Tom and Jerry in Fists of Furry

Last updated
Tom and Jerry in Fists of Furry
Tom and Jerry in Fists of Furry N64 box cover.jpg
North American box art
Developer(s) VIS Interactive
Publisher(s)
Platform(s) Nintendo 64
Microsoft Windows
Release
Genre(s) Fighting
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Tom and Jerry in Fists of Furry is a fighting video game for the Nintendo 64 and Microsoft Windows. It was developed by VIS Interactive and published by NewKidCo on November 12, 2000 (Ubi Soft in PAL region). [2] [3] It is based on the animated short film series of Tom and Jerry .

Contents

Gameplay

Tom's fighting pose Tom and Jerry in Fists of Furry Tom fight screenshot.jpeg
Tom's fighting pose

Tom and Jerry in Fists of Furry features 10 levels, each with themes like the kitchen from the Tom and Jerry TV show and a boxing ring. [4] With gameplay based on slapstick comedy, [5] [6] players interact with the environment and scattered usable objects like chairs, pool cues, and bombs. [7] Each of the seven characters have unique attacks. Power-ups include invincibility to items (but not to punches or the stage hazards), or a green gas which can contaminate a touched opponent. [5]

Initially, only Tom and Jerry are available as playable characters; by completing the game with each character, players can unlock Butch, Duckling, Tuffy, and Spike and Tyke. [2] [6]

Development

Development began in late 1999, and was in final submission to Nintendo of America by August 2000. Team members had chosen Nintendo 64 due to its library's lack of fighting games. They wanted to simplify controls for all age groups, so they chose to forgo the typical combination moves. [8]

All voices in the game were provided by Alan Marriott. [9]

Reception

IGN briefly played a pre-release demonstration of the Nintendo 64 version, calling it a clone of Power Stone (1999), with a disappointing lack of four-player fighting. [5] IGN later rated it 6.8/10, calling it "the next best fighter on the system" after Super Smash Bros. (1999), saying that it would have been better received if it had been released first. [11] Ryan Davis of GameSpot rated it "fair" at 6.6/10, calling the game challenging but also accessible to younger players. He praised the controls but criticized the difficulty balance. [10] N64 Magazine rated it 35%, and said the game is to be avoided because the high-quality Tom and Jerry franchise was "let down by lazy and cack-handed execution", especially because of a "brain-numbing punch-punch-kick-style combo" instead of any special attacks. They said that the characters were not drawn badly and that the locations from the cartoons were a plus. [7] Nintendo Power gave an 8.3/10 rating and said it was the best 3D fighting game for Nintendo 64, due to the multiplayer elements, interactive fighting environments, and precision controls. [12] The French magazine Actu & Soluces 64 rated it at 81%. [13]

Game Vortex played the Windows version, rated it at 65%, was disappointed, criticized the total lack of music, and recommended a gamepad to mimic the preferred Nintendo 64 version. [14]

Sequel

In 2002, Tom and Jerry in War of the Whiskers was released for the PlayStation 2, GameCube, and Xbox, and the latter two are North American exclusives. It is the only NewKidCo game to receive a T rating.

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Tom and Jerry in War of the Whiskers is a fighting video game developed by VIS Entertainment, published by NewKidCo for PlayStation 2, GameCube, and Xbox. It is the sequel to the 3D cartoon fighting video game Tom and Jerry in Fists of Furry for Nintendo 64 and Microsoft Windows. It allows up to four players to play simultaneously. It is the only NewKidCo game and the only Tom and Jerry game, released to receive a T rating. The PlayStation 2 version was released in all major regions, and the GameCube and Xbox versions were only released in North America. The game received mixed reviews from critics, with Metacritic scores of 63/100, 64/100, and 50/100 on PlayStation 2, GameCube, and Xbox, respectively.

References

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  3. "TOM AND JERRY IN FISTS OF FURRY". Metacritic. Metacritic. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  4. "Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, Smash Bros. and Beyond: The Ultimate". Geek. Geek. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  5. 1 2 3 "Tom and Jerry in Fists of Furry". IGN . October 23, 2000. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
  6. 1 2 "It's The Ultimate Game Of Cat And Mouse As NewKidCo Unleashes Tom and Jerry Video Games For The PlayStation game console, Nintendo 64 and Game Boy Color Game Systems". Business Wire. Business Wire. Retrieved November 27, 2018.[ permanent dead link ]
  7. 1 2 3 "Tom & Jerry Fists of Furry". N64 Magazine . No. 49. December 2000. pp. 62–63. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
  8. Hunter, Craig; Rosenfeld, Seth (August 21, 2000). "Speaking on Tom and Jerry" (Interview). Interviewed by Brian Stelter. Archived from the original on April 1, 2001. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
  9. "Tom and Jerry in Fists of Furry". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved 2021-02-09.
  10. 1 2 Davis, Ryan (November 20, 2000). "Tom and Jerry in Fists of Furry Review". GameSpot . Archived from the original on August 11, 2010. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
  11. 1 2 Lewis, Cory D. (November 14, 2000). "Tom and Jerry: Fists of Furry". IGN . Archived from the original on March 6, 2002. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
  12. 1 2 "Tom and Jerry in Fists of Furry". Nintendo Power . No. 139. Nintendo of America. p. 145. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  13. 1 2 "Tom & Jerry in Fist of Furry". Actu & Soluces 64 (in French). No. 4. April 2001. p. 46. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
  14. 1 2 Arnold, Brandon. "Tom & Jerry: Fists of Furry". Game Vortex. Retrieved February 9, 2021.