Mr. Nutz

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Mr. Nutz
Front cover of the European Sega Mega Drive port
Publisher(s)	Ocean
Platform(s)	Super NES, Mega Drive, Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance
Release date	1994
Genre(s)	Side-scrolling, 2D platform
Mode(s)	1 player
Media	cartridge
Input methods	Gamepad, Joystick

Mr. Nutz is a side scrolling, 2D platformer video game published by Ocean Software for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, the Sega Mega Drive, Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance and first released in 1994.

The player controls the one player character, Mr. Nutz who is an Anthropomorphic red squirrel wearing shoes, gloves and a cap. The game shares similarities with other platformers of the same time, jumping is the main technique used in the game to navigate both fixed and moving platforms and defeat or avoid most enemies.

Ocean previously released another game on the Amiga under the name Mr. Nutz: Hoppin' Mad, it featured the same titular character but with less attacking abilities, different levels and story and a large overworld map.

[edit] Story

A Yeti, named Mr. Blizzard is trying to take over the world by using his magic powers to turn it into a mass of ice. A squirrel named Mr. Nutz travels across the land in an attempt to stop him.

[edit] Gameplay

Mr. Nutz can run, jump, swim in some levels and collect items. The character can jump on most enemies to dispose of them or strike them with his tail or throw nuts he has collected at them; apart from bosses most enemies can be killed with one strike. As with many games contact with hazards and enemies, other than jumping on them, results in losing one unit of health followed by a few seconds of invulnerability as the character sprite flashes. There is no time limit in any of the versions, the player may spend as long as they wish on each level. However in some versions, although the player can take as long as they wish, the game does reward the player with points for completing a level quickly.

The player starts with a number of lives and health units, the amounts are different depending on difficulty and port. Losing all health results in losing one life and the player must restart at the beginning of the current journey. After losing all lives the player may choose to accept a game over or to continue but must then restart at the beginning of the first journey in the current stage with the default lives and health and zero nuts, coins and score; the player may continue an infinate number of times.

In all versions except the Super Nintendo port, passwords are shown when the player reaches certain levels and can be input to start the game from the beginning of that level.

[edit] Levels

There are six levels that must be played in order, they are generally increasing in difficulty, and each has a boss to defeat at the end. The levels are split into different sections called "journeys" but have a common theme throughout. Most areas contain many collectibles and enemies, and there are often secret areas to find.

• 1. Woody Land

A grassy area, starts of in day light and finishes at night. enemies include walking fruit, caterpillars, giant Venus Flytraps and porcupines on the ground; and wasps, fairies, hanging spiders in the air. The boss is Mr. Spider, a giant semi-anthropomorphic spider.

• 2. Adventure Park

An area containing many tall trees with high branches to explore. There are rope swings, bouncy spring like blocks. The boss is a witch on a broomstick fought inside a house at the end of the stage.

• 3. Living Room and Foul Kitchen

The boss is a squid or octopus type creature.

• 4. Volcano Underpass and Clouds

Begins in underground caves of a volcano, with rocky passages filled with pools of lava. Enemies include fire creatures, miner weasels that throw pick axes, small fire breathing dragons and flying bats. Platforms of smoke emitting from the volcano eventually take the level into the clouds with moving cloud platforms, flying cloud creatures, wasps, birds and small bomber planes and crawling spiky caterpillars. The boss is a giant ogre named Ograoum Papas who tries to attack Mr. Nutz with his hands and bouncing eyes.

• 5. Mean Streets

The boss is a clown

• 6. Ice Scream

An snowy icy land, containing floating ice burgs, penguins and Eskimos who fire harpoons. The final boss is at the end, Mr. Blizzard the Yeti who jumps, throws snow flakes and creates strong winds with his breath. The game is completed after defeating him.