Super Tofu Boy

Super Tofu Boy is a parody platformer game created by PETA as a vegan alternative to Super Meat Boy. The game follows Tofu Boy, who must rescue Bandage Girl after she is kidnapped by the jealous Meat Boy. Players navigate through nine challenging, vertically-scrolling levels across three themed sections, dodging obstacles like razor wheels, fires, and turrets. The gameplay closely mirrors the original, with fast-paced action, wall-bouncing mechanics, and collectible bandages that unlock bonus content, including a video highlighting animal cruelty. The final level pits Tofu Boy against Dr. Fetus, who reveals his role in manipulating Meat Boy.

Super Tofu Boy: A Parody That Misses the Mark

Introduction

In the annals of video game history, few titles have sparked as much debate—and as many laughs—as Super Tofu Boy. Released in 2010 by PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), this Flash-based parody of Super Meat Boy was designed to promote veganism by replacing the original game’s meaty protagonist with a tofu-based hero. While Super Tofu Boy is a fascinating artifact of gaming culture, it ultimately fails to capture the magic of its inspiration, serving as a cautionary tale about the dangers of mixing activism with game design.

Development History & Context

Super Tofu Boy was developed by MCM Net Ltd. and published by PETA’s youth division, peta2. The game was a direct response to Super Meat Boy, a critically acclaimed indie platformer developed by Team Meat (Edmund McMillen and Tommy Refenes). PETA’s motivation was clear: they objected to the idea of a hero made of meat, seeing it as a glorification of animal cruelty. Thus, Super Tofu Boy was born, a game that sought to replace Meat Boy with a vegan alternative.

The development of Super Tofu Boy was swift, with the game released just weeks after Super Meat Boy’s launch. This rapid turnaround suggests that PETA’s primary goal was not to create a polished gaming experience but to capitalize on the controversy surrounding Super Meat Boy. The game was built using Adobe Flash, a common tool for browser-based games at the time, and was distributed for free on PETA’s website.

Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

The narrative of Super Tofu Boy is a thinly veiled allegory for PETA’s vegan message. The game begins with Meat Boy and Bandage Girl, the protagonists of Super Meat Boy, in a seemingly happy relationship. However, when Tofu Boy appears, Bandage Girl immediately falls in love with him, prompting Meat Boy to kidnap her in a fit of jealousy. The player’s goal is to guide Tofu Boy through a series of levels to rescue Bandage Girl.

The game’s themes are heavy-handed and often absurd. Levels are set in locations like “The Slaughter House,” “Golden Arches” (a clear jab at McDonald’s), and “The Bacon Factory,” each designed to evoke the horrors of meat production. Between levels, players are treated to propaganda-style messages such as “Tofu doesn’t scream when you cut it” and “Don’t eat anything that had eyes.” These messages, while intended to be thought-provoking, often come across as preachy and out of place in a platformer.

Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

Super Tofu Boy closely mimics the gameplay of Super Meat Boy, but with several key differences that highlight its shortcomings. Like its inspiration, Super Tofu Boy is a fast-paced, precision-based platformer where players must navigate through hazardous levels filled with saw blades, conveyor belts, and other deadly obstacles. However, the controls in Super Tofu Boy are noticeably less responsive, making the game feel clunky and unfairly difficult.

One of the most significant issues is the wall-jumping mechanic, which is essential for navigating the game’s vertical levels. In Super Meat Boy, wall jumps are fluid and intuitive, allowing players to chain jumps together seamlessly. In Super Tofu Boy, however, the wall jumps are inconsistent, often failing to register when the player needs them most. This inconsistency makes the game frustrating rather than challenging, a critical flaw in a genre that thrives on precision.

The game is divided into three sections, each with three levels. Players must complete two out of three levels in a section to unlock the next. Additionally, collecting bandages in each level unlocks a bonus stage where players must collect ten bandages in twenty seconds. Completing this bonus stage rewards players with a video depicting the cruel treatment of animals, reinforcing PETA’s message.

World-Building, Art & Sound

Visually, Super Tofu Boy is a near-carbon copy of Super Meat Boy. The art style, level design, and even the character sprites are nearly identical, with the only notable difference being the replacement of Meat Boy with Tofu Boy. This lack of originality extends to the sound design, which features a generic, unremarkable soundtrack. The game’s audio is functional but forgettable, lacking the energetic, chiptune-inspired music that made Super Meat Boy’s soundtrack so memorable.

The game’s world-building is minimal, with levels serving as little more than backdrops for PETA’s messaging. The “Golden Arches” level, for example, is a direct parody of McDonald’s, complete with a giant “M” in the background. While this level of satire might have been effective in a different context, it feels out of place in a game that is otherwise a straightforward platformer.

Reception & Legacy

Super Tofu Boy was met with overwhelmingly negative reception from players and critics alike. On MobyGames, the game holds an average player score of just 1.2 out of 5, with many players criticizing its poor controls, uninspired design, and heavy-handed messaging. Despite this, the game was played over 3.5 million times in its first week, suggesting that its controversy and novelty were enough to draw attention, even if the gameplay itself was lacking.

The legacy of Super Tofu Boy is largely one of infamy. Team Meat, the developers of Super Meat Boy, responded to the parody by adding Tofu Boy as a playable character in their game—but with a twist. In Super Meat Boy, Tofu Boy is intentionally weak, unable to jump as high or run as fast as other characters, making him nearly unplayable in later levels. This response was a clear jab at PETA, mocking their attempt to create a vegan alternative to Meat Boy.

Conclusion

Super Tofu Boy is a fascinating case study in the intersection of activism and game design. While its intentions were noble—promoting veganism and animal rights—the execution was flawed. The game’s poor controls, uninspired design, and heavy-handed messaging make it a forgettable experience, especially when compared to the tight, polished gameplay of Super Meat Boy.

Ultimately, Super Tofu Boy serves as a reminder that games are first and foremost about gameplay. No matter how strong the message or how noble the cause, a game must be fun to play to be successful. Super Tofu Boy fails on this front, making it little more than a footnote in gaming history—a parody that missed the mark.