The Video Game Critic
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 The Video Game Critic main page in 2010. |
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| URL | www.videogamecritic.net/ |
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| Type of site | Video game journalism |
| Owner | David Mrozek |
| Launched | 1999 |
| Alexa rank | 230,263 (August 2012)[1] |
| Current status | online |
Contents |
History
Mrozek, a self proclaimed fan of early platforms such as the Atari 2600 and modern platforms, such as the Nintendo Wii,[3] has been noted as having an "immense" knowledge of gaming.[4] He is by profession a computer programmer, and established Dave's Video Game Reviews in 1999, citing an inspiration from the reviewing format of the website "Tomorrow's Heroes". An early version of his site was primarily text-based, and featured reviews solely on the Atari 2600.[5] The platforms reviewed eventually expanded, and by 2000 the name of the site had changed to The Video Game Critic.[6] The original URL, www.thevideogamecritic.com, was stolen by a gambling website when Mrozek forgot to renew the domain, so the URL was shortened to its current address.[7] Besides being consulted for video game reviews,[8] Mrozek has given advice on setting up video hardware.[3] He has also been referenced in research journals regarding gaming systems,[9][10] appeared in a podcast for RetroGaming,[4] and written for Retrogaming Times.[11]Reviews
The Video Game Critic contains approximately 3,900 video game reviews spanning across 40 consoles and portables.[6] The site is known for providing information on some of the rarer consoles, such as Astrocade system,[12] as well as being featured on early videogaming platform-specific sites such as AtariAge[13] and MobyGames.[14] It is referred to regarding other classic platforms, such as the NES,[15] Magnavox Odyssey²,[16] Sega Genesis,[17] and ColecoVision,[18] and has been used as a preferred database by contemporaries, such as by Stephen Glicker.[19] It also has been used as a resource for the class "Fundamentals of Game Engine Development" at Westwood College,[20] and as a reference in a thesis for game development.[21] The rating system used by The Video Game Critic is similar to the grading system used by educational institutions, and has a range of "A+" to "F-". One striking difference between many other review sites is that The Video Game Critic rates primarily on the gameplay, or the level of enjoyment. Secondarily, he factors in the games graphics, sound and control, and the length of the review is typically a paragraph.[6] Critiquing the way other review sites tend to dismiss early video games, Mrozek has said "I was also tired of reviewers trashing old games solely because of their antiquated graphics while being totally oblivious to their excellent, timeless gameplay".[6]In 2003, The Video Game Critic named White Men Can't Jump the "worst video game of all time".[22]
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