Bubsy 4D: Demo Impressions

Bubsy T. Bobcat is one of the most reviled characters in gaming history. Despite the well-earned reputation, he has continued to return in various games over the years. Ever since his first appearance in 1993, Bubsy has been met with moderate indifference at best and complete ridicule at worst. On a side note, I don’t know how to feel about the fact that he’s the same age as me. 

As I detailed in an article honoring Bubsy’s creator, Michael Berlyn, this is a franchise that had the best intentions behind it, a passion project by an ambitious creator, sadly plagued by poor design choices and messy gameplay. Let’s not forget that Bubsy himself would go on to annoy any gamer who dared put the cartridge in the console. In another universe, Bubsy might have just gone down as another failed mascot, but in our universe, his smartass personality and repetitive quips made him especially irritating.

When Bubsy 3D cursed the PlayStation in 1996, earning much ridicule and criticism from everyone who played it, the franchise was presumed dead. Then, in 2017, an attempted comeback made it to stores, which earned the honor of being “not terrible”. The franchise was again presumed dead, until now. Bubsy 4D is an enigma in my eyes: not only is this the SECOND attempt at a comeback for a series no one seems to like (outside of memes) - while other platforming juggernauts wait patiently for their resurrections - but the game looked… decent.

I may not have been a fan of the talkative Bobcat, but it seemed interesting. The new franchise owners, Atari, seem to know that Bubsy’s reputation isn’t the best. In fact, they asked developers to pitch ideas that would be refreshing and creative because they know no one would pay attention if this game were just “another Bubsy game." I have to give credit for the dedication; It also helps that the studio in charge is Fabraz, the same people behind Demon Turf. Could this be it? Could this be Bubsy’s first great game?

With the demo just releasing on consoles and Steam, I gave it a whirl, and I have some thoughts.

The Good

If I have to give credit to one thing right away, it’s the visuals. The game uses cel-shaded graphics, which gives everything a cartoony look, a good fit for the vibe of this franchise. Character models look good, and the environments strike a balance between wacky and coherent. I can’t really compare it to anything else in the industry, and it finally gives Bubsy a distinct look.

I also enjoy the raft of movement options the Bobcat has this time around. Aside from the usual running and jumping, which are to be expected, you can also find a reliable double jump, which extends into a slight hover if you keep the button pressed down (very similar to Yoshi’s flutter jump in the Mario games). Bubsy’s trademark glide is also back, allowing some extra height and a slow descent towards the ground.

The pounce attack from the latest entries is also back and has multiple uses. For one, the pounce can cover long distances, useful for covering ground more quickly than regular running, and for jumping over pits which are tough to cross. Bubsy can also lock onto targets and enemies with the pounce, similar to Sonic’s homing attack, which makes it useful for both attacking enemies and platforming. What I like the most about it, though, is that if Bubsy lands on regular terrain after a pounce, he starts running faster. This is a very small touch, but it made exploring the levels really fun and made me think about how quickly I should approach a challenge.

Speaking of speed, Bubsy has a new move in which he inflates into a literal furball and starts rolling around. Using the pounce button in this mode will make Bubsy roll around even faster, reminding me of a certain blue animal again, maybe because it’s used a lot to travel through tubes and halfpipes. I may jest, but the sense of speed achieved in these parts is actually quite exhilarating and creates fun challenges to navigate around! In addition to all of that, Bubsy can also wall-jump and run up walls a bit. These tricks aren’t all that special, but they’re here and expand the roster of actions the Bobcat can perform.

In general, Bubsy’s move arsenal is just fun to play around with! You could approach any regular jump in a variety of ways; I was able to clear some distances with a regular jump, a short glide, a well-timed pounce, and finishing with a double jump. I could tell the developers didn’t intend for me to cross, these distances, and I love discovering tricks like this! There were also moments when my pounce overshot a platform, but I managed to hold onto the wall just before the game would count it as falling, and used the jump and glide to save myself. I felt like a damn genius pulling that off!  

It sure sounds like Bubsy’s well-equipped for this adventure. However, you may have noticed I said I overshot platforms. Well, read on.

The Bad

This is the most depressing part of this article for me. After giving legit praise to Bubsy’s moveset in this game, I now have to criticize the very same thing. The arsenal of moves Bubsy has under his paw is quite good, make no mistakem but it’s just not good enough.

I mentioned the glide earlier, a staple of Bubsy’s since the first game. While it did save me plenty throughout the demo’s 3 levels, the glide itself isn’t all that useful after a second. You do gain more height before going into the glide, and it does cover a bit of distance, until Bubsy drops to the ground like someone attached a very heavy anchor to his paws. This is such a baffling choice because it hurts the use you could get out of the glide.

Maybe because the pounce allows the players to quickly cover a lot of distance in the air, the developers didn’t see the need for a move with a similar function, which is slower. I guess I can understand that reasoning, but the pounce and the glide are two different things. One is used to jump over large chasms, while the other allows for better alignment when landing. The fact that Bubsy drops so quickly while gliding destroys the flow of his movement, which is such a shame since he actually does have a flow this time!

Actually, he might have too much flow because Bubsy can also be a bit slippery, even when running normally. For the most part, platforms are large enough to compensate for that, but other times I found myself sliding over the edge because the Bobcat slipped when my analog stick wasn’t moving. Maybe I just need to get used to the controls a bit more, so some time with the final game could change my feelings on this.

This may also be the case with the new roll move, since I’m still not sure how it's supposed to work. When rolled into a ball and going through terrain that is designed for it, like a halfpipe or courses that go up and down, I could never figure out if Bubsy has actual momentum. Sometimes it seems like he does, as rolling from a standstill will be slow, and rolling downhill will make him go faster. Sounds pretty basic, right? However, as I mentioned earlier, pressing the pounce button in this mode will make Bubsy go faster. Now, obviously, rolling faster as a ball will make the control looser, I understand that. The issues start once the game requires you to alternate between regular rolling and fast rolling. Holding the button will immediately make Bubsy roll faster; there’s no rev-up or lead-in animation, he just goes fast regardless of the terrain. Letting go of the button causes him to slowly stop, and then he slowly speeds up when the button is pressed again. 

It’s a bit hard to explain how this works, but it doesn’t seem like Bubsy has any flow in this form. Button pressed = speed; button released = slow. The transition between the two doesn’t feel snappy enough to make the obstacle courses designed for it fun. If Bubsy were a car, imagine pressing the gas would have the car go at 100 MPH without any buildup, and hitting the brakes would stop it immediately. I'm not sure if it’s the best analogy, but that’s what I have.

And the Bobcat

I’m torn: On the one hand, I see the great game that this could turn into! There’s a fun visual style, a great set of moves, a proven developer, and a genuine attempt at making a great platformer here. On the other hand, the slippery controls and inconsistency in the character's movement make me question my wording.

After trying the demo for myself, Bubsy 4D interests me a lot more than I ever thought it would. I can definitely see myself having fun with the movement options, and I’m excited to see what challenges await in the later levels of the game. As a big fan of platformers, I’m always up for any test of my skills the genre can throw at me. I may joke about Bubsy’s state as a joke of a mascot who’s only kept relevant in memes, but if he can deliver a fun experience, I’m not going to complain!

Then again, the demo does show some cracks in the veneer, and who knows how much worse those cracks could get later on in the game. At the time of this writing, the game is a month away. I don’t think it’s enough time for the developers to tweak the controls and fix the issues I’ve had with the demo. A patch is always a possibility, of course, but first impressions do matter for a game. Especially when the name “Bubsy” is involved. I don’t want them to miss the mark over small issues when the game launches. These tiny snags could knock the game off a few points, so I’d hope for the best.

As for me, I’m definitely cautiously optimistic about this title! I’m aware it can all blow up in our faces, and I know that this franchise doesn’t have a good track record. But this demo showed some promise, which is a lot more than I was expecting! Atari seems confident in this game, and personally, I find it kind of admirable. 

You have my attention, Bubsy. Now, instead of asking what could go wrong, let’s focus on what you can do right.