“Hello, I am the Nostalgia Critic. I remember it so you don't have to.”
—Nostalgia Critic's opening catchphrase
The Nostalgia Critic (ノスタルジア・クリティック Nosutarujia Kuritikku) is the eponymous host of his own Internet show as a cynic nostalgic media critic who reviews movies, TV shows and commercials. During the early years of his career, he is best known to be the arch-rival of the Angry Video Game Nerd.
Story[]
Rise of an Internet Critic[]
His career starting with his first review either being Transformers or Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue, the man takes the name "Nostalgia Critic", a review who revisits bad movies or TV shows related to his nostalgia, past or childhood, makes Top 11 lists of different varieties and mostly spends the time complaining about things, shouting at the camera and raging at the horrible things he encounters when reviewing something.
Rivalry with the Nerd[]
Not much later after he emerged into the Internet, the Nostalgia Critic has been receiving mails and comments about he is similar to the Angry Video Game Nerd, a popular Internet personality best known for reviewing bad video games who debuted in 2004 or 2006. He boasts that he is much greater and more talented than the Nerd. He warns that if the Nerd makes a feedback in any form, he will be relentless on him. Some time later, the Critic bad-mouths the Nerd mouth after seeing that he responded via his message forums, complimenting that he likes the Critic's work and that he is a fan. After decrypting what he thought has a hidden message (parodying the Da Vinci Code), the Critic is horrified to learn that the real message left by the Nerd is: "Lick my shit, Nostalgia Critic".
Much later, after launching thatguywiththeglasses.com, the Critic discovers that the Nerd is once again stealing his thunder by getting to review The Wizard first and insults him yet again. Afterwards, the Nerd finally retaliates by insulting the Critic back, which the Critic does not take lightly upon. Soon, the Critic personally confronts the Nerd for the first time and battles him, ending the fight in a draw, but not before they both agreed that the Nerd will review a horrible "nostalgic movie" and the Critic will review a terrible video game.
After the Nerd reviews Ricky 1 and the Critic plays Bebe's Kids on the SNES, they both acknowledge at first that being the other is not as easy as they thought out to be. However, after another heated argument, they declare that they will have a final battle to the death. The Critic heads off to the Nerd's place to settle matters with his archenemy once and for all. The two Internet reviewers are evenly matched against each other until the Nerd has the upper hand with the Nintendo gear at his disposal. After the Critic fails to plead for his life by lying that he is the Nerd's brother, the Nerd obliterates the Critic before the latter is possessed by the Devil, overwhelming the former. The fight comes to an end when Super Mecha Death Christ 2000 intervenes to protect the Nerd and apparently destroys the Critic. As the exhausted Nerd walks off, a bleeding hand of the Critic rises from the debris, implying that he survived and will live to fight another day.
The feud flares up again come by the first anniversary of thatguywiththeglasses.com when the Critic encounters the Nerd again and they fight. This time however, all of the members of thatguywiththeglasses arrive to help either the Nerd or the Critic. The brawl plays out between the two teams: the game reviewers who follow the Nerd and the regular critics led by the Critic. The fight goes on as neither gain an advantage over the other, until That Guy with the Glasses shows up and reminds them of who they are, prompting everyone to stop fighting and continue celebrating the one-year anniversary of their site. From then on, the Critic and the Nerd become both friends and enemies, doing reviews together in special occasions such as when they watched Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Coming Out of Our Shells.
Kickassia[]
The Nostalgia Critic eventually has a motive to conquer the acre-wide micronation of Molossia, founded by Kevin Baugh. He rallies many of the critics of thatguywiththeglasses.com under his cause, convincing them that they can have everything that they want starting from that point when they take over Molossia. After the first attempt ends in an embarrassing failure, the critics try again, this time armed with weapons. With the Nostalgia Critic (dressed up as M. Bison) leading the charge, the group subdues Baugh, as he runs off and dons a disguise as Fritz von Baugh, which didn't fool anybody, but they reluctantly pretend that he is a different person. The critics successfully take over Molossia. The Critic renames the nation into "Kickassia" and appoints the Nostalgia Chick as his vice-president.
Time passes, the Cinema Snob expresses distraught over the Critic, who despite being the new ruler of Kickassia, does nothing but lazily watch TV and doesn't want to contribute in raising the country's finances. Phelous is also annoyed often by the NC who often steals ideas that he originally came up with, to the point where all of the Critic's ideas are actually Phelous'. Everyone else starts doubting the Critic upon finding a receipt of twenty tons of dynamite ordered by him. Snob confirms that the Critic did indeed order the dynamites and wired the entire Kickassia with them. After Film Brain, who had been extremely loyal to the Critic since the beginning, overhears the Snob saying that the Critic should be overthrown and reports the news to the NC, he captures Snob and sends him to court, where the Critic sentences him to exile. Later at night, the Critic finds his room to be decorated much like his old review room and encounters Ma-Ti (from Captain Planet) who warns the NC to abandon his selfish ways lest he suffer failure in his own hands.
The next day, Spoony, having turned into Dr. Insano after being pressured by his friends, attacks the Critic but fails. Just before the NC could finish off Insano, Santa Christ arrives and the Critic accidentally shoots him dead. After failing to resurrect Santa Christ, the group retreats and comes up with another plan, this time orchestrated by Linkara. The Critic tries to escape but everybody, including the Snob who returned from exile and Brain who turned on the Critic after killing Santa Christ, corners him and beats him up. After the Critic is taken down, everyone quarrels on who will be the next President of Kickassia. Fortunately, the resurrected Santa Christ arrives and tells all of the critics that they should be proud of what they have and return Kickassia to its original owner. The Critic attempts to detonate the dynamites as his last resort, but Snob reveals that he disarmed the bombs after he was banished. After the NC is beaten up again, the group relinquishes Molossia back to Kevin Baugh and goes home.
Suburban Knights[]
After the Critic tricks the critics of his site into coming by "offering a free car", he offers to help him retrieve Malachite's Hand, a gauntlet which is said that grants the holder unlimited magical power, and sell it for a grand fortune to be shared by all of them. The NC requires his companions to dress up as fantasy characters to understand the quest better. Everyone however doesn't want Ma-Ti and the Critic sends him away to meaningless missions to leave them alone. The Critic and the Channel Awesome group divide into two groups and embark on their quest to find Malachite's Hand, with the Critic's group having the photocopied version of the map that leads to the location of the gauntlet, and the other group led by Spoony having the original map.
As the Critic's group overcome the obstacles on their path, they enter a house and find a book. After the Critic reads an incantation, Chuck Jaffers, a Dungeons & Dragons nerd who went missing for 30 years, is released from the book. Jaffers reveals that Malachite was the one who sealed him in the book since he knew the location of the gauntlet. He also reveals that he left clues and obstacles to protect the gauntlet, and that only the "true of heart" can find it. When Jaffers realizes that the Critic and the others are impure, he attempts to kill them and they escape.
Meanwhile, Spoony's group finds the Voice of the Ancient World, who tells them a story that long ago, there were two great friends: the sorcerer Malachite and the alchemist Aeon. When the Great King summoned Aeon to his presence, he asked whether science or magic will lead to a greater future. Aeon, knowing that Malachite had dark intentions at heart, chooses science which would be the ultimate tool of progress for the world. Malachite wished to get revenge of Aeon for his rejection on him and magic and carved a powerful stone that would allow him use his powers endlessly. He challenged Aeon, who was armed with a ring of lodestone, but was defeated. Aeon spared Malachite, took away the gauntlet which held the magic stone and sealed it away in an unknown location. As the world of magic and sorcery faded away and the society of science and technology evolved, Malachite swore to find his gauntlet and destroy the world that Aeon had brought upon.
To Boldly Flee[]
Revival[]
In the finale of Demo Reel, The Review Must Go On, Doug brings back the Nostalgia Critic from the Plot Hole. The Critic would then review The Odd Life of Timothy Green as the first episode of his newly-revived Internet show.
Crossover Appearances[]
Project X Zone 3: War of Infinite Worlds
Playing a major role in the prologue chapters of Project X Zone III, the Nostalgia Critic is one of the major characters of the game as a Pair Unit, teaming up with his rival, the Angry Video Game Nerd.