History TearJerker / TheAngryVideoGameNerd

** This gets tackled even more with this heart-wrenching argument from the Battletoads episode:

* The ending of the ''Swordquest'' review, where the Nerd encourages gamers to try and unearth the mystery to what happened to the lost prizes for the games contest, [[HarsherInHindsight is rather sad to watch now]] in light of knowledge that three of the prizes, the sword, medallion and even the Philosopher's Stone that someone won, were melted down for money. The only prize that is absolutely certain to still exist is the Chalice--it's believed that the crown might still exist after it was revealed that a secret contest was held for it, but absolutely nobody knows who the winner is or where he and the crown are, meaning it may remain lost to the ages.

* His Polybius review for the 2017 Halloween special is as tearjerking as it is [[NightmareFuel/TheAngryVideoGameNerd terrifying]]. As the game slowly claims his sanity, the Nerd desperately cries out for help, tries to fight his increasing addiction to the game, and several times he tries to reveal where he's being held but ''the game won't let him''. When he finally figures out how to escape the warehouse, the game cruelly yanks away freedom one last time, forcing him to expose his entire audience to the game that nearly drove him insane.

* Creator/MacaulayCulkin's breakdown during the Home Alone games Christmas episode, as the experience playing the atrocious Home Alone games with the Nerd made him lament how he always wanted as a child to get a game where he was the main protagonist, only to be featured in shitty games of the movie franchise that made him famous.
* The "Pepsi-TV Game" guy's backstory. His life, which was full of wholesome and healthy foods, all changed when he encountered Pepsiman. Turns out, those cans of Pepsi that he was drinking are made of his wife, children, and dog after they were turned into Pepsi. He had to sell the scraps of the can just to pay for their funerals. Mike Butters' acting really sells it.

* The Guitar Guy's DarkAndTroubledPast that the Nerd forced upon him is pretty sad, considering the Nerd wasn't willing to give him a life beyond behind the couch and felt no remorse for his wrongdoing. [He didn't even feel any sorrow for when the Guitar Guy starved to death [[TheyKilledKennyAgain repeatedly.]]

* In 2008, his YouTube account got terminated, maybe due to some copyright issues. He got banned again in 2013 from MGM/UA claiming his review of ''Rocky'' because he used the clips from the ''Franchise/{{Rocky}}'' movies. [[FridgeHorror Imagine what it would've been like if those actually stuck..]]

* The Guitar Guy's DarkAndTroubledPast that the Nerd forced upon him is pretty sad, considering the Nerd wasn't willing to give him a life beyond behind the couch and felt no remorse for his wrongdoing. [[spoiler:He didn't even feel any sorrow for when the Guitar Guy starved to death [[TheyKilledKennyAgain repeatedly.]]]]

* The ''[[VideoGame/PennAndTellersSmokeAndMirrors Desert Bus]]'' episode, where the Nerd suffers a HeroicBSOD and [[spoiler:almost]] goes through the DespairEventHorizon, after seeing that all of the work he's done to warn people about shitty games isn't working.
-->'''AVGN''': I've finally hit the bottom of the barrel! The fact that a game like this could come into existence and that [[CallBack people have played it and suffered through it]] and even adapted it into an Atari 2600 game means...that I've ''failed''. I've done everything I can. [[spoiler:[[WhamLine It's time to retire.]]]]
** After he says the above, there is a black-and-white montage of the Nerd through the years, set to a [[DarkReprise somber piano reprise of the Nerd theme]]. Any long-time fans will find this especially heartrending, considering [[spoiler:it really seems like he's going to end the show]].
** What made it so much worse is that [[spoiler:the Nerd would've ended the show]] on its ''10th anniversary''.

* The ending of the ''Swordquest'' review, where the Nerd encourages gamers to try and unearth the mystery to what happened to the lost prizes for the games contest, [[HarsherInHindsight is rather sad to watch now]] in light of knowledge that three of the prizes, the sword, medallion and even the Philisophers Stone that someone won, were melted down for money. The only prize that is absolutely certain to still exist is the Chalice--it's believed that the crown might still exist after it was revealed that a secret contest was held for it, but absolutely nobody knows who the winner is or where he and the crown are, meaning it may remain lost to the ages.

* In 2008, his YouTube account got terminated, maybe due to some copyright issues. He got banned again in 2013 from MGM/UA claiming his review of ''Rocky'' because he used the clips from the Film/{{Rocky}} movies. [[FridgeHorror Imagine what it would've been like if those actually stuck..]]

** The ending of the review is unusually melancholy for an AVGN review as well, when the Nerd explains how the last contests for the games were abruptly cancelled due to Atari bleeding money from the [[TheGreatVideoGameCrashOf1983 1983 game crash]], and that because of this, the third game was given an extremely limited release, and the fourth game in the Swordquest series, Airworld, [[VaporWare is just that--air.]]

** The ending of the review is unusually melancholy for an AVGN review as well, when the Nerd explains how the last contests for the games were abruptly cancelled due to Atari bleeding money from the [[TheGreatVideoGameCrashOf1983 1983 game crash]], and that because of this, the third game was given an extremely limited release, and the fourth game in the Swordquest series, Airquest, [[VaporWare is just that--air.]]

* The ending of the ''Swordquest'' review, where the Nerd encourages gamers to try and unearth the mystery to what happened to lost prizes for the game, [[HarsherInHindsight is rather sad to watch now]] in light of knowledge that three of the prizes, the sword, medallion and even the Philisophers Stone that someone won, were melted down for money. The only prize that is absolutely certain to still exist is the Chalice--it's believed that the crown might still exist after it was revealed that a secret contest was held for it, but absolutely nobody knows who the winner is or where he and the crown are, meaning it may remain lost to the ages.

* The ending of the ''Swordquest'' review, where the Nerd encourages gamers to try and unearth the mystery to what happened to lost prizes for the game, [[HarsherInHindsight is rather sad to watch now]] in light of knowledge that three of the prizes, the sword, medallion and even the Philisophers Stone that someone won, were melted down for money. The only prize that is absolutely certain to still exist is the Chalice--it's believed that the crown might still exist after it was revealed that a secret contest was held for it, but nobody knows who the winner is or where he and the crown are.

* In 2008, His YouTube account was terminated, It maybe due to some Copyright issues. He got banned again in 2013 because MGM/UA claimed his review of ''Rocky'' game for Sega Master System because he used the clips from the Film/{{Rocky}} Movies.

-->'''AVGN''': Oh, uh, BECAUSE THAT'S NOT HOW IT WORKS! IT'S LIKE, I PLAY THE GAME, AND YOU, GET YOUR ASS BACK BEHIND THE FUCKING COUCH!

* The Nerd's big rant when he criticized the Tiger Games, the way he spoke and how he'd be out of words seems genuine...

** The Nerd's big rant when he criticized the Tiger Games, the way he spoke and how he'd be out of words seems genuine...

** What made it so much worse is that [[spoiler:the Nerd would've ended the show]] on its ''10th anniversary''.

** What made it so much worse is that [[spoiler:the Nerd would've ended the show]] on its ''10th anniversary''.
* After seeing how excited the Nerd/James was to see [[Film/IndianaJonesAndTheKingdomOfTheCrystalSkull the fourth Indiana Jones movie]], it's hard not to feel bad for him considering how the movie turned out to be.
** If it helps, he says in his "Top 10 Sequels That Deserve a Second Chance" video, he mentions that he does like the movie, and doesn't understand people's hate with the film.

* After seeing how excited the Nerd/James was to see [[Film/IndianaJonesAndTheKingdomOfTheCrystalSkull the fourth Indiana Jones movie]], it's hard not to feel bad for him considering how the movie turned out to be.

** What made it so much worse is that [[spoiler:the Nerd would've ended the show]] on its ''10th anniversary''.

* The ''Desert Bus'' episode nearly drives the Nerd into a DespairEventHorizon.
-->'''AVGN''': I've finally hit the bottom of the barrel! The fact that a game like this could come into existence and that [[CallBack people have played it and suffered through it]] and even adapted it into an Atari 2600 game means.....that I've ''failed''. I've done everything I can. It's time to retire.

** What follows is a montage of the Guitar Guy hiding behind the couch during the Nerd's rants from some of his oldest episodes. You can see the helplessness on his face.

** What follows is a montage of the Guitar Guy hiding behind the couch during the Nerd's rants from some of his oldest episodes. You can see the helplessness on his face.
* Not really an AVGN video, but The Dragon in my Dreams made me cry at the end.

** What follows is a montage of the Guitar Guy hiding behind the couch during the Nerd's rants from some of his oldest episodes. You can see the helplessness on his face.

** What follows is an even more tearjerking flashback montage of the Guitar Guy hiding behind the couch during the Nerd's rants from some of his oldest episodes.

-->'''AVGN''': Oh, uh, BECAUSE THAT'S NOT HOW IT WORKS!!! IT'S LIKE, I PLAY THE GAME, AND YOU, GET YOUR ASS BACK BEHIND THE FUCKING COUCH!!!