Bubsy 4D Review – Born-Again Bubsy

Given the franchise’s history, Busby 4D shocked me with how exceptional it is as a game. The movement feels delightfully smooth, the levels have the perfect amount of challenge, and the sardonic tone of dialogue is far more charming than in previous Bubsy games. Outside of a couple of camera issues, this is a mind-blowingly high-quality return for one of gaming’s less favored mascots.

Credit: Atari

I have a long and somewhat sordid history with the Bubsy series. I’ve reviewed the last several releases here at MonsterVine over the years, and they’ve never really done much for me. When I played the Bubsy 4D demo a while back, I found myself having a renewed sense of (cautious) optimism for the prickly bobcat – one that has been blissfully rewarded through Fabraz’s excellent new release.

Fabraz certainly has a reputation for having satisfying movement in their games, and that is more than apparent in Bubsy 4D. Every move flows flawlessly into the next, whether you’re turning Bubsy into a fast-rolling fluffball or using his inexplicable guide ability. He’s got a surprisingly large moveset, with even more moves being available as you collect blueprints throughout the game, making for one of the most flexible and enjoyable feelings of mobility I’ve had in a platformer.

Credit: Atari

Bubsy 4D manages to strike a balance between linearity and non-linearity, with levels that have plenty of little things to find that never feel too large or cumbersome to maneuver. Though there are only three worlds of levels to take on, this felt like the perfect length for a game like this. In my four or five hours of playtime, I never felt bored or tired of the mechanics or stages, and the replayability of each level through the many collectibles and the challenging level times you can aim to beat.

Speaking of which, this is a game that’ll really appeal to speedrunners, as the stages seem to be made with them in mind. Though you can certainly take your time and explore each level for collectibles and the like, you can also beeline straight for the end and finish the stage within a couple of minutes at most. Properly utilizing Bubsy’s many moves in conjunction with the solid design of so many of the stages makes for a thrilling and fast-paced time trial experience, so this is a must-grab if you’re the sort who loves tight and fast platforming.

Credit: Atari

The only negative worth mentioning from my time with the game comes from the camera, which occasionally struggled to clearly portray what was going on when I was too close to walls and when I was trying to get out of particularly sticky situations. The checkpoints are generous, and there’s no annoying punishment for dying, so it’s not the end of the world by any means, but it was a tad frustrating to have the camera lose track of Bubsy now and then while I was trying to pull off a tricky maneuver.

The bounty of unlockable costumes is fantastic, giving you a wide range of both visually appealing and incredibly silly skins to unlock. The best one has to be the Bubsy 3D model, which looks practically identical to that infamous PS1 model and even plays the terrible Bubsy 3D death animation when you die while it’s equipped. Getting all the costumes and moves rewards the slower, more exploration-oriented players, which certainly allows Bubsy 4D to offer the best of both worlds.

Credit: Atari

Bubsy 4D pokes fun at the franchise’s reputation.

The tone of Bubsy 4D is perfectly suited to this modern revival, as it plays on Bubsy’s identity as both a character and a game series without making it overly prominent. Pretty much all of the supporting characters and NPCs in the game find Bubsy to be more of an irritant than anything else, with his own family members and seemingly closest friends just tolerating him at best. Bubsy himself has been improved quite a bit as well, becoming a bit more Sonic the Hedgehog-esque and a bit less like a knockoff Gex (which the game itself even jokes about). 

I definitely dug the visual style of Bubsy 4D as well, which is more lively and colorful than the recent Bubsy games. The characters have a cooler, slicker look while still retaining the aspects that’ll make them recognizable to existing Bubsy fans, with Bubsy himself receiving the best visual upgrade, making him look more like a distinct bobcat than the regular house cat he previously resembled.