[TAS] NES Square's Tom Sawyer by AmaizumiUni in

This is a tool-assisted speedrun. For more information, see tasvideos.org/...
TAS originally published on 2025-01-07
Square's Tom Sawyer (スクウェアのトム・ソーヤ) is a role-playing game for the Famicom that was released only in Japan. It was developed by Square and is a loose video game adaptation of the book The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. The game is notorious in the west for its depiction of African-Americans through antiquated blackface caricatures, the most prominent example being the character Jim. As for the gameplay, it is similar to Final Fantasy II in that there is no experience system; items are used to boost your stats. The combat also goes from traditional turn-based attacking to games of rock-paper-scissors halfway through the game.
In this run, AmaizumiUni ( tasvideos.org/... ) has Tom Sawyer and friends walk through many forests and caves, unencumbered by enemy counters thanks to manipulating the RNG, and leaves the final boss fight as soon as possible to get the treasure in record time.
#tas #tasvideos #toolassisted #toolassistedspeedrun #speedrun

[@Sinistar1983]

Poor jim looks like he got stung by 20 bees

[@HyperSonicXtreme]

Square could've given him a brown color like Nintendo did with Doc Louis for the NES Punch Out.

[@NuttyBlueRice]

Someone from Japan saw the 1930s racist cartoons from America and thought it was a challenge.

[@Boonehams]

"Oh, THAT'S what a black person looks like? Okay, well, it's supposed to be a caricature, so I'll have to exaggerate his features for his portrait."

[@devinallen4239]

Jesus Christ, Square

[@cathoderayguns]

oh, sweet jesus.

[@avalonjustin]

Good to see my favorite Tom Sawyer character, African American Jim.

[@kazy8029]

Did no one who worked on this game even see an American movie at the very least? Anything for any reference for a black person? Jim is out here looking like he walked outta a damn early Disney cartoon produced and directed by H. P. Lovecraft. No one could have gone down to a library to get a picture book on diversity or about geography or even buy a copy of Thriller, they just decided to make Mr. Popo and put a damn iron to his lips. It's not like there weren't any black people in Japan. Did they grab the most racist person on the team, throw them into a room, give them LSD, showed them old Looney Tunes shit, and tell them just to draw?

[@clairecaldwell1611]

Jim "Ate 40 Bees" Hollis

[@Boonehams]

Jim "Clam Mouth" Hollis

[@Boonehams]

The portrait artist heard "black guy" and took it literally.

[@lamptrent]

navigating this map without a guide seems like it'd be utter torture! what a nightmare

[@beanthebeanytps9574]

Y’know the color brown was… right there in the pallete for you to use…

[@avalonjustin]

He's both a character and part of the background. Dunno what the devs were thinking.

[@HyperSonicXtreme]

It went well for Doc Louis for NES Punch Out Come on Square.

[@MaxxyBee]

went UH OH out loud seeing the thumbnail

[@TKUltra971]

LMAO exactly, same thoughts!

[@jsmith9x]

They changed the thumbnail, goodness

[@MaxxyBee]

​@@jsmith9x yeah now we see his battle sprite that highlights how they didnt even give him skin 💀

[@Koettnylle]

No one looks at the bottom half of the screen anyway

[@sarcasticguy4311]

Looks like Jim is allergic to shellfish.

[@sarcasticguy4311]

I like how at the ending there's only three people on the raft insinuating they left Huck Finn behind still spread across that gap in the cave.

[@racoujini]

Although your version is funnier, you can see they leave Jim behind at 22:54 - 22:56. The developers seem to know the book very well, there's a reason Jim didn't go with them. Not gonna get into that here lol, kind of controversial.

[@ifgwelf]

Jims lips 😂😂😂😭

[@Sinistar1983]

Oh my goodness

[@HyperSonicXtreme]

☠️

[@Omabatfartsbruh]

does he kiss his mother with that mouth?

[@blukmage19typeR]

Tom Sawyer, Jim, Amy Lawrence (Becky's rival), and 'Huck' Huckleberry Finn in a Final Fantasy scenario. Dangit, Square! At least give Jim a better profile!

[@Red_Sutter]

Wonder when the HD-2D remake of this is coming out

[@KitsDJ]

It makes sense as to why the game was never localized, but what's really crazy is that this game was developed with no "standards or practices" department, meaning this was developed and released without any idea that Jim's portrayal here would actually be racist

[@ericdanielski4802]

Nice TAS.

[@Omabatfartsbruh]

thanks japan, my 5th grade trauma returns

[@durandal_273]

Somehow, the opening art isn't the most cursed thing in this video. Good God.

[@TorrenceL0179]

Dear lord, I was NOT prepared for Jim.

[@ironbowtie]

"Dat's Reese's!"

[@clubfro]

The best Final Fantasy.

[@andy2nine7]

look how they massacred my boy

[@OfficialChavis97]

Oh boy. Not this one.

[@sarcasticguy4311]

A modern day warrior Mean, mean stride Today's Tom Sawyer Mean, mean pride

[@Slash0mega]

Well. I think i know why THIS game didn't get localized....

[@KrunchTheChangeling]

Never heard of this game. But I just like watching TAS play whatever, so I got my chips n' soda. Let's go!

[@sarcasticguy4311]

27:22 So, is this a huge bullet or the Liberty Bell for some reason was buried in Missouri?

[@craigluft7453]

Umm... Jim

[@SonicNinja6600]

I wonder if this game will come to NSO one day.

[@mousebreaker1000]

bruh

[@D4n0w4r]

based

[@IWantThatKey]

La luz extinguido...