The Angry Video Game Nerd (abbreviated as AVGN, occasionally shortened to The Nerd) is the titular character and name of a series of farcical retrogaming video reviews by James D. Rolfe. The show revolves around retro game reviews that involve acerbic rants against the particularly low-quality video games, generally being 8-bit video games and usually also featuring licensed characters. The series began as a feature on YouTube, and later joined ScrewAttack Entertainment, which would later have three of its features, including the AVGN, transferred to GameTrailers exclusively. The show was formerly known as The Angry Nintendo Nerd, a title that was abandoned to evade legal issues due to the Nintendo trademark, and because the show started reviewing games on other consoles. The series' theme song was written by Kyle Justin with lyrics by both Justin and Rolfe.

The titular Nerd character is an ill-tempered and foul-mouthed video game fanatic. He derives comic appeal from his loud New Jersey accent, excessive and inventive use of profanity, frequent displays of explicit gestures, and heavy consumption of beer, particularly Rolling Rock, to "soothe the pain."

A particular characteristic is his favorable comparison of extremely repulsive and painful, usually firmly scatological, acts to playing the games he reviews; the opening theme song, for example, states that "he'd rather have a buffalo take a diarrhea dump in his ear" than play any of the games he reviews. Varying amounts of physical comedy are mixed into the verbal abuse.