Behind the scenes of the Nerd Room for the AVGN 8-bit booth.
If you’re a retro gaming fan like us, chances are you have watched the Angry Video Game Nerd unleash his legendary rage, ranting, raving, and tearing through 200+ episodes of gaming mayhem. For the Nerd’s latest gaming adventure, Mega Cat Studios and Retroware are bringing gamers to the 8-bit past with the upcoming Angry Video Game Nerd 8-bit. Magfest 2025 attendees got to check out the latest game demo at the Retroware booth, but this booth was no ordinary setup; it was a life-size replica of the iconic Nerd Room! This booth perfectly captures the look and feel of a retro gaming den, complete with a wall of games, a CRT TV, a NES console, and a comfy couch to relax on. Check out the video with James Rolfe explaining the booth’s construction and how the interacted with fans.
Magfest 2025 was fun-filled as usual, and we had a blast cramming as many experiences as humanly possible. Once we saw posts about it online, we stopped by the Nerd Room at Magfest to check out the booth and get some game time with the new 8-bit demo. Being a fan of the AVGN, it was surreal to sit in a replica that half felt like walking onto a TV sound stage and the other half like chilling out at one friend’s super gaming basement.
The latest demo of AVGN 8-bit showcased only one level of the game, but it captures the look and feel of an 8-bit title that would be made about a TV show or movie. The game is a solid platformer like Mega Man but has no sharp difficulty curve for new players. There are interesting homages to AVGN episodes and movie references, so nothing is placed in the game’s setting as filler. We also got a quick photo of James Rolfe, who happily greeted his fans at the booth and cheered them on, even if a few of them had his 8-bit copy killed a couple of times.
If you haven’t watched the newest announcement trailer, we linked it below. Interested in taking the Nerd out for an 8-bit adventure yourself? Wishlist the game on Steam or sign up for the newsletter for the latest updates about the game at Retroware.
