I remember watching the Angry Video Game Nerd years ago and enjoying the hell out it. Not only was it fun revisiting video games of yore, but the Nerd himself was charismatic enough to make the series enjoyable, constant four letter words and all. Now venturing into video game territory, Angry Video Game Nerd Adventures is a fun, challenging title that harkens back to NES-era difficulty, all while keeping in line with what made the show so popular.

The story is a relatively simple one. The Nerd was playing yet another horrible game when suddenly, he gets sucked into his television and sure enough, he’s now stuck in one of his least favorite games. Now has to figure out why he’s there and how to get the hell out. The game features a retro-based aesthetic, similar to many NES games of the era. Sporting a layout similar to the Mega Man NES games, various stages are playable that spoof common platforming levels and concepts, such as an ice world, a haunted house, and a lava world. The gameplay itself is fun and simple, also similar to Mega Man where you’ll avoid death blocks, lasers, constant enemies, and spikes. There are also special weapons you can grab during these stages that help clear enemies faster that are fun throwbacks to weapons you’ve come across in similar games of this era.

Regardless of the cute references, this game is hard. There’s an easy mode, if you want to call it that, where you’ll get unlimited lives and more energy, along with easier enemies. But if you’re a masochist, you can also try normal mode, which will give you 30 lives to use throughout the entire game, or old school, which will give you 15 lives, 5 continues, no saving, and tough enemies. This is definitely a game designed for old-school players who like their games as difficult as possible. I didn’t find this a big issue in the long run, however, as the game hits it just right. It’s a tough experience no matter what mode you’ll choose, but it’s never difficult enough that it makes you want to quit. It’s just the right amount of difficulty that’ll make you want to complete the game.

The Wii U version supports off-screen TV play, which is always a nice plus. Unfortunately, the one Wii U addition that I was hoping for, uploading screenshots on Miiverse, is disabled. This is probably because of the game’s content, which features constant references to feces, every four letter word imaginable, and a level that would make Custer’s Revenge blush. This is totally not a game designed for kids, but I think something like this is one of the problems that the Miiverse has: there’s no room for games like Angry Video Game Nerd Adventures to be fully represented and enjoyed on the service.

But posting funny Nerd game over sayings about anuses isn’t the be-all and end-all of Angry Video Game Nerd Adventures. It’s a fun, old-school game that brings back fun memories of similar NES games. Disabling Miiverse screenshots is pretty lame, and sometimes the game’s difficulty is a bit much, but those are just minor problems. Angry Video Game Nerd Adventures is another fun retro-inspired title that’s definitely worth a look if you’re looking for a challenging platformer on the eShop.