History WebVideo / TheGeekCritique

'''The Geek Critique''' is a gaming-centric Website/YouTube channel created by Josh Wallen. The channel originally started with Josh and his friends (Kalin, Steven and Lennon) doing goofy LetsPlay videos, but later shifted towards focusing on game reviews, with said videos often taking the form of long-form documentary-style retrospectives focusing on a different series, starting with Sonic, Donkey Kong, and Metroid.

The main channel can be found [[https://www.youtube.com/TGCritique here]]. Josh and his friends continue to do Let's Plays and gaming streams (namely of ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog''-related content) on his side channel TGC Genesis [[https://www.youtube.com/user/TGCClassic here]].

* SeinfeldIsUnfunny: [[invoked]]
** Josh tends to use the term "superannuated" when discussing how the first entry in a gaming franchise can be made irrelevant by later installments, despite having the distinction of being the one that started it all. The two biggest examples are him feeling that the outdated controls of ''VideoGame/SuperMarioKart'' make it near unplayable compared to later ''Mario Kart'' games, and that the existence of ''VideoGame/MetroidZeroMission'' means no one has any good reason to play the original NES ''[[VideoGame/Metroid1 Metroid]]'' outside of nostalgia or curiosity.
** Discusses this during the ''Metroid'' review, when airing his frustration about the difficulty of the NES classic. He notes that older generations of gamers are more willing to accept outdated game design choices and elements present in the games they grew up with, as opposed to younger gamers who immediately scoff at them. Specifically, he points out how his younger viewers questioned why he didn't complain about requiring in-game collectibles to use {{Save Point}}s back in his ''Donkey Kong Country 2'' review, responding that [=DKC2=]'s save system was actually one of the better ones at the time.

The main channel can be found [[https://www.youtube.com/TGCritique here]]. Josh and his friends continue to do Let's Plays and gaming streams (namely of ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog''-related content) on his side channel TGC Genesis [[https://www.youtube.com/user/TGCClassic here]].

* AuthorAppeal: Josh really likes [[{{VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog}} Sonic]] and VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry. Since many of his retrospectives tend to begin with a section discussing his history with a given game or franchise, a good portion of the ''Sonic'' and ''Donkey Kong Country'' ones tend to be deep dives not only into his own relationship with a given entry, but the state of the fandom at the time as well.

* PutOnABusToHell: Parodied. Josh states that the reason Kalin had been gone so long is because he wrecked a boat and was drowning in [[{{VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog}} Underwater Marble Zone]].

* ThatOneLevel: [[invoked]] Discussed. Kalin treats [[{{VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog}} Marble Zone]] and any underwater levels as this. Culminates in the hack ''Underwater'' Marble Zone.

* TakeThat: "Nintendo's All-Stars [[MyFriendsAndZoidberg and also the Ice Climbers are in it]]."

* NostalgiaFilter: Admits to falling prey to this when he re-reviewed ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry3DixieKongsDoubleTrouble'' in 2022, explaining that he wrote the original 2015 video under the foregone conclusion that he was going to hate replaying it. Throughout his far more positive second look at the game, he occasionally cuts back to the original review to groan in frustration over how often he seemed to deliberately miss the point, failed to realize the obvious, or just made bizarre statements in order to justify his childhood distaste for the game.

* NostalgiaFilter: Admits to falling prey to this when he re-reviewed ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry3DixieKongsDoubleTrouble'' in 2022, explaining that he wrote the original 2015 video under the foregone conclusion that he was going to hate replaying it. Throughout his far more positive second look at the game, he occasionally cuts back to the original to groan in frustration over how often he seemed to deliberately miss the point, failed to realize the obvious, or just made plain bizarre statements in order to justify his childhood distaste for the game.
* PutOnABusToHell: Parodied. Josh states that the reason Kalin had been gone so long is because he wrecked a boat and was drowning in [[{{VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog}} Underwater Marble Zone]].

'''Alisha''': Except, you know, remember, like, your other father? Who actually raised you? Your '''[[BuffySpeak Bird Dad]]'''?\\

* TheScrappy: [[invoked]] A RunningGag throughout the ''Donkey Kong Country'' retrospectives is Josh's intense hatred for [[{{VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry3DixieKongsDoubleTrouble}} Kiddy Kong]]. Kiddy's non-presence is ultimately why he decides the [[ReplacementScrappy Replacement Scrappies]] in [[{{VideoGame/DonkeyKong64}} Donkey Kong 64]] are acceptable. When he re-reviews ''[=DKC3=]'' (on AprilFoolsDay) he rates the game much more positively than the first time around... and not only does he not mention Kiddy once, Kiddy gets edited out of screenshots he ought to be in, like the title screen.

** Discusses this during the ''Metroid'' review, when airing his frustration about the difficulty of the NES classic. He notes that older generations of gamers are more willing to accept the outdated game design choices and elements present in the games they grew up with, as opposed to younger gamers who immediately scoff at them. Specifically, he points out how his younger viewers questioned why he didn't complain about requiring in-game collectibles to use {{Save Point}}s back in his ''Donkey Kong Country 2'' review, responding that such a save system was actually one of the better ones at the time.

* TheScrappy: [[invoked]] A RunningGag throughout the ''Donkey Kong Country'' retrospectives is Josh's intense hatred for [[{{VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry3DixieKongsDoubleTrouble}} Kiddy Kong]]. Kiddy's non-presence is ultimately why he decides the [[ReplacementScrappy Replacement Scrappies]] in [[{{VideoGame/DonkeyKong64}} Donkey Kong 64]] are acceptable.

'''Josh''':Huuph, [[LampshadeHanging you see what I mean about that visceral negative reaction]]?

'''Josh''': Are you done? Guys, I apologize--\\
'''Alisha''': CAW!