Review – Bubsy 4D on Switch 2

You know the days of the mascot platformer are far from over when Bubsy Bobcat has somehow returned. You may, or may not, recognize the maligned feline from some of the most disdained platformers of the ’90s. The unfortunately one-sided match-up that was the fascinatingly disastrous Bubsy 3D on PlayStation vs. Super Mario 64 on N64 still stings to this day. However, everyone deserves a… 7th chance. That brings us to Bubsy 4D where Bubsy, in his midlife, and his family are tasked with tracking down balls of Golden Fleece to stop the Baabots from automating the natural world.

Bubsy 4D is Bubsy’s second shot at starring in a 3D platformer, this time going on a galactic quest to stop what begins as his old foes, The Woolies, who have kidnapped sheep for their wool. In a twist that could be a little better spelled out in-game, the Woolies get overthrown and enslaved by the very sheep they kidnapped and it’s up to Bubsy to leap into action and stop these new enemies: The BaaBots. By venturing across three different planets, Bubsy pushes his platforming skills further than ever before and this time, thanks to developer Fabraz, he has the smooth controls to match.

The feline’s 4D adventure plays like a reclamation of sorts for Bubsy’s first foray into 3D, the cringe-inducing shot too close to the sun that was Bubsy 3D. I’m happy to say that this outing controls quite fluidly and tank controls are even an option. Bubsy’s psychological beatings over the years by video game critics will cause him to judge you for making such a choice. But the running, jumping, pouncing, rolling, and bouncing feels similar to that of Super Mario 3D World’s level of control. For Mario, that’s a Tuesday. For Bubsy, it’s simply revolutionary. 

 

 

This time around, Bubsy’s adventure with his family(?) unfolds across three different planets each with five levels for a total of 15 stages. If that sounds short-lived, it is on the surface level. However, developer Fabraz has incorporated racing against the clock and leaderboards for each level. Beating the level’s target time will get you a medal. Doing better than that next time will get you worldwide bragging rights. This is meant to give Bubsy 4D some replay value, but your mileage will vary depending on your patience for speedrunning a set of levels over and over again. For what it’s worth, the levels certainly feel good to fly through and are meant to be absolutely busted open. This is helped majorly by the ability to turn into a hairball at any time and go Sonic speed. I think I found the Super Monkey Ball-esque speed chutes to be the most fun part of each level. 

As you make your way through Wooltopia, Craftus and Metalurgia, you’ll acquire blueprints that allow you to add new moves to Bubsy’s repertoire. Each move costs 1 blueprint and is a good incentive to scour the levels. Yarn balls act as the “coins” that guide you on the critical, or secondary, paths. Collecting these allows you to purchase some crude pantsless outfits for your favorite already pantsless misfit bobcat. Levels occasionally feature Woolies or Baabots that you need to pounce on once or twice, usually being used to move you forward. There’s also boss battles and they weren’t bad, reminding of Sonic Rush or Crash Bandicoot 2. This is all, of course, right out of the 3D platformer playbook. Much of Bubsy 4D can be described in that way. It isn’t trying to be anything more than a competent 3D platformer that stars Bubsy. 

 

 

Come to think of it, as credits rolled and I had defeated the three Baabots, I very much felt that Bubsy 4D was a proof-of-concept. What’s here is a short but passable 3D platformer. But it doesn’t go beyond that. That may be Bubsy’s curse, really. His games tend to take a lesser form of whatever is popular at the time. In the early ’90s, it was Sonic. In the mid-’90s, it was 3D. In the late 2010s, it was endless runners. None of which were even close to the best examples of the sum of their influences. This time around, it’s movement-focused speedrunning platformers. I just didn’t find the levels, even with some gravity gimmicks or sudden viewpoint change, to be that exciting. 

What Bubsy lacks in substance, he makes up for in charm and that’s thanks to Sean Chiplock’s Deadpool-esque performance. He truly understands the essence of the character and turns Bubsy into a charming, enduring midlife crisis sort of personality. He wisecracks about Italian plumbers and AI. He even berates you for pausing the game. It’s not a stretch to say that Sean’s energy kept me playing. Fatbard’s jazzy ’90s-reminiscent soundtrack matched the vibrant zigzag carpet aesthetic quite well too. I especially enjoyed Metalurgia’s throwback to the days of drum and bass. The art direction involves a world made of arts and crafts as well as a symbolic landfill stacked with CDs, circuit boards and computer chips. Even the VR simulation area that acts as the tutorial space comes across as a more realized version of the liminal 3D space Bubsy 3D was going for. 

 

 

On Nintendo Switch 2, Bubsy 4D runs at a cell-shaded 60 fps — you can bet it’s a smooth experience but does compromise in some areas. The environmental textures pop in as you run towards them. The draw distance and amount of detail that can be seen in the distance is actually quite impressive. You’ll see entire planets spinning in real time relative to your location in the level. However, their animations play in a lower frame. All of this is to be addressed in a day one patch that will go live by the time you’re reading this review. I’m hopeful the patch will also improve the initial load time which totaled nearly two minutes. In summary though, Bubsy 4D is both a wacky cartoon in motion and a vibrant 3D platformer.

Let me answer your main concern: Bubsy 4D isn’t a bad game. In fact, it’s almost certainly the best game Bubsy has ever had his infamous name on. However, if you’re wanting to get your paws on it, go in understanding that it is a shockingly short affair. Whether you’re here for gathering collectibles, speeding through to the credits, or hearing all the puns (there are many, including at least one about CRTs to show that Bubsy is old now) you’re here for a good time, but not for a long ride. If this is Bubsy’s trial run for a larger effort to come, it’s a good start. 

 

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