: The Chronicles - Episode One. He notes that this game is a more serious take on the story of Oz, with a much darker tone than any of the previous games. The game takes place several years after the events of the original story, and features new characters as well as returning favorites. The Nerd notes that the game has impressive graphics and cutscenes, and that the voice acting is top-notch. However, he notes that the game is quite slow-paced and that the combat system can be clunky.

Overall, the Nerd concludes that while none of the games he looked at are particularly great, there are some interesting and innovative ideas in some of them. He notes that the earlier games suffer from being too simplistic and user-unfriendly, while the later games suffer from being overly complicated and difficult. However, he acknowledges that the story of The Wizard of Oz is a challenging one to adapt to video game form, and gives credit to the developers who tried their best to create engaging games.

Fans of the Angry Video Game Nerd will no doubt enjoy this episode, as it offers a humorous take on some classic video games. The Nerd's commentary is sharp and witty, and his passion for video games shines through in his analysis of each game. Even if you're not a fan of The Wizard of Oz, this episode is worth a watch for anyone interested in the history of video games.