2023 · The Sales Curve · Platformer

Mr. Tuff

Nintendo exclusive

Mr. Tuff is a 2D platform game in development by Sales Curve Interactive (SCI) and presumably set to be published by Ocean in 1994-1995. The game was done by the same people as Super SWIV, and as such, the graphics are incredibly polished. The game was apparently too ambitious, and was never fully complete (although the game engine and graphics certainly indicate that it is close).

Released: 1 October 2023
Platforms: SNES
Genres: Platformer
Developers: The Sales Curve
Publishers: —
Modes: Single-player
Perspective: Side view
Themes: Action
Country: United Kingdom
Languages: English

About

Mr. Tuff is an action-platform video game developed by Sales Curve Interactive (SCi) for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Originally planned for a 1994 release, it was canceled until it was published by The Retro Room in 2023. Set in a future where humanity abandoned the Earth and migrated to the planet Utopia, military androids took over and enslaved the stranded domestic robots.

The player controls a demolition robot named Mr. Tuff across six islands, exploring and searching each level for items and power-ups, while fighting enemies and defeating bosses.

Keywords

canceled games
prototype only
prototype found

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

Mr. Tuff is an action-platform game similar to Chuck Rock. The plot takes place in 2008; many years ago, human researchers discovered a habitable Earth-like planet and called it Utopia. When Earth becomes uninhabitable due to rampant pollution, humanity boards a fleet of spaceships and sets off for Utopia, leaving behind only household robots.

The robots established a new society, however, six military androids quickly took power and set themselves up as rulers. The androids decided to take six islands as their domains and the robots became their slaves and servants. A demolition robot named Mr. Tuff decided to rebel against the totalitarian regime and free the robots.

Development

Mr. Tuff was created by Sales Curve Interactive (SCi), a British game developer and publisher founded by former Telecomsoft executive Jane Cavanagh in 1988. SCi had previously worked on conversions for Amiga and Atari ST such as The Ninja Warriors (1987) and Silkworm, as well as SWIV (1991). SCi also published titles for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System under the Storm label like Super SWIV, Troddlers, and Time Slip (1993).

It was conceived for SCi by Darren Melbourne, based on a character named Mr. Max E. Tuff who later became Mr. Tuff.

Reception

Mr. Tuff garnered average reception from critics before its cancellation. GameFan's three reviewers commended the detailed graphics and gameplay, but expressed mixed thoughts regarding the soundtrack and saw its timed levels as the only shortcoming. They also drew similarities with Mega Man due to the game's array of weapon power-ups and thematic.

Mega Fun's Markus Appel opined that the main character controlled well, and saw the weapon selection and hidden bonus rooms appealing, but felt some of the stages were short and easy in contrast to the bosses. Video Games' Wolfgang Schaedle gave favorable commentary for its animated sprites, and found the levels to be varied but felt the game seemed shallow, noting that original ideas rarely came into play.