The Cat That Couldn’t Escape His Past
Back in the 1990s, mascots dominated the gaming field. It felt like every game needed to have one in order to represent the brand. And several dominated – fan favorites like Mario, Sonic, Spyro, and Crash Bandicoot.
But for every major mascot success, there were plenty of failed attempts, especially for characters that debuted in 2D and then struggled to transition to 3D. Bubsy was one such character.
His first appearance was back in 1993 and was received well, but Bubsy 3D was infamously bad. It released around the same time as Mario 64 and it was the perfect contrast to Mario’s commercial and critical success. Poor graphics, awkward controls, and an over two decade long hiatus before Bubsy would attempt a 3D game again paints a rough picture for the series.
With that kind of background, Bubsy 4D comes as a surprise to say the least, but with a new IP owner and fresh developer, this cartoon cat gets another life. Does Bubsy deserve it though?
A Second Chance Built On Speed And Momentum
Bubsy 4D is a classic style 3D platformer. It takes place across three worlds and 15 levels, where Bubsy needs to jump, climb, dash, and roll around whacky structures to reclaim his golden fleece from the BaaBots.
Platforming is the star of the show and the game’s approach to the controls is a bit unique. While running and jumping are of course components, Bubsy has a dash ability that allows him to gain massive forward momentum in the air. Holding the dash when he lands also puts him into a sprint for him to maintain his speed on the ground.
On top of this, he has a double jump and a glide ability that allows him to gain extra height and get some hang time while in the air.
When A Giant Furball Becomes The Best Feature
The most unconventional addition to Bubsy’s moveset is the ability to turn into a giant hairball that can roll and dash around. Many maps capitalize on this by featuring long, winding slides that Bubsy can speed down and around. With huge jumps and enemies to smash into along the way.
There are enemies to fight, but there aren’t too many of them to worry about, and the ones that are there can be largely ignored. That said, there are three boss fights throughout the game, which can be taken out with three hits. That is fitting for a game that so clearly harkens back to the haydays of platformers.
The combat relies on using the dash ability to target enemies, but jumping on an enemy’s head also works. Again, this isn’t a major component of the game, and the boss fights themselves are more tests of a player’s platforming skills, not their fighting skills.
Flying Through Levels Like It’s The Nineties Again
But the platforming is genuinely fun. It takes some getting used to, but once you understand the different controls and options available, it’s possible to fly around levels at breakneck speeds, skipping sections, and setting new scores for the leaderboards. The ability to turn into a speedy, bouncy furball drastically affects how hectic and exciting the platforming can be. The previously mentioned slide sections are one of the most enjoyable parts of Bubsy 4D and they are featured heavily throughout the levels.
Regarding the writing, and well, it has a certain charm to it but it’s cheesy and a bit over the top. Which isn’t necessarily a criticism, after all, Bubsy has a reputation and the game’s dialogue even plays into that by demeaning Bubsy at every opportunity. Instead of portraying him as some cat on the cutting edge of culture, he plays the awkward uncle character, and it fits the new design and style incredibly well. The dialogue is still a few years out of date, but it works for Bubsy.
Rough Around The Edges But Easy To Enjoy
Visually, this is not the most impressive game, but the soundtrack is surprisingly catchy and performance wise most things work well. I did clip through the environment once and during the final boss fight the boss also clipped through a wall during an attack. In the first instance I fell into water and teleported back to the platform I was on, so it was a minor issue. And in the boss fight they also clipped through a wall, but thankfully after waiting for a little bit the game managed to correct itself, so that ended up being a non-issue.
Overall, Bubsy 4D plays well, and even though it may feel surprising to say, those behind it have managed to make an enjoyable 3D Bubsy game.
The Biggest Problem Is Wanting More Of It
Ironically, one of the biggest issues with the game is just how short it is. If you’re playing through the main story and not worrying about hunting for collectibles or setting leaderboard records, it can be beaten in under three hours. Focusing on the leaderboard times, exploring the maps, and getting the collectibles will add a couple hours to that time, but with only 15 levels there just isn’t a ton of content to play through.
And further, Bubsy 4D’s biggest issue is that it has released two decades too late. This would’ve had the potential to be a huge hit back when platformer collectathons were mainstays of gaming. Even if Bubsy 4D wasn’t as big as other games at the time, it definitely would’ve been able to hold its own. And there’s potential to build on the formula that Bubsy 4D has created. The most important aspect of the game, the platforming and movement, are fun. If some of the kinks are ironed out, and there could be some additions to the level count, it would have the making of something genuinely exciting.
Only time will tell if Bubsy manages to capitalize on Bubsy 4D, but it’s a solid entry for a franchise that has struggled to make it in the 3D space.
Important Links
Bubsy is Back in a New Platformer – Bubsy 4D – https://www.thexboxhub.com/bubsy-is-back-in-a-new-platformer-bubsy-4d/
Bubsy 4D Might Be Gaming’s Weirdest Comeback – https://www.thexboxhub.com/bubsy-4d-might-be-gamings-weirdest-comeback/
Buy from the Xbox Store – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/bubsy-4d/9p82vzjszwgs
