Interview (MediasRes) with 2TUFF/Crystal
job: original supplier

How did you come up with your alias ?
From a gangsta rap album I bought from a friend which had a picture of the crew and their handles on their baseball caps. I saw this hard looking geezer with *2TUFF* on his cap and thojught, yeah kewl! The trouble was, whilst I was supplying software for the Amiga to Crystal and Super Nintendo to various I had a fucking mass of handles mostly to do with gangsta hip-hop as they sound fucking dop and hard, haha. You might remember a few of them such as Mr. Scarface, Bushwik, Muthafucking Bill, Ice-T, Ice-Cube (the 1st 1), Lyrical Gangbang etc. etc. etc. the list is endless as the Yankee BBS Scene members will recall after having to their moans and groans, but 2TUFF is the real laster and everyone knows of me and it! hehe

City / Country:
Birmingham, England

Born year:
17th November 1973

What was your first computer, and when did you get it?
My first computer was the Commodore 64, afer having one of those crappy 3-in-1 grandstand machines (incidentially I till have it virtually brand new boxed under my bed hehe), my mother brought it to me, after my endless moans after seeing my cousins, his girlfriend Mary had just bought him.



How did you get into the scene and what groups have you been a member of ?
Shit it happened way back with the C64, I was like only really young and coming from the primary school over the wall from the one *posh* estate as we know it, to my hell hole council estate. I started to walk over this small car park space with garages and this bloke stopped me. I thought he was going to kidnap me or sommit. haha! He told me he'd heard I had a C64 and wondered if I would like to some titles cheap for it. Of course me not having loads of money and easily being able to get dosh from my mom in small amounts said "yeah", that day I went round to his house and his wife let me in. She opened all the draws full of cassetts of c64 titles neatly labelled. I checked the names of some of the games and was amazed. After that she showed me all his crap old style 3.25" floppies. He had some group which I can't remember what it was back then. Inciddentially he went under the handle of *Turbo* which it's hard to ever know if he made it to the modem Scene caus so many had this handle! He used to get them from various people who had contact with the modem Scene though.

Anyway back to the story, then I got further and further into piracy. I found another contact called *KAM* from Birmingham. He also had contacts and was in groups such as Hotline on the Atari ST and when they finally came out later on. When the Amgia came out I fucking loved it from what I saw in the Amiga and computer journals at that time. After a while I brought myself one it was the old A500 1.2 with 1/2 meg memory haha and lots of guru's. Furtuanetly KAM did not win by trying his hardest to get me to buy an Atari ST (shit technology haha) I was still going to Kam's and Turbo's, but then Kam put me onto a kewl guy called Carl alias Infiltrator of Crysis International on the Amiga. A well known UK group mostly based as far as I know of in the UK it had some kewl GFX artists, of which one was very good this asian Geezer. Anyway, I started my own little group with a friend who owned an ATARI ST, I called it Power Distribution, we both did small disk compilations, me for demos and games and my mate did just game ones. Infact on the Atari ST we did some good ones wich a lot of UK Scene members respected highly. I did a shit load of mail trading and had hundreds of contacts. I joined a couple of other known UK groups and then I joined *CRYPTIC UK*.

These were quite a kewl respected Birmingham based demo group with loads of brummy members scattered everywhere. I only ever met the leader of Cryptic, that's when I'd left and along time after, when he wanted Super Nintendo Software from me until he copied me and got a SNK Neo-Geo haha! After a while I decided to get onto the modem scene, as I was fed up with it all, I stopped going to Turbo's just as he became good friends with Scooter and *THE LADS* in Liverpool, another known UK legendary demo group etc. I was in contact through mail-trading with a guy caleld Mike who was in Birminghams *EXCEL* and supplied QUARTEX and another group. Mike sold me a A 9600 US Robotics Courier HST modem and gave me a list of BBS's in the UK and a couple in the States. He also showed me how to CC my calls long distanace etc. After getting on a couple of boards I started my own up call *BRIGHT STAR BBS* when I was still in Crypic UK. It was nothing major and had a few callers. After a while I dumped it and just traded as I only had one line and my parents wanted it back HAHA!

I joined quite a few groups, such as MAYHEM UK, SHARE & ENJOY ETC. I can't remember half their names anymore. I quit my computer studies course and went onto the un-employment figure, I then joined I think *SCOOPEX* to become their UK supplier. That night I phoned up a BBS I'd been on for ages called *DULCET TONES* in Scottland run for *CRYSTAL* and was telling my mate Scott the Sysop I had joined Scoopex to supply originals, he told me ti was a waste of time they were no good as crackers and to join *CRYSTAL* as their supplier had left along with N.O.M.A.D, ZELNIK etc. Through a stupid argument which Zelnik started, I said "KEWL" and I sorted out what was to do with their old supplier Infiltrator (Carl).

I then supplied *CRYSTAL* for almost 3 years and I think it was early 1991 I started, let's just say my first original was Thunderhawk from Core Design, which Fairlight beat us on, due to me having problems with my A500 being slighly later back with original than expected, I'll give credit to Fairlight for that one as it was a hardish MFM crack. Our first crack with an original supplied by me wa *RODLAND*. It was the 1st ever crack to be released same day as the title came out and on a dinner time. Infact we at Crystal shook the Scene with the speed of the cracks for a long time. After a longish period SKID ROW tried to compete with us, but was easily destroyed, they started to use the same place I was but their supplier had to come from Liverpol and back where I only lived about 3 mile away from where I used to get the originals. I remember when most of the titles infact virtually and for a fucking while were just released by *CRYSTAL* after a massive length of time and releases others started to float around like a turd nugget on the top of the toilet water, people such as QUARTEX, MINISTRY/NEMESIS/CLASSIC etc. They were all going where I was but we were still beating them all to a massive percentage of the games. Everyone knew our cracks were very reliable and even when some of them were defeated by a long time and they then double released us people would still have our version. One day I was at the place 1st getting a supersprint type game for the Amiga and I met Mike and Munchie on the car park when I came out and someone from SKID ROW had gone in for it as I came out and then someone else from another group came on a motor-bike. It was funny us all there roughtly the same time.

Over the years I've been in quite a few elite groups especially on the console Scene due to me getting access to some really fast beta and final SNES titles! I started a CRYSTAL division on the SNES and supplied a few titles for them such as I think my best release ever which was *SUPER MICKEY MOUSE*. This was released like months before the final and it was all there, infact I found some glitches in the final I had not in my version, a lot of people liked that release. I supplied the following groups titles over the time: CRYSTAL, FAIRLIGHT, NAPALM, SNEAKERS etc.

All I will say about me and the Scene was, it was done for PhUn not like all the other groups and suppliers who did it for dosh. Id not want money or nothing, I only had any just to cover my travelling expenses. All these others charged their group leaders modesm and mahines and money. I enjoyed beating others to titles and making Crystal as great as they were. The same went for everyone else in Crystal. We seemed to waste our own money out of our pockets to get originals etc. Scott spent a fortune of his wages on the originals, which we knew we probably would not sell. Infact Scott has a massive shit load of them still in his house. This shows really how good Crystal was. It's a shame those days are gone, I would love for it to still be there, apart from the phone bills when not cc'in or bb'in.

I did also occasially hack a few telecom systems, the most obvious one was VMB's but I hacekd a few of my own bloebox's. I remember us not having a box for ages, after those 2 assholes disclosed how we boxed on a UK Television program, so I was told by a guy with his ear to the ground that China was maybe boxable. I seriously sat there for ages hacking it and used two dialers multitasking to defeat their pretty hard to crack system. Finally it got out but most only had it for a week maximum, I had it for around 2 months or more. I also hacked a kewl BB when the lines were shit on the other available ones.


What groups have you been in/helped, of which you can remember?
Amiga
POWER DIST, MAFIA UK, CRYPTIC U.K, S.A.E, SCOOPEX, LEGEND, CRYSTAL

Snes
CRYSTAL, SNEAKERS, NAPALM, FAIRLIGHT, LEGEND + more

What was the proudest moment in your career ?
When I joined Crystal and especially when I supplied their first crack supplied by myself and cracked by I.B.M. (Sebastian from Denmark) It was a Rob Northern protected title called *RODLAND*

For what specific reason(s) do you think that you are remembered and for what reason(s) would you like to be remember ??
Gosh, quite a few many I guess bad ones. Over the years I got a lot of enemies, due to being so fast at supllying. As we all know if you don't join a group when asked they don't like it, especially when you're destroying them and they don't seen a light at the end of their tunnel. I used to argue with shit loads about various things and what used to piss me off the most was if they slagged Crystal off. After all the effort I and the others put in and kaning the opposition they would have to nerve to slag us off. Poeople like ZELNIK sarted a lot of the trouble. He was kicked out of Crystal for sommit and did not like it so he caused trouble and got N.O.M.A.D, SCROTE, PROTOCOL Etc. to leave also. He then used to make up things to split me from Crystal constantly and phone my house in the middle of the night on conf's with Ministry and Nemesis members laughing so bloody childrish.

I think I'll be remember for obviously my supplying talents and how dedicated to the Scene and Crystal I was. And also I think a lot of people will hopefully remember allt he work I put in helping to create the very first console Scene when me and Executioner, Sysop of TREASURE ISLAND BBS (UK) tried to get everyone to stock SNES titles and make conf's up. It took a lot of persauding to get sysops to carry the titles and also make them believe it was actually possible to pirate SNES from the cartridge. Also I got a lot the yankees to support the PC-engine and Genesis. The only Cosole Scene I did not have anything to do was the SNK NEO-GEO Scene.



What made you stop the scene activity ? (and do you remember when?)
The Amiga Scene had major started to show it was going to show it was going to die. Then after a while I got a job and my first day at work 3-4 originals came out and we had my favourite source to get hold of them. I get them and supplied them and we cracked I think 3 out of the 4 I think it was one of the the F1 games from DOMARK and I can't remember the rest.

Thinking back on the good old days, is there anything you regret?
I regret turning down a lot of equipment and money in offers from other groups who wanted me to supply them originals, but as I said before I was not doing it for that. I adored ANGELS which then became CRYSTAL and when NOMAD etc. left I and others were quite down so it was a pleasure to become part of probably the best cracking group on the COMMODORE AMIGA. Every group was good but CRYSTAL I reckon had that little bit extra, either in team work, reliable cracks, spirits, or our sheer speed.

What computer & video-game machines have you owned or own

1. Grandslam 3-IN-1 PAL
2. COMMODORE 64 PAL
3. COMMODORE AMIGA 5/1200 PAL
4. SUPER FAMICOM (JAP) NTSC MAGICOM, WILDCARD, SUPER UFO
5. SUPER NINTENDO (USA) NTSC MAGICOM, WILDCARD, SUPER UFO
6. SUPER NINTENDO (U.K) PAL MAGICOM, WILDCARD, SUPER UFO
7. NEC PC-ENGINE (JAP/WHT) NTSC SUPER MAGIC GRIFFIN
8. SNK NEO GEO (JAP) NTSC
9. PHILIPS CD-i (U.K) PAL
10. SEGA MEGADRIVE (JAP) NTSC SUPER MAGIC DRIVE
11. 3DO (USA) NTSC
12. SEGA SATURN (JAP) NTSC
13. SONY PSX (JAP) NTSC
14. COMMODORE LT-286 SVGA
15. TOSHIBA T3200SX PC VGA
16. 486-PC SVGA
17. NINTENDO 64 (JAP) NTSC


What was your favourite machine(s)?
The AMIGA was my most favourite machine. It was my real starter in the scene and will live with me for as long as possible. I still have it and it still works perfect. It still has all its original insides and the original disk drive and PSU are perfect. Considering how much this machine was used and how much the disk drive had to copy for friends and contacts and also supplying originals all hours of the morning, its incredible.

The SNES will always be my favourite console as that was the start of my real home games playing. I had loads of mates in my house playing and arguning to fuck over games like streetfighter II etc. We'd be playing and screaming at each other at 3 o'clock in the morning with my mom in the bedroom next door trying to get to sleep. It was great fun and a excellent machine. The SNES gave me many memories i simply cannot forget. No other machine no matter how powerful can beat the SNES for its fun and pleasure it bought to me and others back then. Infact its a sad thing to have to write about sommit that was so kewl yet now DEAD and buried.

What was your favorite AMIGA game(s)?
I did not really have a favourite Amiga game. I did not play them all infact most were awful compared to consoles.

What was your favorite overall game(s)

SHIT I HAD A LOAD HAHA :-
1. LAST RESORT (NEO-GEO)
2. SUPER CASTLEVANIA (SNES)
3. STREETFIGHTER ][ (SNES)
4. FINAL FIGHT (SNES)
5. DR HAUZER (3DO)
6. SEGA RALLY (SATURN)
7. RIDGE RACER (PSX)
8. WAVERACER (N64) + too many to mention
9. BRUCE LEE (C64)
10. WAY OF THE EXPLODING FIST (C64)


What was your favourite C64 group(s)?
1. FAIRLIGHT
2. HOTLINE 9009

What was your favourite AMIGA demo(s)

I LOVED MOST OF THE DEMOS AND INTROS, CRACKING AND DEMO GROUPS MADE:-

1. BUDBRAIN MEGA DEMO I & II
2. TITANICS MEGA DEMOS
3. RED SECTOR DEMOS
4. MELON DEZIGN MEGA-DEMOS + LOADS MORE

What was your favourite AMIGA scene cracker(s)?

1. I.B.M. (CRYSTAL)
2. HARMONICA (CRYSTAL)
3. PHIL-DOUGLAS (CRYSTAL)


What game company(s) wrote the best AMIGA titles?

1. CORE DESIGN
2. PSYGNOSIS


What were the 6 best cracking groups in order?

1. CRYSTAL
2. FAIRLIGHT
3. QUARTEX
4. CLASSIC
5. BAMIGA SECTOR ONE
6. WORLD OF WONDERS





What was the best overall group on the AMIGA?
C R Y S T A L

What was the best crack intro music?
There was a really kewl tune on one of the old WORLD OF WONDERS cracks, it was used by others loads of times. Also another kewl one was on a BAMIGA and QUORAM crack intro.

EVENT(S) (E.G. COPYPARTY)
I was invited to few of Copyparties back in the mail trading demo days but never attended as I was not too much into them things.


MEMORY(S)

1. All my old friends at CRYSTAL
2. First original CRYSTAL cracked which I supplied
3. Mmy first real contact *TURBO* who incidentially had a real sexy wife which got my cock hard even as a child with no hormones haha!
4. When FAIRLIGHT pratted about with my answerphone
5. When I lamped up a X-friend after he said I was crap at Streetfighter II and he was better (not!) this totally destroyed my room by the way.
6. All those long trips on A B.M.X to get the originals on the Amiga
7. When I used to get free updates of SNES copiers from M.D consoles
8. The first time I made a loading screen on the C64 work. haha using turbotape!


DRINK ?
I don't drink alcohol, and never really have after being kaned once on whine at Xmas that bad I could not see or hear a dicky bird threw drinking too much definatly too quickly. haha! I love those cola especially pepsi, I do drink a lot of tea tho!

What are you doing nowadays ?
If anything I'm spending a shit load of my hard earned dosh hahaha. I'm still working at the same job I got when I had to leave the Amiga Scene. I now am addicted on cars like I was on computers, nobody thought I would ever put a keyboard or a joypad but I have.

Since August 1995 I've bought 5 cards 4 of which were brand new haha! 3 "N" regs and 1 "p" Vauxhall Opel Tigra 1.6I 16V'S. I had a creamic blue one first as my first car. hehe. I ordered it in easter and had not even pasted my test haha. I passed my test 2nd time in July 1995. After 6 months I totally worte the car off in a big crash I cuased. I flipped the car over about 3 times and smashed a metal bollard in the drivers door as I was spinning across the path and then about 150 yards down the road I smashed a silver birch tree right off and in the middle of a main road. I landed with the drivers side down. It was very scrary but all 5 of us jumped out of the passenger door on top and was not scrached. Haha. It was a bad memory, but what you get for driving like a nutter, this is what happens when you hang aroudn with dicks who joyride in stolen cards (not the more). I then got another ceramic blue one from my insurance as a replacement and then after 3 months swapped it for a MTV Summertime limited edition pineapple yellow Tigra. After 7 months I decided I wanted a red Tigra so bough a new P REG. haha I'm driving a older "M" reg REG VAUXHALL/OPEL CALIBRA TURBO 4X4 16V I bought it from a T.V.R sports car dealership in Birmingham. I always wanted one of these cards as they look the busieness even after 7 or so years and the turbo goes like a snot and Kanes a crap cosworth (0-60MPH 6.2SECS 155MPH MAX). Since I bought it I've decided I'm going to try and get it into a UK boy
racer style magazine such as fat car, max power, reves I've kitted the car up with a german touring car DTM style evolution body kit and also swapped the turbo GM wheels for OS racing polaris and changed all the brakes (disks, pads) for racing brakes supplied by Vauxhall tuner courtenay turbos in Norfolk they supplied me with Brembo Disc and pagid performance pads.
I have a few more changes to do then I will get it sorted into a magazine. This is what I do with my spare time apart from shagging and spending time with my new girlfriend I've been seeing now for nearly 2 years. I also wach alot of american wrestling! N.W.O !! Rule.




Are you on the internet?
No unfortunately, I did join the net a while ago and dumbled it, all it I was after was satellite hacks from some ftp sites, it was too bloody slow and crap. I only own a crap 386 laptop pc (Apart from my old Amiga which is stored) so I can't get on the net with all this flash s/w for browsing see as it mostly uses shit 295 etc. Maybe soon!!! When I do I'll look you up and others. hahaha

Is there anything you'd like to say to the public (read: admires)
I'd like to greet the following people:-

SCOTT, FLUX, HARMONICA, I.B.M, PHIL-DOUGLAS, HAWKEYE, ICE-D, DRAGON-SLAYER, NOMAD, JBM, MAD-TURNIP, R2D2, ZIKE, CONQUEROR, TURBO, KAM, CARL, SCROTE, DEREK, ASTROPATH, DREAM WARRIOR, BAMBAM SCOOTER, MIKE, MUNCHIE, LINEBACKER, TONTO, BUGBYTE, ZELNIK, POT-NOODLE STRIDER, RAY, COLIN, EXECUTIONER + Everyone else from the C64 Scene to the old Scene members of the Amiga.

FAIRLIGHT, CLASSIC, WORLD OF WONDERS, BAMIGA, QUORAM, QUARTEX, NEMESIS, MINISTRY, SKID-ROW, ANTHROX, CRYPTIC UK, MAYHEM, SCOOPEX SHARE AND ENJOY, BUDBRAIN, RED SECTOR INC, MELON DEZIGN, TURBO DIST, CRYSIS INTERNATIONAL, NAPALM, SNEAKERS, SKID-ROW, SPELLJAMMER, DIGITECH, EXCEL, ODDESSY, MAFIA U.K, L.S.D, ABAKUS, SYSTEM 2 RASTA CATCHER, LEGEND + Loads I've forgot sorry, you are remembered tho!

+ Everyone else I've known

What is the meaning of life?
Really it'S a utter bag of sit which will never be explied. All we do is fucking hunt for things to cover up how rotten life really is. On the most of the time this involves money or being sommit which will harm ourselves in our future life thus making life even more in bairable. And don't forget old age, my answer if top yaself at 46-50 and don't worry anymore about bing in a home dribbling on a bib like when you was born. Just think all that hacking knowledge degrees, qualifications, book of life means shit when ya old!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!