Ep 23. Milon's Secret Castle

The show "Angry Video Game Nerd" is a popular web series created by James Rolfe, also known as the Angry Video Game Nerd himself. In this episode, titled "Milon's Secret Castle," the Nerd takes on yet another challenging and frustrating retro video game.

As the episode begins, the Nerd sets the stage for Milon's Secret Castle, a Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) game released in 1986 by Hudson Soft. He introduces the audience to the game's cover art, a colorful depiction of the main character, Milon, and informs us that it is often considered one of the most difficult games for the NES console.

Jumping into the gameplay, the Nerd controls Milon, a young boy armed with bubbles, as he embarks on a quest to rescue a princess and defeat an evil wizard. However, it doesn't take long for the Nerd to discover the game's infamous difficulty. He quickly finds out that Milon's Secret Castle lacks the traditional elements of progression and coherent level design that players might expect from a platforming game.

The Nerd dives deep into the game's mechanics, noting the convoluted nature of the castle's layout. Unlike other platformers, where the path forward is usually somewhat intuitive, Milon's Secret Castle features a maze-like structure filled with seemingly random doorways, dead ends, and hidden objectives. The Nerd expresses his frustration as he repeatedly gets lost and encounters nonsensical puzzles that baffle even the most experienced players.

Throughout the episode, the Nerd showcases the various enemies, or rather, strange creatures that inhabit the castle. From bouncing balls to freakish disembodied masks, the game throws an assortment of bizarre adversaries at our hero. Unimpressed by the lackluster enemy designs and animations, the Nerd humorously criticizes the game's visuals, emphasizing their simplistic and uninspiring nature.

The Nerd also highlights the game's punishing difficulty. As he progresses further into the castle, he encounters unforgiving enemies and pitfalls that test his patience and skill. From bouncing projectiles to slippery platforms, every step forward becomes a monumental challenge. The Nerd unapologetically vents his frustration, occasionally resorting to colorful language to express his plight.

Despite his struggles, the Nerd unravels some of Milon's Secret Castle's hidden secrets and quirks. He discovers hidden items, such as magic spells and power-ups, that are essential for progress. However, he makes it clear that these discoveries do little to alleviate the game's inherent flaws.

Throughout the episode, the Nerd intersperses his gameplay commentary with humorous anecdotes and tangential rants. He discusses the unfairness of the game's difficulty, reminisces about other frustrating NES games he has played, and even delves into the origin of Milon, a lesser-known character in the gaming realm.

As the conclusion of the episode approaches, the Nerd sums up his experiences with Milon's Secret Castle. He expresses his dissatisfaction with the game, deeming it an exercise in frustration rather than an enjoyable gaming experience. Nonetheless, he credits its notoriety as one that pushes players to their limits and serves as a testament to the era's unforgiving game design.

In the end, the Nerd humorously bids farewell to Milon's Secret Castle, vowing to never subject himself to its maddening gameplay again. With a mix of exasperation and amusement, he reminds viewers of the game's enduring legacy and invites them to share their own experiences.

Please note that this description assumes the existence of the show "Angry Video Game Nerd" and its corresponding episode "Milon's Secret Castle." The accuracy and availability of this content may vary.